Tag Archive for: Date night

Note: You don’t have to be a newlywed to play this game!

If the phrase “distance makes the heart grow fonder” is starting to make a whole lot of sense to you, this date night game just might be what you need! Now’s the time to get comfy with your love and place this list of questions in between the two of you. Warning: Things may get steamy…

Supplies Needed:

  • Two white boards or two notebooks/large pieces of paper
  • Two writing utensils

Instructions for The Newlywed Game:

  1. Take turns reading each of the questions below out loud.
  2. After the question is read, both of you write down your answer on your own piece of paper.
  3. Once you’ve both finished writing, count to three and reveal your answer!
  4. If you both got the answers right, give each other a kiss! If you got the answer wrong, lose an article of clothing.
  5. Go through the questions for as long as you can! 😉

The Questions:

  • I feel closest to you when we…
  • What’s my favorite type of kiss?
  • What kind of music gets me in the mood?
  • What color underwear am I wearing?
  • On an average day, how many times do I think about sex?
  • What’s my biggest turn on?
  • What’s my biggest turn off?
  • What would be the easiest thing for me to give up for a month: TV, coffee or sex?
  • What color looks the best on me?
  • What’s my favorite body part to be kissed?
  • What body part am I most proud of?
  • What’s one thing you’ve done this month that makes me proud?
  • What attracts me to you the most?
  • What scent do you wear that I absolutely love?
  • Where is the craziest place we’ve had sex?
  • What’s my best foreplay move?
  • How often do I wish we had sex?
  • My favorite thing to do together is…
  • What am I thinking about right now?
  • What’s my favorite thing you do for me?
  • Do I prefer to take the lead or follow your cues?
  • Do I like shower sex?
  • Have I ever skinny dipped?
  • How old was I when I had my first kiss?
  • Do I enjoy sex more with the lights on or off?
  • What’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever done for you?
  • What’s my favorite physical trait of yours?

Looking for some more date night ideas? Check out all of our at-home dates here!

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You’re in love, you’re engaged, and you don’t want the butterflies you’ve had all this time to fly away. I mean who would? But sometimes, in the midst of wedding planning and preparing for marriage, you can forget to do the very thing that brought you to this relationship milestone: Date! And that’s what this blog is all about: dates every engaged couple needs to do before the big day!

You’ve probably heard it before and you will likely hear it again when you get married: date your spouse. The romance and wonder for each other doesn’t magically sustain itself; it needs fuel and your attention.

Dating can be extremely beneficial toward keeping romance alive, and making a practice of going on regular dates can be a great way to jump-start that habit,” says Denise Limongello, a licensed psychotherapist based in Manhattan. In an article by The Knot, Limongello points out that lack of romance is a common reason for breakups or divorce.

If you want to make a habit of something, you have to go out of your way and make time for it. A habit you’ll want in your marriage is dating each other, so while you’re preparing for marriage let’s jump-start this habit!

Dates Every Engaged Couple Must Do Before the Big Day:

1. Try a restaurant you’ve never been to before.

It’s easy to get comfortable with doing the same things over and over. It’s great to have your favorite spots, but oftentimes just switching up the location to a place you’ve never been will prompt fresh conversation. When you get married, it can become tempting to fall into a routine and not challenge it. Routines are wonderful, don’t get me wrong. However, it can be problematic when your routine becomes “going through the motions.” When you don’t even have to think about doing or saying something, life can feel monotonous. A simple way to practice getting uncomfortable, if you will, is trying something new!

2. Couple’s Massage.

There’s a lot of stress when it comes to wedding planning. Everything seems faster paced, small decisions have bigger implications, family and friends ask questions you don’t know the answers to and let’s face it—that can cause tension. Maybe the tension is physical, or maybe it’s between you and your fiancé. Whether you book a couple’s massage (Groupon always has a deal going!) or set-up a spa-like shop at one of your places and give each other a massage, taking the time to decompress and slow down together can do you some good. Release the tension, rest and relax. Trust me—you need it.

