What are you in the mood for? No, not for dinner. (Sorry, we can’t help you with that perpetual question.)
We’re talking about date ideas. You might have a go-to, never-fails date routine. If you do, that’s great! But every now and then, it’s good to switch things up. Not only that, but your mood can also have an effect on what kind of activities you gravitate to – and how much you and your spouse enjoy yourselves. Here are 25 date ideas to match your mood.
When you’re feeling chatty
Maybe you were cooped up all day working solo, or you have lots to share with your spouse after a hectic day apart. The last thing you probably want is a date activity where talking is difficult or discouraged – like a loud concert or sitting in a quiet movie theater. Instead seek out options that are quiet, casual, and allow ample time for the conversation to flow.
- Go out for a leisurely dinner. This one’s a classic for a reason.
- Attend a baseball game. Get outside while enjoying ballgame snacks and each other’s company.
- Do a puzzle. You’d be surprised at how the conversation flows as you’re hunched over the pieces.
- Call up your couple friends for a double date.
- Grab a copy of our Discussion Guide for Couples, find a quiet place and start talking!
When you’re feeling adventurous
Whether you’re always up for anything or you’re craving some novelty and fun, trying something new together is a great way to get the endorphins flowing – similar to the rush you felt in your early days of dating. Consider physically energetic activities as well as ones that are mentally stimulating or that are new to both of you.
- Try an escape room.
- Go hiking or attend a fitness or martial arts class.
- Take turns planning a surprise date for each other. (Keep it a secret up until the last minute!)
- Try a coin flip date. Use a coin toss to make all your date decisions – where you’ll go, what you’ll do, etc.
- Hit up a trivia night.
When you’re feeling reflective or sentimental
When this mood strikes, take advantage of it. It’s a great opportunity to create some meaningful moments with each other and deepen your connection. Shoot for activities that allow you to focus on each other and your relationship.
- Dig out the old photos or your wedding album, and take a walk down memory lane.
- Take a relationship assessment like Couple Checkup and discuss your results.
- Recreate your first date. Go to the same location or somewhere similar, and reminisce about the details.
- Make a nostalgic meal from your childhood and talk about the memories it stirs up.
- Leading up to a date, write down your favorite things about each other, then swap notebooks and share your thoughts.
When you’re feeling low-key
Sometimes, you just want to chill – while also spending quality time with your spouse. Of course, there’s always the option of sinking into the couch and zoning out to a show, but there are other options that allow you to lay low while spending intentional time together.
- Play board games or cards at home or venture out to a local brewery.
- Cook a special meal or bake a sweet treat at home. Try a new recipe and really savor the experience.
- Listen to a podcast together – in the car, your backyard, or cuddling in bed. Discuss it afterwards.
- Have a movie night at home, but make it special with your own movie theater snacks.
- Watch a sunset or go stargazing.
When you’re feeling stressed out
Maybe you’ve had a rough day or the demands of life have you feeling overwhelmed. Times like these call for a date that helps you relax, gets your mind off your worries, and acts as an outlet for pent-up tension.
- Go to a batting cage or a driving range.
- Have some fun at an arcade.
- Go dancing – or have a dance party in your living room.
- Get a couples’ massage.
- Take a jog together if that’s your thing – or any other physical activity you both enjoy that helps you relax.
Of course, these ideas are just the tip of the iceberg. While it’s easy to rely on the tried-and-true date ideas, exploring new ideas that suit your mood is a great way to get the most out of your time together. Get creative and consider combining multiple ideas from this post or with your own ideas to create the perfect combination for your next date night.
I want to be able to print this. How can I do that?
Can’t help you if you’re on a phone… but on a computer two options:
1. start at the end of what you want, slide the cursor up to the top of what you want (the screen should shift). type Ctrl-C to copy. Open a word processor. type Ctrl-v to paste. format to your liking.
2. slightly more cumbersome – right click on the article. in the menu that pops up, click “select all”. then follow the above beginning at Ctrl-C… You’ll end up with a lot of extra stuff at the front and back ends – you can delete it while formatting to your liking.
Blessings.
Depending on your browser, you can usually find a print option in the top right under a menu (maybe 3 bars or 3 dots indicate a menu). You may also highlight what you want to print, right click that area, and see if you have print as an option. I can’t figure out how to print this article from my phone using the DuckDuckGo app, but a laptop browser should be easier to print from. If this is Sandy Rios from AFR, thanks for hosting a show and fighting the culture to have the Kingdom grow.
Just go from top to bottom with your Computer Mouse left clicked. That should turn everything blue.
Alternatively press the keys Ctrl and a that also can turn everything blue. Then hit Ctrl and c. ( that copies it to your “clip board”)
Then open a word document, ( blue icon with a W on it at the bottom of your PC) click on the blank paper top left.
A blank sheet should appear on the screen. Then hit Ctrl and v , that should paste everything on that page.
Have your printer turned on and hit Ctrl and p! Hope this helps. I use this method all the time for recipes, craft patterns etc!
Good luck!
I love this! Another one my fiancé & I just came up with was having a “Wedding Date Day”. We gave ourselves some room to spend, went out of town on a shopping trip and just had fun looking at wedding & future home things! This also gave us great ideas on similar and not-so-similar tastes we have when it comes to decor, and really helped us get an idea for reception decorations. And above all, it was an amazing day spent with each other. We had serious conversations, goofy conversations, and sometimes just sat in silence with each other and enjoyed being together. I love whole “Date Days”.
This is a perfect list! Depending on the day we’ve had sometimes getting dressed up for a nice dinner date night we have planned seems daunting! I love to be able to go with the flow and have some flexibility depending on our moods or needs. This is the best way to fill our cups and meet each others needs.
This is wonderful intel as a facilitator because you can remind yourself and your couples that small ideas can result in huge closeness with your spouse.
This is really helpful. We are older, and are struggling at times with not thinking outside the box about what we can do together. This addresses the dilemma of what to do dovetailed with “what mood are we in?” Love this. Thank you.
Dare to Date Daily,we all like challenges and making time daily is a big one even if You’re spouse isn’t precent call text email each other figure it out value one another You don’t get tomorrow back You should be each other number one priority stop playing games with time in put that time to work on Your relationship date-date-date so You may never hate-hate-hate,one another. It happens we’re human no one is perfect. DateDaily-DateDaily-DateDaily. #DateDaily.