51+ Simple Date Night Ideas to Prioritize Quality Time with Your Partner

Guest post by Sheila Price

I’m excited to share a guest post written by my friend and fellow minimalist, Sheila of Practigal Blog. Sheila writes about simplifying your life so you can prioritize what matters most to you. Sheila’s blog is full of so many great posts, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it! Today, Sheila is sharing an awesome list of simple date night ideas, including ideas for going out or staying in!

Sheila’s post is a great reminder that date nights and quality time spent with your partner don’t have to be complicated, expensive or difficult. Her suggestions for simple date night ideas show how prioritizing quality time together can be easy and fun. I’m looking forward to using many of her ideas to spend some quality time with my husband. I hope you’ll get some great date night ideas too! Without further ado, here is Sheila!

51+ Simple Date Night Ideas to Prioritize Quality Time with Your Partner

We’ve probably all heard repeatedly that date nights with our partner are critical. We know that relationships take work in order for them to survive, and yet so often we don’t make quality time with our partner a real priority. We can feel like we are too tired, date nights are too expensive, or we simply don’t feel like going out. The truth is, date nights are super important, but that doesn’t mean they have to be super extravagant. You can plan a simple date night with your partner that doesn’t break the bank or even require you to leave your home. When your date nights are simple, it’s easier to have them more often.

A Redbook survey of the magazine’s readers found that 45% of couples said they rarely have date nights. And only 18% said they go out around once a month. Another of Redbook’s surveys found that 50% of its readers say the number one reason date night gets cancelled is because they are too tired to go out. So you’re not alone! Even if you aren’t too tired, maybe you’re an introvert like me and don’t always feel like going out. ?

All of these hurdles can be overcome. Let me show you how you can overcome the obstacles and prioritize date nights for the health of your relationship, without having it feel like just another item on your to-do list.

How to Prioritize Date Nights

So, how then do we make date nights a priority? I think the best way to prioritize date nights so that they actually happen is by keeping them simple. The smallest of gestures can convey a lot of meaning. So, planning a super simple date night can still mean so much to our partner. It shows that we want to spend time with them, that we like them, and that we want to grow our relationship with them. You don’t have to spend a ton of money to do that. You don’t have to plan a weekend away to do that. And you don’t even need to leave your home to do that.

Another way to prioritize date nights so they actually happen is to do what works for your current stage of life. Get creative! Don’t have a babysitter or can’t afford one? Plan dates at home when your kids are sleeping. Don’t have time for a regular date night? Sneak in an early morning chat over coffee or meet over your lunch breaks. Can’t afford to go out regularly? Go out for just appetizers or dessert, have a date night at home, or do something outside of the home that’s free.

If you don’t have a lot of money to work with, spend money on what you need the most. Prioritize what’s worth spending money on. If you need time away from home more than anything, spring for the babysitter but do something free. Or, if you need to have fun with your spouse more than anything, pay for an activity you both enjoy.

Finally, don’t wait for your spouse to initiate. If you want to prioritize date nights, you’ll have to stop thinking it’s your partner’s job to plan them. Surprise your partner with your date night plan and just see what happens.

31+ Simple Date Night Out Ideas

When you or your partner really need to get out of the house, planning a simple date night out is the way to go. Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

1. Go for a hike
2. Take a bike ride
3. Go sledding
4. Try geocaching
5. Go stargazing
6. Watch the sunset
7. Visit a farmers or flea market
8. Have a picnic in the park
9. Rent a canoe
10. Fly a kite
11. Go bird-watching
12. Play catch with a ball or frisbee
13. Go to the beach
14. Check out the free events your city offers
15. Test-drive a car
16. Go ice skating
17. Go out for only appetizers, drinks, or dessert
18. Attend trivia night at a restaurant or brewery
19. Take a class through community ed. (try dancing, art, boxing, or yoga)
20. Volunteer together
21. Check out the local theater or sports teams
22. Visit a free museum
23. Play games at an arcade
24. Brush up your skills (or lack thereof) at the batting cages
25. Go indoor or outdoor rock climbing
26. Play minigolf
27. Go bowling
28. Start a hobby together (you may want to invest in your own supplies, but after that, it could cost little to nothing. Try renting or borrowing supplies before you commit.)
29. Go fishing
30. Try cross-country skiing
31. Check out a nearby city you’ve never visited and just explore!

20+ Simple Date Night In Ideas

When you don’t have a babysitter or you would rather stay home, plan a simple date night in! Think about what you might do outside the home, and simply do them at home instead. Remember: you don’t have to leave the house for it to be considered date night. You just have to be alone. If you have little kids, wait until they are napping or go to bed at night. If you have older kids, you could even tell them that they just need to find something to do quietly in their rooms.

Sometimes all you need is some time to connect through conversation or laughter. Here are several ideas for a simple date night in:

1. Watch a movie and eat popcorn
2. Have a favorite TV show marathon
3. Cook or bake together (try something new!)
4. Play board games or video games
5. Do some wine or beer tasting (have some good cheese and crackers to try pairing with them)
6. Buy some massage oil and give each other massages
7. Dress up and eat dinner by candle light
8. Make a bonfire outside or light the fireplace (enjoy some champagne or s’mores!)
9. Simply talk and “catch up”
10. Read a book together (take turns reading out loud)
11. Dance to some old-timey music
12. Take a relaxing bath together with wine and soft music
13. Have a theme night (try an “indoor camping” theme, “act like we’re still 20” theme, or whatever sounds fun to you!)
14. Reminisce and look at old pictures
15. Write a bucket list and dream about your future together
16. Try a new yard game
17. Exercise together
18. Sing karaoke using YouTube lyric videos
19. Learn a new card game
20. Watch funny YouTube videos and laugh!

Keep it simple!

Spending regular quality time with your spouse is incredibly important. Try to plan a simple date night regularly with your partner and have a backup plan just in case. ? I hope you have found some inspiration to prioritize time with your spouse and get creative so that it actually happens.

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Thanks, Sheila for the great list of simple date night ideas! I feel inspired to think outside the box and plan some fun, but simple date nights with my husband! I hope you enjoyed the post as well. What’s your favourite simple date night idea? Leave a comment below and let us know!

About the author: 

Sheila Price is a wife, mom of three, minimalist, and introvert. Sheila writes over on Practigal Blog about simplifying every area of life so that you can prioritize what matters most to you. She always gives practical tips to make your life both easier and more fulfilling. Make sure to connect with Sheila on Instagram or Facebook!