Investing in your relationship for the long haul involves making memories together, learning about each other, and enjoying time together. That’s the purpose of date nights. Whether you do it every week or a couple times a month, the investment will pay off. Different date night ideas can help spice up the routine.

Sometimes your date night should be romantic, sensual, intimate. A routine adds to your sense of comfort and stability. Other times your date night can be fun, engaging, and a change-up from your usual activities. Sometimes you need to invest in deep communication together and other times enjoy activities you do alongside each other.

Try out these fun and different date night ideas.

1. Ask Me Anything

You think you know each other. But do you really? You probably spent hours talking when you started dating and first got married. But you’ve both likely changed in some respects along the way.

Ask your spouse each of the following questions, one at a time. You can add additional questions if you wish. Grade your spouse from 1 to 3 on how close their answer expresses what is true about you. 1 – their answer isn’t close at all. 3 – their answer is very close to what you would say yourself. Keep track of your scores.

For example, Spouse A asks Spouse B, “I feel most loved by . . .” Spouse B must answer what they think helps Spouse A feel loved. If Spouse A says Spouse B is right, then Spouse B gets a “3” score for that question. And then Spouse B asks Spouse A the same question.

• I feel most loved by . . .
• The place I want to vacation the most is . . .
• The gift I would enjoy the most would be . . .
• If I won the lottery I would . . .
• If there’s extra money in the bank, I . . .
• The best way to flirt with me is . . .
• A perfect date to me would be . . .
• My favorite memory of us so far is . . .
• If I could spend time with anyone alive today (other than you), it would be . . .
• What helps me feel most relaxed and de-stressed is . . .

Whoever gets the highest score gets to choose the next activity.

2. Dinner and a Movie with a Twist

This starts with a spontaneous dinner. The two of you together write down 5-10 restaurant options and number them 1-10 (or 1-5, however many you’ve written down). Then each of you think of a number from 1-10. Once you both have a number, you both say it out loud. Keep thinking of and then saying a number until you both say the same number. That’s the restaurant you go to for dinner.

Before you leave for dinner, pack pillows, a blanket, and your laptop. On the way stop at the dollar store and pick up some movie snacks.

After dinner, drive somewhere remote and watch a movie together with your spouse on your computer under the stars.

3. Worst Dessert Ever

Go shopping together for the ingredients of a dessert you both might enjoy. It could be as complicated as a cake, or as simple as an ice cream sundae with all the fixings.

Order dinner in, even if it’s just pizza. Set the table and enjoy.

After dinner, blindfold spouse A. Spouse B must then use only their words to guide Spouse A in making desert. Spouse B is not allowed to touch Spouse A or any of the ingredients or materials for preparation. How well can you communicate to Spouse A what to do next?

When the desert preparation is complete, remove the blindfold from Spouse A and enjoy the dessert together. Afterwards you might have a mess to clean up in the kitchen. Do the cleanup together and laugh about it. Any of the desert fixings end up on each other? Your lips make a great cleanup option.

4. Recreate Your First Date

Recreate the first date the two of you had as best as you can. (If that first date was a complete dud, recreate the first good date you had.)

If you still live in the same place where you first met, that might mean going to the same restaurant, to a movie in the same theater, or a walk in the same park.

Even if you don’t live in the same region, make the date as close to that first date as you can. Choose a restaurant that’s similar. If your first date was a big event such as a concert or a prom, collect appropriate songs on your smart device and create a “concert for two” under the stars or in your living room.

Invite your spouse the same way you first invited them to that date. You might try dressing similar to how you dressed then. While together, reminisce about your early times together. You can ask each other questions such as:

• What first attracted you to me?
• What do you remember most about our early times together?
• When did you first know we were going to get married?

Date nights are an important investment in keeping the connection between you growing and strong.

Your Turn: What unique or different date night have you enjoyed?   Leave a comment below.

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