A peek inside this post: Are you looking for simple dating ideas for married couples? Do you long to connect with your spouse? Maybe it’s been months since you intentionally spent time together. No kids. Just the two of you. These 11 Dating Ideas for Married Couples don’t require tons of planning because, let’s face it– you’re tired! And busy. These simple dates will have you hanging out, having fun, and remembering why you fell in love in the first place.
My husband and I have been together for 20 years. When we make dating and spending time together a priority, I really do see a difference in the entire family.
Mom + Dad having fun = much more laughing and a more relaxed home atmosphere.
We are not dating “pros” and this list is not rocket science. None of these simple dating ideas will surprise you, but it’s nice to have a list to refer back to, because they’re so fundamental that you may have just forgotten about them!
My hope is that this list will get you excited to spend some one-on-one time with your spouse and you start having some FUN!
These fun dating ideas are very simple and also can be accommodated to fit your budget!
11 Effortless Dating Ideas for Married Couples
1| Get Food/Dessert and Go To A Park
This basic date can cost as much or as little as your budget allows. If you are limited with funds, grab a dessert from the grocery store. If you have a little extra money this week, get the full meal carry out.
Stock up with plates, napkins, drinks, silverware, and head to one of your favorite parks to eat.
Not too far into the pandemic, my husband and I were longing for quiet conversation with just the two of us. We grabbed some dinner from a local restaurant and went and sat at a picnic table at a park.
My husband had planned this carefully as the table we sat at was directly across the street from a dog park. I was ecstatic. We didn’t have a dog of our own yet so I sure had a blast watching other people’s dogs meet up and play.
Sitting outside at a park is such a great way to appreciate God’s creativity, and for me it usually slows down my life a little bit. It helps me to forget about whatever concerns I might be facing that day and gives me the chance to reconnect with my husband.
2| Go for a Stroll
We love to take walks and get our bodies moving. Sometimes the kids come, too and that’s great! There were several days the past year that we just put coats on and walked. We needed that time together.
Some days we have tough conversations about parenting, life, hard things. Sometimes we use this time to pray.
Sometimes we were frustrated with each other at the beginning of the walk and felt much better at the end. Sometimes we need to take the bigger block or longer route!
Sometimes we hold hands. There is something about holding my husband’s hand that sends such peace through me. Sometimes we look at the changing of the seasons and talk about them. “That tree is already starting to bud.” “The colors on that tree look like the sunset.”
We have a 5 month old puppy now and our walks are starting to be even more fun. The thrill of watching her grow and learn with each stroll brings such joy to us as we work with her. It’s rewarding and we love to experience that together.
3| Get a Room (Or a Garage)
I hear you. Some of you are still in the thick of having young kids.
Maybe you are having a hard time getting out together because of the pandemic. Maybe it’s hard getting a sitter. Maybe it’s just too expensive.
Several years ago, we started having room dates and garage dates. Our kids were too young to leave at home alone, but they could be trusted to play and follow directions while we took time to have our own date at home.
The kids actually loved our room/garage dates! I think they were ready for a break from us just as much as we were ready for a break from them.
Sometimes we would pick up a dessert or get a simple meal and then lock ourselves in our room or the garage without the kids. They knew they could only come and talk to us if it was an emergency. We would watch a show together or just enjoy talking to each other without being interrupted.
Don’t expect this to go seamlessly, but do expect to have fun while showing your kids that investing in your marriage is a priority.
4| Play Cards
I know this sounds too simple. Honestly, it really is, but it’s really fun, too.
We have spent a lot of time playing cards. My husband and I both grew up playing cards with our friends and families. We enjoy playing games like Speed, Golf, Phase 10, Peanuts, Rummy. So many others as well.
When we were in college, I used to play cards with my friends all the time. Old Maid was a favorite. One day, Jake just sat down and said, “What are we playing?” He invited himself and never left. I’m so glad!
Playing the card games themselves are a lot of fun, but usually it’s the conversation and laughs that go on during the card game that create the most memories.
Having a simple date night of playing cards is always a great time!
5| Make Exciting Snacks at Home
I am starting to realize how much I like to talk about food! Ha!
One of our favorite simple dates is to make a skillet cookie or a snack board at home to share together.
We used to make skillet cookies pretty often when the kids were really young. It’s easy. It’s cheap. It’s so tasty. Please note, it’s not healthy.
I am even going to share my favorite skillet cookie recipe with you. The ingredients are simple.
- 1 Yellow cake mix
- ⅔ cup of oil
- 2 eggs
- ½ bag of chocolate chips
- Combine yellow cake mix, oil, and eggs until mixed together.
- Stir in ½ bag of chocolate chips.
- Divide batter into 2. Freeze ½ for another night. Yes, you heard me. It makes 2 skillet cookies!
- Spread the other ½ of the batter on a pizza pan and bake for about 9 minutes at 375.
- Top with your favorite ice cream.
Ok. Over the past few years I have discovered that I feel better eating Gluten Free/Dairy Free. So, we have developed a recipe that we make that does not contain gluten or dairy.
- Gluten free yellow cake mix (we love Aldi’s Live G-free)
- 3 eggs
- ⅔ oil (we have used Country Crock dairy free butter (melted) and coconut oil)
- ⅓ bag of dairy free chocolate chips
- Combine yellow cake mix, oil of choice, and eggs until mixed together.
- Stir in desired chocolate chips.
- Divide batter into 2 portions. Freeze that other ½ for another night!
- Spread the first ½ of the batter on a pizza pan and bake at 340 for about 15 minutes.
- Top with ice cream of choice! Usually dairy free for me!
Making the skillet cookie together is fun and eating it is even better!
