At Home Date Ideas You Can Do With Kids. This post contains affiliate links. I appreciate your support!

With two little kids in our lives, Rob and I very rarely get out on dates. We always joke about how one day we will finally splurge on a babysitter for a night out, get all dressed up, and then fall asleep in the car for a few hours.

So we do not go out.

Instead, we have found creative ways to have inexpensive date nights at home that often times incorporate the kids. Our focus during these little date nights is simply about spending dedicated time together as a family. No distractions like phones, house chores, or work check ins. The goal is make memories together and put the to do list aside, which can be incredibly hard when you are home for the evening.

For each date night activity listed here, my favorite parts are always the giant smiles on the kids’ faces, the little looks that Rob and I give each other over how incredible our kids are, and the specialness of doing something different as a family rather than the typical dinner, bath, bed, pass-out-almost-immediately-after-the-kids routine.

I would love to hear about your at home date night ideas (with or without kids) in the comments. I am always on the lookout for new ideas to make some evenings unique, or as Zoey says about almost everything that is out of her routine (her OCD is real), a “special treat.”

Make your Own Pizza

This is a date night activity that Rob and I loved to do before we had kids and now that Zoey just adores helping in the kitchen, letting her put on her own sauce, toppings, and cheese brings her such joy. The pride on her face when her pizza comes out of the oven is so genuine. Not to mention that pizza is a win with everyone here.

We use store bough dough, but I know there are wonderful recipes out there to make your own if you chose. Easy toppings that you probably already have on hand can include:

• Pasta sauce instead of pizza sauce
• Barbecue sauce
• Bell peppers
• Cheese
• Tomatoes
• Pineapple (from a can works well)
• Leftover chicken
• Fruit like thinly sliced apples or pears

Movie Night

We kept Zoey no screens until two and a half and have only just broken into the world of kids’ shows in the past three weeks as a reward for potty training. While we have not done a dedicated movie night yet, I know that she would get a kick out of a movie night with lots of pillows and blankets on the floor and a little cup of popcorn to munch on.

Board Games

While we are still in the stages of learning to match images together in games like memory, Zoey loves playing together. Depending on your kids’ ages, you can make a night of different board games. Some easy concept games for young kids are:

• Candy Land 
• Memory 
• Chutes and Ladders
• Hungry Hungry Hippos
• Charades

Epic Fort Building

We are not talking about any ordinary fort here. Go big. Go tall. Get the Christmas lights out of the basement, throw in a bunch of pillows and blankets, hang little paper stars from the “ceiling” and enjoy some books or talking inside.

Floor Picnic Dinner

It is so important to both Rob and I that we sit down together as a family every night for dinner. Sure, sometimes that only lasts about five minutes before William needs to go to bed, or Zoey eats super fast and then is up and ready to play, but we always start together around the table.

Instead of sitting at the table one night, pack a little floor picnic. Go full on with things in Rubbermaids, a basket, and a blanket. Zoey absolutely loved this, but that might be because we let most dinner eating manners go out the window.

Hide and Seek

This is Zoey’s absolute favorite new game and while we do not need a date night to play it, we do need dedicated time away from our desks, our phones, and the chores. We get raucous games of hide and seek going and the giggles from Zoey and the confused looks from William are locked in memories.

Tag

Zoey found a serious love for tag this summer when she attended a toddler sports camp (cutest thing ever), and now we play regularly. Make it a fun at home date night by playing tag indoors with most of the lights off, or take it to the backyard with flashlights. This is always a great option to wear your toddler out before bedtime!

Treasure Hunt

Hiding items around the house and giving Zoey some clues to find them is a fun game. Our clues include pictures cards of the closet and her toy that is hiding in there. You could also write out a treasure hunt for your spouse so everyone has their own to do while also helping each other out.

Obstacle Course

Sure if you play this inside, the house will be an even bigger mess, but that is part of the fun. Make a kids version and an adult version and have some giggles moving around. This is a fun option to take outside as well.

Date Ideas For After the Kids Go To Bed

If the kids manage to go to bed early enough and Rob and I still have some energy left (and not too many dishes to do or laundry to fold), we have our own at home date night.

Movie or Show

Yes, I know this may not sound special, but our TV is seriously gathering dust since we rarely turn it on these days. Actually sitting on the couch to watch a series, or start a movie (because let’s face it, I always fall asleep during movies), is a seriously special event.

20 Questions

When Zoey was born, Rob and I joked about how much we started talking about poop. That amount has been exponentially multiplied with Zoey being three weeks into potty training (she is doing great!). In a game like 20 questions, we can put the poop conversations to the side and dig into to silly and serious questions with each other. You can choose to make these about yourself, or picking an object to guess.

Make a New Dessert

Both Rob and I love to cook and have certainly perfected the art of the quick meal. If we end up having dessert, it is usually a rushed handful of chocolate chips or a spoon stuck straight into the tub of ice cream. Truthfully, we have mostly gotten off the dessert train since by the time both kids are down, we are ready for bed ourselves.

That is why making dessert for a date night feels extra indulgent. It can be as simple as baking some cookies, buying some pound cake cups with strawberries and whipped cream, or simply ice cream together at the table.

Memory Lane

Pull out the wedding album (if you actually have one made yet unlike yours truly), go back into the archives on your Google Photos, or just play a game of, “Where were we when…”. Recounting the incredible life we have lived together so far is one Rob and I do frequently that always ends in giant smiles and excitement about how much more there is to come.

DJ Switch Up

Take turns being the DJ. You can even give yourselves some criteria for the night to make it more interesting, like songs with names of places, songs with names of people, songs you loved in your teenage years. The only song not allowed? Baby Shark.