Contains sponsored links¦ Trying to plan a date when you have young children can be really difficult. Struggling to choose a babysitter, parent guilt or separation anxiety can be amongst these hurdles. As such, sometimes it’s easier to just plan a date at home for when your children have gone to bed. There’s absolutely no reason why this can’t be just as romantic. In fact, it can be a win-win situation as it can also hugely cut the cost of a date. Here are 5 great ideas for your next date night.
Movie Night In
Rather than go to the cinema, why not watch a film you’ve both been meaning to watch for some time? Alternatively, have a scroll through Netflix to see what’s new or recommended for you. Get some snacks in like popcorn and nachos and get cosy on the sofa together! We unplug from phones, laptops and other devices like we would at the cinema to fully enjoy the movie experience together.
Fancy Dinner
Why not look up a recipe for a delicious dinner? Even better if you make it a 3+ course meal! You could spend some romantic time cooking, or treat your partner by doing all the cooking for them. Set the table with candles and get dressed up for an indulgent evening – and if it all goes wrong, you can always get a takeaway!
Game Night
One of our favourite date night activities is to get our favourite board games out of the cupboard to play. Pokémon and Bluestone Monopoly are favourites here, although we enjoy others such as Scrabble and Pointless too! You can make things more interesting by adding alcohol, if you’re that way inclined. For example, taking a shot of wine each time you pass Go!
Picnic Date
If it’s the summer months and it’s mild and light enough, you can do this one outside! Grab a picnic blanket and place it in the garden, taking an assortment of foods outside with you. If it’s cold, dark or raining just do the same thing but on the lounge floor. If you wanted to, you could even create a little blanket fort with LED fairy lights to make it even cosier!
Stargazing
On a clear night, grab coats and blankets if necessary and head outside to gaze at the stars. You could mix some cocktails or mocktails beforehand to take with you. Whilst you might wish to mostly unplug, there are apps you can download to help you to identify the constellations! One of my favourites is Star Chart, which is available for both Apple and Android.
Bonus idea: Another fun way to connect with your significant other on a home date night is by enjoying a fun game of jigsaw puzzles together. I’m A Puzzle has a great collection of free online puzzles.