55 Date Ideas for You and Your Partner to Reconnect After Having Kids

Having kids is one of the most rewarding experiences, but let’s be honest—parenting can be all-consuming. Between sleepless nights, endless laundry, and playdates, it’s easy for your relationship with your partner to take a backseat. Sometimes you don’t even have time to take a shower, let alone to spend quality time with your partner or even come up with date ideas. But this needs to stop now. Reconnecting as a couple is not just a luxury; it’s a necessity. Especially if you want your bond to keep growing in the chaos of family life.

That’s where we come in! We’ve compiled 50 date ideas to help you and your partner rediscover the magic. From simple, budget-friendly plans to memorable experiences, these date ideas are designed to fit into your busy life as parents. Your only task now is to make a promise to each other, choose from the list, and make this year a year of reconnection.

1. Picnic in the Park: Pack a picnic basket with your favorite foods ( my suggestion is a charcuterie board, but honestly, that is my suggestion for everything) and enjoy a relaxing lunch or dinner in a nearby park.
2. Movie Night at Home: Set up a cozy movie night with popcorn, blankets, and your favorite films. This is our go-to because we can easily set it up once the little ones go to bed. To make it extra special, we usually go to the shop together and choose different kinds of snacks we think the other one would love.
3. Cooking Class: Take a cooking class together and learn new recipes and culinary techniques. This is one of the date ideas that keeps giving: You will have fun together and end up with a delicious meal. If you are like me and feel like you are constantly repeating the recipes, this is a great idea to expand your repertoire.
4. Wine Tasting: Visit a local winery or wine bar for a tasting experience and sample a variety of wines together.
5. Stargazing: Spend an evening stargazing together, either in your backyard or at a nearby observatory. This is a great budget-friendly option, as you actually don’t need anything except a blanket and a place to lie down.
6. Couples Massage: Treat yourselves to a relaxing couples massage at a local spa or wellness center.
7. Dance Party: Clear some space in your living room and have a spontaneous dance party together to your favorite music.
8. Day Trip to a Nearby Town: Find a babysitter for the little ones and take a day trip to explore a nearby town or city, checking out local attractions and restaurants. The Netherlands has so many beautiful small towns that sometimes we just go for half the day. We jump into the car early in the morning, check out the attractions, and have a nice brunch or lunch in one of the local restaurants before we head home.
9. Bike Ride: Go for a scenic bike ride together, exploring bike trails or even just cycling through your neighborhood.
10. Art Museum Visit: Spend a day exploring an art museum or gallery together, admiring works of art and discussing your favorites. You might discover something new about your partner.
11. DIY Spa Night: Create your own spa experience at home with facials, massages, and relaxation techniques. You might even help your partner create their self-care routine.
12. Camping Trip: Escape into nature with a camping trip, spending the night under the stars and enjoying outdoor activities like hiking and fishing. Oooor if you are like me, and camping scares you silly, I would suggest glamping. Glamping is like a more sophisticated and less bugsy older sister to camping.
13. Concert or Live Music Event: Attend a concert or live music event together, enjoying the energy and excitement of a live performance.
14. Game Night with Friends: Not every date night has to be with only two of you. Invite your friends over for a fun and organize game night. You can choose between board games, card games, or party games, whatever you and your friends prefer. I would suggest Hitster, Horrible Therapist, Codenames or even Murder Mystery games. Of course, which games to choose depends on your friends group, but this indoor s’mores maker is for everyone. I love s’mores so much that I even found a way to make them in an airfryer.
15. Farmers’ Market Visit: Explore a local farmers’ market together, sampling fresh produce, baked goods, and artisanal products. You wouldn’t believe how many new favourite kinds of cheeses and honey we discovered during our trips to the farmers’ market.
16. Karaoke Night: Sing your hearts out at a karaoke bar or host a karaoke night at home for your friends with a karaoke machine or app.
17. Beach Day: Spend a day at the beach together, soaking up the sun, swimming in the ocean, and building sandcastles. Go back to your younger self and enjoy spending a beautiful day together.
18. Escape Room Challenge: Test your teamwork and problem-solving skills with an escape room challenge, working together to solve puzzles and escape before time runs out. Warning, this can result in fun.
19. Visit a Botanical Garden: Take a stroll through a botanical garden, admiring the beauty of nature and enjoying the serene surroundings.
20. DIY Craft Night: Get creative together with a DIY craft night, working on a project such as painting, pottery, or jewelry making. We even did a TikTok trend of making a blanket by choosing 2 different ones and combining them.
21. Outdoor Movie Screening: Check out a local outdoor movie screening or set up your backyard movie night with a projector and blankets. I am sure I don’t even have to tell you to choose this activity during the warmer months.
22. Scenic Drive: Take a scenic drive together along a picturesque route, enjoying the sights and sounds of the open road. It is hard not to have a plan when you are a parent, but just embrace spontaneity during this ride and simply enjoy the drive.
23. Cooking Challenge: Have a cooking challenge at home where you each prepare a dish using a set of mystery ingredients and then taste test each other’s creations. It can be your personal Masterchef competition, but without Gordon Ramsay yelling at you.
24. Visit a Zoo or Aquarium: Spend a day exploring a zoo or aquarium together, learning about different animals and marine life.
