10 Unique Date Ideas for Married Couples

It’s no secret that couple time is crucial if you want a functioning marriage/partnership. But when you have young kids at home, you have little time – and even less imagination – to come up with something other than the ho-hum dinner-and-a-movie night. Don’t fret: After reading these ideas, you’ll want to call your sitter and set the date!

Frogger & Cocktails

Search for a bar arcade in your area. These grown up arcades offer local brews, crafted cocktails, and gourmet burgers alongside vintage video games like Frogger and Donkey Kong.

No bar arcades near you? Head to the local arcade for air hockey and video games. Put a little spin on it and dress up. Compete to see who can win the most tickets. Losing partner forfeits their tickets to the winning partner.

Hit your favorite burger joint after and order something with a ton of bacon/jalapeno/both on it. Drink cheap beer and deep-fried anything. Grab an Uber to get home.

Chopped: Farmer’s Market Edition

Ever seen the TV show Chopped where contestants need to make a dish from a list of very random ingredients (pork belly, strawberries, and sriracha???). It’s pretty intense – and it’s exactly what you need to spice things up!

Browse your local farmer’s market and stop to enjoy breakfast at one of the food stands. Afterwards, go your separate ways and shop for a bunch of ingredients that don’t make sense. Once you get back home, trade bags and allow time for researching recipes, and then get cooking. Whoever makes the less repulsive dish wins. Loser does the dishes! 

Skip Dinner But Wine and Dine

Have you been dying to try a four-star restaurant but realize you could buy six months of diapers with the tab? Pick three restaurants you would like to try, but only order appetizers at the first two and dessert at the third one. Cost will be less than two dinners + a dessert at only one of the restaurants, plus the (three) changes of scenery will keep things exciting.

Old School Makeout

Get in the car and cut right to the chase. If you’re feeling like you just don’t have the time or the cash (or the desire) to be wined and dined but are still wanting a makeout sesh, take a cue from teens of yore. You need nothing more than a tight sweater and a ponytail to get things going. Bonus points if you park in a lookout spot...just don’t forget to pull the parking brake! 

Dress up and Play Pretend

Get dressed up and tour expensive homes for sale in a neighborhood you’ve always wanted to live in. Get ideas for your own house. Stop by a car dealership on the way home and test drive a fancy car, ideally with the top down. Point your nose up at everything and complain a lot. Get some cigars – smoking them is optional, but keeping them in your mouth all night while talking with a French accent is not. #classy

Be a Tourist in Your Town

Pick some of the top landmarks or tourist destinations in your town, preferably ones you’ve never visited. Grab your phone or camera and play tourist for the day. Many cities now have bike share programs which you can use or go for a good, old-fashioned walking tour. You can take in the sights while reconnecting through a new experience.

People Bingo

Grab some ice cream and find a busy place in town to sit and play Bingo. People-watching Bingo. Find the oldest couple, someone walking a dog, somebody eating while walking, texting while walking, somebody wearing a band t-shirt, somebody who trips, a child with red hair, a man with a (yellow) hat, etc.

$5 Finds

Hit up the dollar store and give yourselves a budget of $5 to find the perfect gifts for each other. Go back home, wrap the presents, and exchange them while dining on take-out. Too boring? Sex it up and use the $5 to find romantic items to be used later that night – candles, anyone? Remember, romance comes in many forms – comical, artsy, and even odd. Let your imagination flow (and again, lock the doors for the kids’ sake.)

Sip and Draw (or Paint)

Hit up one of those trendy Sip and Draw (or Paint) classes in your town where you can sample wines and spirits in an informal art studio setting. Live models are generally provided and you can chat and laugh over each other’s sketches with a brush in one hand and a cocktail in the other.

Vintage Records & DJ Class

There’s nothing like music to set a romantic mood. Hit up your favorite vintage record shop and spend the day browsing for some cool tunes. Bonus points if you manage to find some significant songs that mark your relationship together. Once you have a nice stack of records going, head over to a DJ class and learn how to spin. If you have the time, play your finds at home for your own private club night.

What are some of the best dates you’ve ever been on? Share your stories and tips with us!