Another idea is to make a snack board. We enjoy making platters of fruits/veggies/olives/meat/nuts. Taking an extra 10 minutes to prepare everything on a platter makes it feel so much more formal rather than grabbing the bag of salami and sitting down on the couch!
What snack ideas do you love to make at home?
6| Look at the Stars
Yep. It’s that simple. Grab some blankets and pillows, or some lounge chairs if you prefer, and go outside on purpose after dark. Cuddle up while looking at the stars.
We spent a lot of evenings watching the stars when we were dating before marriage. It always seemed like we were seeing shooting stars. We would have a competition of who could see the most!
Put some of your favorite music on and see if you can track down the Big Dipper!
They also have some pretty cool star gazing apps out right now. The one our family has used is “SkyView Lite.” You can point your phone at a star or planet and it will give you the name of it.
7| Sit Outside By A Fire
I told you this list of dating ideas for married couples was nothing groundbreaking! But there is something therapeutic about sitting and watching a fire.
The flames rising up from the logs.
The crackling of the wood.
The smell of the wood smoke reminds me of sitting by our wood burning fireplace when I was a little girl.
We really enjoy having fires as a family. Some of us just show up for s’mores and others stay awhile and cook a turkey dog or bratwurst. The past couple years we have made the tradition of having Friday night fires and eating supper around it.
After the kids head inside, Jake and I usually put a few extra logs on and sit around the fire until we are ready to go to bed. I cherish those times.
Sometimes we just sit and watch the flames and put our hands up to feel the heat. Sometimes we talk through some parenting struggles. Sometimes we just enjoy sitting next to each other.
8| Go Thrifting
My husband and I have a pretty shared love of thrifting. We have a blast! Now that the kids are older, we are able to head out for a couple hours just the two of us. We almost always end up at a thrift store!
We love to get bargains while meeting the needs of our family!
Some of our favorite things to find are vintage t-shirts, shoes and boots, coats, home decor, and records. We found an awesome kennel for our puppy at Goodwill for about ⅙ the cost of a new one. Those finds are FUN and we love to search for them together.
Some places to go thrifting are your local thrift stores, Goodwill, flea markets, and garage sales.
Going thrifting together is a super fun date for us. It’s probably one of our favorites!
9| Listen to Music
I will be honest, my husband listens to music way more than I do. Sometimes I can run errands for an hour and then realize I didn’t even turn my radio on. I think it’s because I love hearing myself think!
This past year my husband has gotten into listening to records. He is slowly building his collection with some great music!
One of his Love Languages is quality time and I love to sit and listen to his records with him. I love hearing where he found the record, what he likes about the artist or song, and appreciating the music.
Jake loves all different kinds of music but some of our favorites to listen to together are John Denver, James Taylor, Jim Croce, The Eagles, Journey, The Beatles, Billy Joel, and Johnny Cash.
Before we were listening to vinyl, we used to listen to CDs and playlists that he created. I love sharing that time with him!
10| Play A Sport
Remember how I said my husband feels loved when we spend quality time together? He also loves sports! I grew up with 3 brothers and was often playing basketball with my friends in our alley.
We have a lot of fun being outside and being active together. We enjoy playing basketball in our driveway. Nothing formal, just shooting together.
We also enjoy playing bean bags together. We grabbed this set on somebody’s curb and brought them home and fixed them up. They have been a lot of fun to play when the weather is nice!
We used to play frisbee golf when we were dating and first married. I wasn’t very good at all, but it was a great way to hang out and something to look forward to!
11| Take a Hike
Another one of our favorite simple dating ideas is to go for a hike. It’s great because it’s pretty affordable. Sometimes you just have to pay for parking and sometimes it’s completely free!
We love to go to local state parks or trails and take in the scenery. Sometimes, if we can get away for more than a couple hours we will drive to another town and explore the hiking trails there.
There is something about being in God’s creation and appreciating our surroundings together that really brings us together! Throw in some fun snacks and it makes a really great date!
What Other Dating Ideas for Married Couples Do You Have?
Like I mentioned before, these dating ideas aren’t brand new. They have been done.
We, at Just Homemaking, want to encourage you in your marriage. We want you to have a thriving marriage! Not a perfect one. No marriages are without troubles. You might like our Devotions for Wives to help you be more intentional in your marriage!
Hopefully this post will remind you of times you have enjoyed dating your spouse and get you excited about intentionally spending that time together again.
What simple dating ideas for married couples do you have for me? Leave a comment below and please share some of your favorites!
Other Marriage Posts for You:
7 Keys to a Healthy Marriage Husband and Wife teamed up to write this post for you! There are so many things that make a strong, healthy marriage. They’ve narrowed them down to what they believe are the 7 most important ones for a thriving life together!
How to Prioritize Your Marriage (even when your kids’ needs are screaming louder than your husband’s) As women, we wear a lot of hats, and it can be hard to balance all of our responsibilities and roles. Sadly, sometimes our husbands get pushed to the back burner when we have kids because their needs seem greater (louder!) than his. Help protect your marriage and remind your hubby that’s he’s your #1.
How to Fight for Your Marriage Facts: no marriage is perfect or easy all the time. Learn how to hold onto your marriage (and each other) through the highs and lows of your married life.
An Open Letter to My Husband on Our Anniversary A sweet note that honors the sacrifices of a husband that often go unnoticed.
Love these date ideas! It’s so easy to forget these simple things when life gets busy with kids…I love the idea of a garage date and letting your kids see the time you invest in your marriage!
Katelyn,
Yes! It is so hard to remember how great the simple things are after having kids! The garage dates were one of my favorites!
these dating ideas are great! My husband and I have tried a few before and there are a couple that we will have to try. the main thing is spending INTENTIONAL time together. 😁