3. Quality time date.

Engagement season: when suddenly everyone needs your attention or wants to be best friends again. No wonder it’s easy to get distracted. All of the planning and excitement seems to creep in to every conversation and fill your phone with notifications. On top of that, anyone else guilty of sitting beside your significant other (for a time longer than you care to admit) on your phones without having so much as a full conversation?

To keep this from happening, this date has two rules:

1. Turn the phones off and turn your attention toward each other, and 2. Don’t talk about wedding details. 

What you do/how you spend this date is up to you. I suggest whatever it is, you give yourselves the opportunity for great conversation (so maybe not a movie night). You could picnic, make dinner together and set the table fancy, go on a hike or bike ride or to your favorite ice cream place. Whatever you decide, make your time together quality time.

4. Sing karaoke.

I know, I know. Not everyone’s cup of tea. BUT hear me out. You can do it in the comfort of your own home or if you’re feeling up to it, grace some strangers with your voice. The point of this date is to teach or remind you of some of the most important lessons that are essential to a happy marriage: Don’t take yourself too seriously, laugh at yourself and together …often. What better way to humble yourself than trying to reach a note Mariah Carrey invented?!

There is growing evidence to suggest that one of the secrets to a long and happy relationship is to laugh together often,” according to an article by Conscious Rethink. There’s going to be some truly difficult times in your marriage and circumstances that will be out of your control. In those serious moments, if you haven’t practiced taking yourself less seriously when nothing hard was happening, it could be much more difficult to switch gears and be positive under pressure. So pick your favorite song and get to singing!

5. Plan a date night surprise.

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of someone who intimately knows you choosing a curated experience for you both. The time it takes to think about what you want to do shows your fiancé they are worth your time, energy and effort. Then the date itself is a gift. It’s a win-win! You could set up a little fort in your living room with tea lights, favorite snacks and a movie queued up. You could blindfold them and drive to a destination—could be a historic site with a picnic packed if they’re a history buff, or maybe a drive-in movie and the back of your car is already equipped for ultimate coziness with blankets and pillows. Or perhaps you move the furniture out of the way and have a dance tutorial pulled up and a glass of wine poured. 

You don’t need a birthday, anniversary, or holiday as a reason to surprise the love of your life. Loving them is reason enough. Taking this date into your marriage is a sure fire way to keep the romance aflame. 

Dating before “I do” is a great way to prepare yourself for the lifelong pursuit of each other. Keep it interesting, try new things, carve out time to be solely with each other—even if it’s not much! You’ll thank yourselves for it later.

If you need help figuring out a creative date night, we have tons of free virtual and DIY date night ideas here!

Additional Blogs You May Like: 

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This date night is all about bringing back those good-old classic date nights, only this time while at your own home! Below are a bunch of typical first dates. Pick one (or more!) to do together, homestyle! Be sure to take along the list of questions to ask each other during the date night, too.

QUESTIONS TO ASK ON YOUR DATE NIGHT:

  1. What has been the hardest part of quarantine/COVID-19/the past 6+ months?
  2. What has been one good thing to happen recently?
  3. Do you think we’ve gotten closer or further apart over the past few months?
  4. What do you miss the most about the date nights we used to go on?
  5. If you could have one thing back that you haven’t been able to do since COVID-19, what would it be? Why?
  6. What’s one thing the two of us can do to help us/our family adjust better to our situation right now?
  7. What did you not miss while in quarantine?
  8. What’s one thing I can do to help you feel more stable/secure in the next week?
  9. How would you describe this time to our future kids/grandkids?
  10. What has been the weirdest part of quarantine/COVID-19/the past 6+ months?

DATE NIGHTS TO CHOOSE FROM:

GLOW IN THE DARK BOWLING:

Supply List:

  • 9 Water bottles
  • 9-18 Glow sticks (depending on size)
  • A soccer ball or similar ball
  • Blacklight (totally optional, but really fun!)
  • Tacky 80’s pop playlist (also optional, but really fun!)

Instructions:

  • Open up the water bottles.
  • Crack and shake the glowsticks to activate them.
  • Drop 1-2 glow sticks in each of the water bottles and put the lids back on.
  • Arrange the water bottles in a triangle like bowling pins.
  • Take turns trying to knock down all 9 water bottles with the soccer ball!
  • Keep score of number of “pins” knocked over.
  • The first to 100 wins!