25. Bookstore or Library Date: Browse through a bookstore or library together, picking out books to read and sharing your favorite finds. You can even create your own private book club.
26. Sports Game: Attend a sporting event together, whether it’s a professional game or a local match in your community.
27. Take a Dance Class: Sign up for a dance class together and learn a new style of dance, such as salsa, swing, or tango. This is one of my favorite date ideas, even though I have two left feet, and it is definitely on our list.
28. Gardening Together: Spend time gardening together, planting flowers, herbs, or vegetables, and nurturing your green thumb. Even if you don’t have a garden, you can create a small herb corner where you will grow the herbs for all your cooking adventures.
29. Visit a Theme Park: Spend a fun-filled day at a theme park, riding roller coasters, playing games, and indulging in carnival treats without having to keep an eye on kids the entire time.
30. Outdoor Adventure: Go on an outdoor adventure together, such as hiking, kayaking, or rock climbing, and enjoy the thrill of exploring nature.
31. Sunset Picnic: Plan a romantic sunset picnic at a scenic spot, watching the sun go down together and enjoying a meal al fresco.
32. Wine and Paint Night: Attend a wine and paint night event where you can sip wine and create your works of art under the guidance of a professional artist. This is such a fun experience, and pictures always look so great that you will feel you are a pro.
33. Visit a Local Farm: Spend a day at a local farm, picking fresh produce, feeding animals, and enjoying farm-fresh meals.
34. Explore a New Cuisine: Try out a new cuisine together by dining at a restaurant serving ethnic dishes you’ve never tried before. You might discover a new favorite.
35. Visit a Historic Site: Learn about history together by visiting a historic site, museum, or landmark in your area.
36. Attend a Comedy Show: Laugh together at a comedy show or improv performance, enjoying a night of humor and entertainment.
37. Take a Photography Walk: Go on a photography walk together, exploring your surroundings and capturing memorable moments with your camera or smartphone. It will be fun to see different points of view and what captured whose eye.
38. Take a Staycation: Enjoy a mini getaway without leaving home by planning a relaxing staycation with activities like movie marathons, DIY spa treatments, and home-cooked meals.
39. Join a Local Tour: Sign up for a guided walking tour in your city, such as a ghost tour, historical tour, or food tour, to discover hidden gems together. It will be fun to discover things about your city that you didn’t know before.
40. Hot Air Balloon Ride: Experience breathtaking views and a touch of adventure with a hot air balloon ride, making it a truly unforgettable date.
41. Volunteer Together: Spend time giving back to the community by volunteering at a local shelter, food bank, or charity event. It can show you how lucky you actually are and that you have more to be grateful for than you might think.
42. Try Geocaching: Go on a modern-day treasure hunt by trying geocaching together, exploring new places, and solving clues.
43. Seasonal Activity: Depending on the season, try activities like apple picking, ice skating, or visiting a Christmas market for a festive date.
44. Potluck Picnic with Friends: Organize a potluck-style picnic with a few close friends, combining socializing with quality time as a couple.
45. Learn a Language: Enroll in a beginner language class together or use an app to start learning a language you’ve always wanted to explore. If you have a dream destination you want to visit, you can start learning the language and impress everyone when you visit.
46. DIY Home Project: Work on a home improvement or decor project together, turning your shared effort into a bonding experience. Is there anything you wanted to change in your house? Accent wall that you want to create? There is no better time than now.
47. Attend a Local Workshop: Explore local workshops like pottery making, woodworking, or even candle making to try something new and hands-on.
48. Trivia Night: Test your knowledge and teamwork at a trivia night hosted at a local bar or cafe. Gather your friends to create a team and enjoy. Who knows, you might love it and make it a monthly tradition.
49. Food Truck Crawl: Explore the local food scene by visiting a variety of food trucks. This way, you can sample various unique dishes and share your favorites.
50. Nature Photography Challenge: Head to a park or nature reserve and take on a fun photography challenge. Choose specific themes like wildlife, landscapes, or textures, and capture photos connected to the theme.
51. Book a Private Tour: Arrange for a private tour of a local brewery, distillery, or artisan workshop to learn more about their craft and enjoy an intimate experience.
52. Storytelling Night: Spend an evening sharing stories from your childhood, travels, or favorite memories. You can write different types of questions and then choose one by one as the night goes on. Add some ambiance with cozy lighting and your favorite snacks.
53. Go Bowling: Relive the fun of a classic bowling night. You get bonus points for playful competition and funny nicknames on the score screen.
54. Rooftop Dining: Find a rooftop restaurant and enjoy this romantic experience with good food and a view of the city or stars.
55. Plan a Surprise Date for Each Other: Each partner secretly plans half the date—keep the details a surprise for added excitement and creativity. You can use some of these date ideas we came up with, or you might think of something completely new. It will be exciting to discover what was planned and if you had similar date ideas, or did you go in a completely different direction.

Whether you’re looking for free or budget-friendly options or you want to treat yourselves to something special, with these 55 date ideas, there’s something for every couple to enjoy. So, make time for each other, get creative, have fun, prioritize your relationship, and enjoy each other’s company.