15 ways to help you date your spouse again

Jennifer DeWeil

The biggest hindrance to date night is rarely a lack of desire. Often we’re so busy, broke, and tired that the idea of planning something feels like more hassle than it’s worth. 

But the truth is that the time spouses spend together is the best investment we can make with our time, our money, and our energy. Having fun with each other is the key to a healthy marriage, and the best gift we’ll give our kids is two parents who love each other for a lifetime. 

So whether your date nights are stuck in a rut or you’re “not the creative type,” here are 15 ideas for $10 or less, including date nights in and date nights out. 

Proverbs 5:18 says, “May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.” So take time this week to take a break from the work of marriage, and have fun working together!

Date Night Out 

• Grab a blanket, and head to your favorite fast food restaurant. Get your food and go to a nearby park or “your spot.” Spread that blanket out, and eat your food while you talk about your day. 
• Love a sweet treat or a good coffee drink? Head to a coffee shop or an ice cream spot. As you eat or drink, share one thing you love about your spouse. 
• Love the outdoors? Pack a backpack with drinks and food, and hit the trails. Being away from technology and surrounded by creation tends to spark great conversation.
• Love an adventure? Head to your local thrift store for a treasure hunt. Create a list of 20 things your spouse has to find. Set a time limit, then go hunting for treasures. Document your finds with pictures on your phone. Meet back up and go somewhere fun to compare pictures to see who won! 
• Go explore your town. Even if you’ve lived in the same town your whole life, you probably have a place or two you’ve never ventured. Walk around, window shop, people watch, and laugh lots!
• Local flea markets and antique malls are great places to visit. You never know what you might find, and it is sure to offer great conversation starters.
• Ride around and look at houses for sale. Talk about dreams for your family and what you want your kids to remember about their time spent in your home. Make it a game by trying to guess the asking price of the homes. The person who gets the most right wins!
• Hit the road. Is there a town nearby that you love but don’t go to enough? Take turns being DJ as you drive to that town. As you explore and enjoy that place, talk about one rose (good thing) and one thorn (not so good thing) from your day. 

Date Night In 

• Grab blankets and get outside. Bundle up and look at the stars. Try to name the constellations, or better yet, come up with your own starry images and names. Most creative wins!
• Game night isn’t just for kids. Grab a game and play it. If all the games in your home are for your little ones, designate certain spots on the board for certain things. For example, if you have to slide down, tell each other your most embarrassing moments. Or, if you land on a candy space, share some of your favorite memories since you’ve been together.
• Grab your favorite drink and/or snack and sit on your porch. Take time to ask your spouse about his/her day, and focus on listening well.
• Take a walk. Whether it is around your yard or your neighborhood, walk and talk. Holding hands is optional, but it never hurts. 
• Cook together. Maybe it’s dessert. Maybe it’s dinner. But gather together in the kitchen and see how creative you can be. It doesn’t have to be fancy, and it shouldn’t be stressful — just fun!
• Cut out the lights, light some candles, and make a bed on the floor. If you have a video from your wedding, pop it in and watch together. If not, flip through photo albums and reminisce on the days since you said, “I do.”
• Push the furniture back, dim the lights, and have a dance party. Hold each other tight as you sway to the beat, or put on some beach music and practice your shag moves. Slow or fast, the music doesn’t matter as long as you’re having fun together. 

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 tells us what real love looks like: “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;  it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

What would our marriages look like if we invested in quality time together — putting the other first and making space to rejoice, to believe, and to hope for the future. 

If you try one of these date nights, we want to celebrate with you! Use the hashtag #BeatTheOdds to show us your date night and follow others’ posts to get ideas for your next date night.