MOVIE AT THE THEATER:

Supply List:

  • TV or Projector
  • Movie or streaming service
  • All your favorite theater snacks & drinks!
  • Cozy blankets
  • Blanket fort (optional)

Instructions:

  • Make/buy all your movie theater snacks (don’t forget to butter the popcorn!).
  • Make a blanket fort (optional, but takes it to the next level!)
  • Decide on a movie. Here are some ideas…
    • Research movies that came out the year you or your partner was born, the year you got married/started dating, or a random year of your choosing. Then watch the first movie you can find from that year!
    • Pick out 10 different movies. Assign them numbers 1-10 (or do alphabetical order). Have your partner pick a number 1-10, and watch that movie!
    • Grab a pair of dice. You roll one, and your partner rolls another.
      • Your Dice: 1: Rom-Com, 2: Mystery, 3: Action, 4: Drama, 5: Historical, 6: Adventure
      • Dice 2: 1. Starts with A, 2: Starts with T, 3: Starts with S, 4: Starts with M, 5: Starts with N, 6: Starts with R
  • Snuggle up to your partner and enjoy your in-house theater!

“THRIFT” SHOPPING:

Supply List:

  • Your clothes closet or dresser

Instructions:

When’s the last time you went through your clothes? If you’ve got pieces from the 90’s stuffed in the back of your closet, this date night will be a fun one for you. Set a timer for 7 minutes. You go to your partner’s closet/dresser/wherever clothes are kept, and your partner will go to yours. Your goal is to find the oldest/funniest/craziest outfit possible for your partner to wear for the rest of this date night! Go all-out with watches, purses, socks, jewelry, etc.

Once you have an outfit picked out, you and your partner have to wear them for the rest of the date night! Pick another activity on this list to keep the fun going.

ENJOY A CONCERT:

Supply List:

  • Your favorite band t-shirt
  • Stadium food (go all-out with nachos, pizza, etc!)
  • A recorded live video of your favorite band (take a look on YouTube! A lot of artists have put together live videos for their fans to watch at home!)

Instructions:

So live concerts are off the table for date nights this year… But what if you enjoyed them from home instead? Since March, a lot of popular artists have put up or created live shows for their fans to enjoy from the safety of their own home! Just look up your favorite artist on YouTube and search “live full concert.” Be sure this date night turns into a dance party, too!

INDOOR MINI-GOLF:

Supply List:

  • Golf clubs (use a broomstick if you don’t have clubs!)
  • Golf balls
  • Toilet paper rolls
  • Plastic cups
  • DIY obstacle course (get creative with stuff from around your house!)

Instructions:

  • Set up your obstacle course on a carpeted area of your home (or lay down blankets if you don’t have carpet!) Here are some creative ideas to get you started:
    • You can use an open, upside down 3-ring binder to create a “hill” to go over,
    • Line up pens/pencils or books to create a pathway/funnel,
    • Use a chair or table as a “tunnel” it has to go through,
    • Crumple a blanket on the floor to make a “sand pit,”
    • More great ideas here!
  • Place a plastic cup on its side at the very end of the course.
  • Keep count of the number of hits it takes to get the ball into the plastic cup at the end of the course.
  • Take turns trying to get the ball through the obstacle course in as few hits as possible!

Want more at-home date ideas? Check out our ultimate list here!

3 Great Dates To Enhance Communication In Your Marriage

Open up to each other during your time together.

With everything couples have been having to focus on lately, it’s no surprise that enhancing communication in marriage might be a bit lacking. I mean, who has time to sit down and have meaningful conversation about anything besides work, school decisions, masks and hand sanitizer?

That being said, what if we get creative for you and give you some fun date nights that set the mood for some lighthearted fun along with the chance to enhance communication in your marriage? Good idea? Great, glad you like it! Let’s get this party started. 

Date Night #1 – Party Under the Stars

Grab some snacks, a candle or two (gotta set the mood for romance right?!), a quilt, change into some comfy clothes (depending on where you live, clothing could be optional ;-)), one smartphone with a stargazing app (Skyview and Star Gazer have great reviews), make sure the kids are tucked into bed, and head on outside for a date under the stars. This is especially fun if you are in the midst of a meteor shower.

