Though it’s easy to get caught up in practical matters, don’t forget that joy is the purpose of life. A marriage where the partners do diverse and interesting activities together leads to more intimacy and engagement.
Below you will find 12 date night ideas that can help you and your partner bond, have fun, and rekindle the romantic spirit.
1. Visit a zoo or botanical garden
Zoos and botanical gardens are great dates for couples who enjoy nature. A walk through a botanical garden, enjoying fragrant flowers and interesting plants can help to slow the pace and provide time to talk. Similarly, zoo animals provide fodder for observational sharing, a great, low-pressure way to connect. Getting into nature can be a great way to share a peaceful time together.
2. Play scrabble or other word games together
For couples who love wordplay, nothing beats a game of Scrabble! And if you have less time, you can also play Wordle, Hangman, or Bananagrams! Sometimes it’s fun to set up special rules at the beginning of the game. For example, you can dictate that the goal is not to win but rather to celebrate unusual words. Or you can raise the stakes on winning and decide that the winner has to give the loser a massage. Another fun idea is to give any word deemed “romantic” double points. However you play, the goal is to revel in your love of words together.
3. Take a dance or cooking class together
For couples who love to develop new skills, a cooking or dance class can be a great outing. Cooking classes can range from basic cooking to complicated French Cuisine and can be attended in person or online. Dance classes can span from ballroom to swing dancing, to hip hop, and can be attended at studios, outdoors, or online as well. Learning a new skill together can bring a couple together in new ways.
4. Go shopping for each other and share what you find
For couples who love a challenge, an idea might be to go on a shopping trip for one another and then share your findings. This can be specific, like going to a bookstore together and choosing a book for each other. Or, the challenge can be wide open, like going to a mall, setting a spending limit, and freely shopping. It may also be fun to set a specific challenge, such as “find something the other would never get for themselves,” or “find something that connects with your partner’s childhood,” or “find something that connects to your partner’s favorite movie.” These kinds of challenges can be a great way to demonstrate curiosity about your partner and show how well you know them.
5. Go to a sex toy shop together
For some people, this one is the ultimate trip outside of their comfort zone… and that’s what makes it fun! Going to a sex toy store and wandering around together may very well remind you exactly why you and your partner got together. Spending time in the store, choosing some things to buy, and then heading home to try them out might just be the perfect date night.
6. Go to an outdoor exercise class together
For couples who enjoy working out, an exercise class might just be the ticket to a good time! Trying out a high-intensity cross-fit class or a slow-moving gentle yoga class can give you an experience together and something to discuss later. Doing something healthy together can lead to relational health as well.
7. Take a relaxing ferry ride
When you live in a city, it can be easy to take it for granted. One way to combat this as a couple is to take a ferry ride and admire the city you call home. Ferry rides are wonderful because they tend not to be too expensive, unlike tourist cruises, and they can deposit you somewhere new. In New York City, for example, you can take a ferry to Hoboken and have dinner in a new restaurant or wander along the waterfront before returning via ferry or PATH train. Seeing your city from afar can help you see your relationship in a new light.
8. Stargaze or cloudgaze
As city-dwellers, it’s possible to spend weeks or months without ever looking up. This can be resolved by going on a star-gazing date (at night) or cloud-gazing (during the day) expedition. You can lie on the ground in Central Park naming clouds or visit a planetarium for a sky show. Looking up and admiring the sky can expand your perspective, which can help you see your partnership in an expanded way, too.
9. Row a boat or canoe in Central Park
There are so many opportunities for the perfect date in New York City for the two of you to get away from the concrete jungle. One such way is to take a rowboat or a canoe out in Central Park. The skill required is minimal, and the experience can be surprisingly peaceful, even as skyscrapers rise above you.
11. Go to a museum or a live performance
For couples who enjoy cultural experiences, a new experience of an old favorite is to head to a show, concert, or museum with renewed intention. While enjoying the experience, make sure that you stay connected with your partner. This can involve holding hands during the performance, asking your partner what they think of a piece of art, or reminiscing about prior experiences you’ve shared. Doing this can take you back to how it was when you were courting: It’s not about what you are doing; it’s about who you are with.
12. Do an arts and craft or DIY home project together
For those who are crafty and creative, sometimes the best dates are where you create something together. This can involve going to a fabric or craft store and bringing home materials to make a blanket together or collaborating on a home improvement project. Producing something tangible while working side-by-side can be very satisfying and help you feel like a team.
10. Drive to a destination meal in a small town, rural area, or another city
Sometimes the best way to appreciate your life together in New York City is to escape the city and go somewhere different. This could involve a train ride on New Jersey Transit or Metro North to a new town or a drive to a destination a few hours away. Planning to take a meal at a farm-to-table restaurant or having a cocktail at an ocean-side restaurant can be the perfect ending to a little date adventure. Breaking your city routine together can revive your connection.
Intention is the key to re-spark romance
Whichever date night you choose, just know that you are already taking the most important step: being intentional about the time you spend with your partner. Your life together has many dimensions, but ultimately enjoying the time you spend together can cultivate a meaningful connection in your marriage.
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