30+ Fun Date Night Ideas to Get Out of Your Rut! 

Are you here looking for date night ideas? Well, you came to the right place if you are like me…looking to be inspired because you love your rut, and hanging out in it with your spouse sounds just fine.

So here’s the deal. All my friends are talking about date night and posting their date night pictures on Instagram and honestly, when I think of date night, I roll my eyes. We don’t have kids and I’m with my hubby every evening. My idea of a great date night is eating at home and watching something in pajamas. We do that all the time.

But, in all honesty, we live with my parents and we could probably use some date nights. After all, at the end of a normal day, sitting in front of the TV we don’t really talk to each other about important or interesting things and we definitely tend to forget how lucky we both are to have each other. 

So what can a cheap and lazy person like me do for date night? What are some at-home date night activities that I can get excited about? How about cheap date night ideas? What if I don’t want to do something fancy but I would enjoy having new experiences with my husband? What if I do feel like a fancy date night?

What Are the Benefits of Date Night

First of all, why have a date night? What are the benefits of a date night? Here are just a few:

• It fosters open communication to have time alone. 
• You will remember the romance of dating and what you love about each other. 
• Having fun and exciting times together builds memories and deepens bonds. 
• You get to treat each other for all the hard work you both do. 
• Maybe you will learn something new about your spouse or learn something new together.
• You will be able to strategize family goals together in a relaxed atmosphere. 
• You get a break from the kids. 

Okay, when I lay it all out like that I suddenly appreciate the whole idea of date nights. Instead of an excuse for an Insta-brag I can now see how they could benefit any relationship. I can also see that date nights could happen in a lot of different settings. It doesn’t have to be a fancy dinner. It could be a long drive or an afternoon at the lake, depending on which of the above benefits we need most. 

So now it’s time to brainstorm. What are some great date night ideas we could try? 

Fun Date Night at Home Ideas

Since I love my jammies and my home so much I’m going to start with at home date night activities. Don’t worry. This post is totally PG. After thinking about it here are a few things my hubby and I enjoy doing at home that could totally be called fun date night at home ideas:

• Play a board game together. 
• Cook something new together. Eat it slowly with conversation.
• Sit on the patio with a glass of wine and talk. 
• Get in the hot tub and talk. 
• Take a walk or bike ride around the block or in the hills. 
• Bake something complicated together. 
• Read something spiritual or funny to each other. 
• Get out some paper and draw or paint random stuff and share it with each other. 
• Play musical instruments together. 
• Work on a project you enjoy around the house, like gardening, together.

It’s easy to see how we could do any of these things on a date night. You could even combine them. We have spent entire days off playing games and baking and we can always have dinner and sit on the patio or walk around the block. 

Date night doesn’t have to be a big thing. It just has to be a little bit of time you set aside for you and your spouse to remember your partnership and your love for each other. It’s about taking time to listen to each other and figuring out how you can work as a team. You can do that at home as long as you’re intentional about it and focus on togetherness. 

Cheap Date Night Ideas

Next, we need to figure out some cheap date night ideas that include actually leaving the house because I don’t always feel like getting dressed up and blowing lots of money. In fact, I rarely feel like doing that. 

After some thought here are some cheap date night ideas we definitely should remember to do now and then: 

• Go kayaking at the lake.
• Take a drive somewhere pretty. 
• Grab an ice cream cone or coffee or boba or lunch. 
• Take a hike. 
• Go to a local park or museum. 
• Take in a movie. 
• Go bowling or play another sport like Pickleball or golf. 
• Go to somewhere with live music and dance.

Again we see that date night doesn’t have to be fancy and it doesn’t even have to be at night. Date night can be in the middle of the day if you take a few minutes to get together. Make it an easy date night and include some good friends if you want to do something like bowling. Just have fun together and it counts! 

Fun Date Night Ideas That Make Memories

The next ideas I look for when I’m thinking of a date night or day with my husband are things we can experience together. Why? For a few reasons. If I’m gonna spend money AND leave my house and not wear pajamas I want to make a memory. I want to do something different and I want to have fun. I also really like trying new things with my husband because when we learn together we make memories and develop stronger bonds.

So what are some experience date night ideas that I’ve tried or would like to try? Here are a few: 

• Go to a concert or a play. 
• Try an escape room. 
• Find a fun speak-easy to try before dinner. 
• Take a painting or cooking class together. 
• Go to an adventure park for something like ziplining. 
• Take a dance class. 
• Try something like goofy golf or laser tag. 
• Go on some roller-coasters at an amusement park. 
• Get old-timey photos taken. 

These are just a few ideas. One year my husband signed us up for Western Swing classes at the college. (How cute is that!?) That was a date night idea that actually lasted for several weeks! And another time we went ziplining for our anniversary. We have actually done everything on that list except taking a cooking class and taking old-timey photos. Guess I know what to look for next!

Fancy Date Night Ideas

Last but not least, there’s nothing wrong with a traditional fancy date night once in a while. It’s good to get dressed up for each other and going to a nice dinner can be a special and well-deserved treat.

What are some fancy date night ideas you might try on a special occasion? Here are a few: 

• Go to a fancy restaurant dressed nicely and splurge on good food and conversation.
• Get all decked out to go to the opera.
• Schedule time at a spa. 
• Take a trip or a weekend getaway. 
• Dress up and go to dinner at a specialty dining experience, something you haven’t ever tried.  
• Take one of those dinner cruises. 
• Go to a winery for a tasting.
• Rent a beachside/poolside cabana for an evening.

I don’t know. I’m fancy like Applebee’s. That’s all I can think of but I’m sure you could come back to me with more ideas in the comments below! 

Let’s Try Date Night! 

So at the end of this article, I hope you feel like I do. Date night is not silly and it’s not just an excuse for an Instagram post. (Although you totally can post it if you want to.)

Date night can be an important part of keeping your love alive. It can be a time for making each other feel special and seen. It can be an essential time away from the kids (or whoever else you live with) and it can be any time of the day that you can take a moment for the one you love.

I hope these date night ideas help you get inspired to try date night! I hope they help you strengthen your relationship so you can enjoy your happy simple life together! And I also hope to get more ideas from you! Please share in the comments below!