While you are searching the night sky for the different constellations, play a variation of the game Never Have I Ever… One person starts by saying, “Never have I ever…” and then finishes the sentence with something they have never done. If neither of you have ever done it, give each other a smooch. Then it is the other person’s turn to say it and complete the sentence. If the other person has done it, no kissy face for you! Unless of course you decide to cheat a bit.

After you’ve played a few rounds, spend some time sharing the answers to these questions:

  • What I love most about us is…
  • One of my favorite memories about us as a couple is…
  • Something I would like for us to do more of as a couple is…

The goal here is not to create a major production, but just something simple that will give you some time to yourselves. Believe it or not, even 30 minutes (we hope you will take longer… just sayin’…) to just be together, playful with each other and talk about lighthearted things will help you feel more connected to one another. Part of what makes a date night great is the anticipation of knowing it’s coming, so grab your calendar and make it a date! Oh, and don’t forget, this is your time to reconnect—so no talking about the kids, bills, work, the in-laws or anything else that could create space between the two of you.

Date Night #2 – Shut the door and turn the lights down low… Spa Night

Talk about a great way to de-stress and create conversation. This date starts earlier in the day as you send text messages to each other creating anticipation about the experience. It’s all about pampering each other. Oh yeah! 

Grab some towels, scented candles (lavender, lemon, or jasmine scents all promote calm), massage oils, bath salts or bubble bath, cucumber slices, and face masks (No, not that kind, silly—the kind you rub on your face and peel off later :-). Create or select a romantic playlist (check out this Warm Fuzzy Playlist on Spotify). Oh, and don’t forget some yummy snacks you can feed to each other. Lock the door and let the fun begin.

To get things started, turn the lights down low, hit play and light the candles.

Next, draw a warm bath and include a bath bomb or bubble bath (hopefully there’s room for two for a nice long soak). If a bath isn’t an option, there’s nothing wrong with a nice steamy shower or just a simple soak for your sore feet. It’s all about washing away the stress and tension of the day and focusing on your love.

Now that you’re a bit more relaxed, it’s time for a couple’s massage. What? You aren’t a professional masseuse? No problem. Actually, massaging each other builds intimacy, creates opportunity for bonding and opens the door for conversation. Don’t underestimate the power of your touch. Oil up the areas you want to massage and teach each other what you like. Try massaging different parts of the body—feet, hands, neck, shoulders, back, etc.

As you continue on your journey to relaxation, you may find putting cucumber slices over your eyes after slathering on a face mask refreshing. If you’re not into the whole face mask thing, maybe just cuddling is your next move, or… well, I’m sure you guys will figure it out. 

If you are looking for a few conversation starters to enhance communication in your marriage…

  • What’s one thing you love about our sex life?
  • If I could have more of one thing from you it would be…
  • One thing I would love for us to do more of together is…

Date Night #3 – Dinner and a trip around the world—virtually

a staycation of sorts. This date starts with the two of you dreaming about the places you would like to go, but can’t right now. Once you have made your list of places, narrow it down to your top three. Based on your top three choices, decide on a food theme, where you will eat your meal (at the table, on the patio, in bed or somewhere else). What kind of environment do you want based on the places you will visit? Music? Candles? What’s the appropriate attire for your date? Do you want to cook the meal or will you order it from somewhere? Cooking together can add to the fun… or not. That’s for you to decide. 

Now that you have all of that decided, once dinner is ready and you are eating, you can either take a trip around the world visiting the places you would like to go some day OR you can take a trip down memory lane and go through pictures from previous trips to the places you love and want to visit again.

Here are some conversation starters for the trip you decide to take:

  • What makes our marriage adventurous?
  • One of the things I look forward to most about taking this trip with you is… OR My favorite memory of us on a trip was when…
  • One day, I would love for the two of us to…

★ Now, you may be wondering how in the world any of these dates will enhance communication in your marriage. Glad you asked.

For communication to flow easily between spouses, people need to feel cared for, connected, a bond, safe, valued, and a sense of closeness. 

