Date Ideas That Don’t Involve Movies or TV

Especially after we get married, we run the risk of neglecting the fun things we used to do and that made all the difference at the beginning of our relationship. There used to be so much planning involved for the first few dates, and we were always up for a spontaneous adventure. But as the years pass, suddenly we look up and realize we’re stuck in a routine that’s hard to break. Life gets busy, we get tired, and even spontaneous, unplanned adventures are hard to take up.

Whether you’re newly married or the above paragraph resonates strongly with you, save this list for when you need to inject a bit of creativity into your relationship. Embrace the cheesiness, be vulnerable, invest (your time, mostly) and plan something that DOESN’T involve just mindlessly binge-watching a show and calling it quality time.

Let’s get moving!

Bonus: while a few of these are specifically for you and your spouse only (I’ll mark them with an *), most of them can include the kids for some family quality time.

Activities

1. Bike ride (can be in the city, countryside, bike trail, park, seawall…)
2. Watch the sunrise/sunset (grab a blanket, some pillows, and pick a spot like the roof, a nearby hill, the beach…)
3. Travel (Plan a trip near or far! Take the ferry or a plane, just be strangers somewhere new.)
4. Sleep somewhere different (Set up camp in your backyard, sleep in the guest bedroom for a night, or take everything to the living room like when you were kids.)
5. Try making a new dish (Pick something relatively simple, decide who will do what, and have fun even if it fails.)
6. Renovate part of your house together (Even if it’s just painting a room in your house.)
7. Build something (A custom desk, bookshelf, fire pit, or even model kits!)
8. Plan a picnic in the park instead of a meal at home (Make a simple meal and just eat it outside!)
9. Learn something new together (Take a class, learn a new language, try a new sport)*
10. Read together (Choose a book, read, and then discuss when you are both done. P.S. Adventist Home is a good one…)*
11. Try a new food (Each one chooses a dish for the other to try. Share.)
12. Volunteer (Do something for someone else. It can be a family member, your church, with a volunteer organization, or simply picking up trash in the park.)
13. Change your eating space (Have breakfast in bed, dinner on the patio…)
14. Garden (Whether you live in an apartment or acres of land, it’s possible to grow something. Study your options and cultivate life together.)
15. Exercise (Choose an exercise you both enjoy and start working out together.)
16. Call or write someone (Make your grandparents’ day and FaceTime them. Write letters to someone who won’t be expecting it!)
17. Have a photoshoot (Choose an afternoon or morning when there will be soft light, grab your phone, dress up, go somewhere pretty, and photograph each other. As with all the items on this list, it’s about enjoying the process. It doesn’t matter if the photos don’t turn out like the ones you see on Instagram. They probably won’t. But it’s fun to see yourself through someone else’s eyes.)
18. Go star-gazing (Many towns and cities have parks with designated sky observing areas. Look your region up! If you live in the city, you may have to drive for a bit OR visit a planetarium/observatory. The sky is absolutely breath-taking, and it’s an incredible and humbling experience. Count the shooting stars. Learn the constellations. Vini and I really liked this book and take it camping.)*
19. Have a staycation (Plan a night or weekend getaway in your town or the closest big city. You don’t need to go far to be a tourist!)*
20. Minister together (Share God’s love: visit someone who is discouraged or ill, host your church youth for a night in or an outing, take some praise to a nursing home…)

What would you add to the list?