The first date I had with my husband was to see Blades of Glory when we were in high school. I know, it’s the movie that every girl dreams of going to see with her romantic interest. Who doesn’t love a good Will Ferrell/Jon Heder comedy that is incredibly inappropriate, especially as a first date. But if you know my humor and my husband’s humor, the movie is really no surprise.
But truth time…
My husband and I do not go on a lot of dates. We have the occasional date night where Avengers or Star Wars comes out, and we get to see the movies in theaters without the kids. Oh wait… those are pretty much the only date nights we’ve had.
Contrary to what some of our friends and family believe, it isn’t that we don’t trust babysitters. It isn’t even that we can’t find the time, though the time is harder to come by nowadays due to work schedules. Really, it’s that our time together is so limited because of schedules that we prefer to spend our time together as a whole family. So date nights out on the town, for now, aren’t a priority.
But then nights like Valentine’s Day come around once a year and we are scrambling to figure out what we are going to do. Somehow, we always forget that Valentine’s Day is coming up until it’s too late to make reservations at a fancy restaurant.
The past several years we’ve done family Valentine’s date nights. We make reservations for dinner and go somewhere as a family. Little Mister dressed up and I was lucky enough to have two dates. Even last year on Little Miss’s first Valentine’s date night, she wore a cute dress and the boys took us out.
This year, however, my husband and I have decided to have a date night ourselves. No fancy dinner because, once again, we forgot to make reservations somewhere. So in honor of one of our few date nights, I wanted to share 10 date night ideas for parents beyond the traditional dinner and a movie or even just walking around Target – you know you do that as a date night, don’t deny it.
Arcade Night
A few months ago, my husband went on a dad’s night out to a local penny arcade. These places are popping up all over the place. They are locations that have a collection of classic arcade games, from Galaga to Dance Dance Revolution to Nintendo Switch consoles with Super Smash Bros.
With these arcades, there is no need to bring in a roll or two of quarters. The arcades have a flat rate you pay to enter, and then it is unlimited free play. The games can be a fun place to have a little friendly date night competition.
Wondering about what you’ll be eating or if you can grab a couple of drinks? Many of these places have bars with food and themed drinks. Though they are family friendly, after a certain time, they become adults only, so perfect for a date night together. Arcades aren’t just for kids anymore!
Comedy Club
There are so many amazing comedians out there, you really don’t even need to book tickets at for a big fancy show to see them. Find your local comedy club to see some up and coming comedians. The tickets are relatively inexpensive, sometimes up to $20 for 2 tickets to get premium seating, and you can see a few comedians do their sets while you enjoy a couple of appetizers or drinks.
Occasionally they’ll have a bigger name comedian come in, so be sure to plan ahead appropriately in case you need to get tickets in advance. Many times, though, you can just get tickets that day. On recommendation, though – unless you would like to become a part of the comedian’s set, avoid sitting in the front couple of rows. You will surely be seen and used as part of a joke.
Chocolate Tasting
I did this as a part of a mom’s night out one time, and it would make for a wonderful date night. We went to a local chocolate shop and they gave us samples of some of their signature chocolates. We sampled everything from fudge with whiskey and maple syrup to a chocolate truffle with bergamot, orange, and jasmine. At the end of sampling, we could pick our favorites to purchase and take home.
If you look on Groupon, you may be able to find tickets for an official chocolate tasting, and that works, too. But also just check around your local area and see if any chocolate shops will offer samples for you to try. Pair this with a nice dinner out and then share your purchased chocolates for dessert. Just be sure to hide them from the kids! There’s really no need to share.
Visit a Llama Farm
This one is a little out there. It’s a little unusual and maybe not one for everybody. But how many chances would you get to say you walked a llama?
A friend introduced me to this concept. There are llama farms around the country that allow you to meet the llamas, host llama walks, and tour the farm. Along the walk you will get the chance to walk the llamas on the farm, learn facts about the animals, and enjoy a nature walk. Why just walk the trail alone when you can do so with this interesting animal?
It’s a safe experience and the llamas have such big personalities, you’re sure to have a fun time along the walk. To find one near you, search for “Llama walk” or “Llama farm.”
See a Tribute Band Play
When I was listing these date night ideas out to my husband, he quickly informed me that this was the only one that he was not a fan of. I’m not sure why, though. We all have that band where, when their song comes on the radio, we just have to belt it out at the top of our lungs. I know that when Back in Black comes on the radio, my husband is going to be playing some air guitar and doing some head banging.
Not sure where to find a tribute band? Search “Tribute band” and your local city and explore the results. Or if you know the specific band you would like to see, search for their specific tribute band in your city to view their upcoming performance dates and locations.
Maybe you’d like to have a music-centered date, but a concert really isn’t your style. Check out dueling piano bars! Dueling piano bars are a fun way to listen to talented pianists play your current and classic favorite songs in an entertaining and interactive way.
Rock Climbing
As long as you aren’t afraid of heights, this is a really fun date idea. Not only does it encourage team work, but you get in a good workout. The important thing with rock climbing is to use your legs, not your arms, or else you will wake up so sore the next morning.
And don’t worry, you don’t have to go find cliff sides to climb unless that’s your thing. Find a climbing gym in your area to check out. They’ll have all the equipment you need, a variety of levels of walls, and a bit of instruction on how to use the equipment if you need it. You won’t be able to find any food or drink besides your water bottle, but plan for a fun meal after to talk about your climbing adventures. Belay on!
Goat Yoga Class
If sweating isn’t your thing, don’t worry, that’s not the point of goat yoga necessarily. If this trend hasn’t made its way to your attention yet, goat yoga is when you do basic yoga poses while baby goats climb, nap, and play on and around you. You can either focus on the yoga poses, or you can take a little break and pet the baby goat trying to crawl onto your mat.
Ultimately, the class is meant to be an exercise in concentration as you are meant to focus on your yoga poses and not spend the entire time playing with the goats, but it is a unique experience that will contribute to stories together for years to come.
Wondering how to find a goat yoga class? They are more common than you would imagine! Search “Goat yoga class” in your city and a plethora of classes and studios are probable to pop up.
Play Pub Trivia
Are you and your significant other really into obscure facts? Maybe you are the king or queen at certain topics like movies, music, or geography? Then pub trivia nights are right up your alley. There are trivia nights almost every night of the week, from general trivia to themed trivia nights, it all depends on the company running the trivia night.
The plus to pub trivia? You are in the perfect location for food, drinks and fun. Plan on trivia nights to last several hours, usually 2-3 hours. Many times there are awards for the winning team including credit at the hosting bar. These can also make for fun double date nights. Get your clever team name ready and study up on your random facts!
See a Movie at a Drive-In Theater
I remember the first time that my husband and I decided to check out a local drive-in theater. We had an idea of what to expect, but our expectations were blown out of the water. We backed our SUV into the parking spot so that we could climb into the trunk. We put down our back seats to give ourselves a little more room, piled up the pillows that we had brought along, and snuggled together under a blanket. We were not knowledgeable to run our car the whole movie in order to play the radio since that is where modern-day drive-ins play the movie and our car died halfway through the second movie, but we came prepared the next time.
So here is what to expect for drive-in movies…
- The theater will broadcast the movie through a preset radio station that they will give you when you purchase your ticket. Because of this, it is best to play through your car radio station for the full surround sound experience.
- If you’re going to hang out in your trunk, bring lots and lots of pillows and a couple of blankets.
- Drive-in theaters make their money off of the food, drinks, and snacks that you purchase from their concessions. Be sure to bring a little money to help support these amazing theaters.
- The movies are double features. You don’t have to stay for both movies – it can get pretty late if you do. Usually the first movie shown is the most recently released and then the second one is a similar themed genre.
A date night to a drive-in movie is a fun way to change up the usual movie date and get outside the box theater. Even better – it’s way easier to cuddle.
The Zoo at Night
This one probably needs the most planning involved because these are often limited special events. Whether it’s your local zoo, museum, or aquarium, often these locations will have special evening events, sometimes exclusively for adults. Sometimes they’ll serve alcoholic beverages if you’re interested. These places aren’t just for children to enjoy.
You may think there isn’t much of a difference between these places during the daytime versus the evening, but you would be surprised. Sometimes animals are more active. It might be that the event is lit a certain way making it seem more spectacular. Or maybe it’s just the exclusivity. These events don’t happen very often, so make sure to keep on the lookout if this interests you.
What has been your favorite date with your significant other? Have you ever gone on a fun, unique date that has kept you talking for years to come?