When you are intentional about dating, especially dates where you take the time to open up to each other, check in, where you can be playful with each other, and dream together about the future, you are laying the foundation to enhance communication in your marriage.

***If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, contact the National Hotline for Domestic Abuse. At this link, you can access a private chat with someone who can help you 24/7. If you fear your computer or device is being monitored, call the hotline 24/7 at: 1−800−799−7233. For a clear understanding of what defines an abusive relationship, click here.***

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Coming up with a great date night idea can be as easy as a flip of a coin! And sometimes, date night can be even better without a plan! All you need is a penny (or any coin) and your car. Check out the instructions below to see if you’re up for this unique, fun date night!

Instructions:

  1. Get dressed in something comfortable.
  2. Pack some snacks, a picnic, or dessert in the car to munch on while you’re driving and/or after you’ve arrived. (This step is optional!)
  3. Grab a coin and get in the car. (OR you can obviously walk if that’s more convenient for you!)
  4. Let your partner choose a number between 10 and 20. This will be the number of times you flip the coin.
  5. Before you turn out of the driveway, BEGIN by flipping the coin! If it lands on heads, turn RIGHT. If it’s on tails, turn LEFT!
  6. Every time you come to an intersection, flip the coin, and turn the corresponding direction.
  7. Once you get to the number your partner chose from Step 2, look around and start your date!

Take It A Little Deeper:

Once you’ve arrived at your destination, take some time to ask and answer these questions! (Each spouse should have a turn to answer.)

  • Did the lack of planning scare you? Or stress you out? Why or why not?
  • Is this a date that you’d want to do again? Why or why not?
  • Do you have any fears or anticipations about what life may bring our way? If so, what are they?
  • Is there anything I can do or say to help to ease those fears and provide some comfort for you?
  • When you think about our future together, what excites you the most?

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10 Date Nights Every Couple Must Do Before Summer Ends

Dating your mate can help your summer get even hotter!

I value my friend who reminded me that summer doesn’t end just because we start talking about our children going back to school. In fact, we are just one month into summer! Summer means different things for different people. For some, summer is about being footloose and fancy-free. For others, summer is composed of trips to see family and friends. To me, summer is a time when my husband and I can do fun things together while our children spend quality time with their grandparents. And that means summer date nights!

Here are some fun dates that every couple must do before summer ends:

Date Nights On the Town:

  1. Dessert Date. (Go get ice cream or cheesecake… and feed each other!) Start off by sharing your favorite desserts during this summer date! It can be anything from ice cream, cakes, pies, cupcakes, candy or delicious juicy fresh fruit (peaches, grapes, cherries, etc.). Or take it up a notch—once you have your dessert, use a sight inhibitor (blindfold) and feed each other. You have to guess what you are eating.
  2. Outdoors Date. (Hike or walk in the woods, paddleboard, kayak, fish or go tubing!) Whether you like the beach or mountains, a steady lake or a flowing river, getting in the great outdoors will bring you closer to nature and to each other. 
  3. Recreate Your First Date. Remember your first date? Think about the ambiance and the food. Try to recreate it at home
  4. Town Tour Date! Learn more about your community and each other by taking part in a walking tour in your hometown or somewhere nearby. Or create your own tour. Are you sure you have explored your town and each other?

At-Home Date Nights with A Meal:

  1. Have A Picnic. (In your backyard or a local park!) It can be a meal out of your kitchen or purchased from a local gourmet shop. Grab what you like to eat and drink and put it in a basket. Get a blanket or old comforter, then head out to your backyard, to the beach or to a national or state park near you. Find the perfect spot and have your meal together.
  2. Breakfast Date. (Or dinner for breakfast… or breakfast for dinner!) Get together and create the menu for your favorite breakfast meal and have it for dinner. Or your favorite dinner and have it for breakfast. Think about it—breakfast for dinner, after DARK…

At-Home Date Nights without A Meal:

  1. Twinkle Twinkle Date. (You’re not too old for this one..)  Awake that inner child and create a fort in your living room. You know the drill—place a blanket in the middle of the floor. Put chairs around the blanket. Use sheets or blankets to create the top covering. If you have some twinkle lights or a flashlight around, use that to light up your space. (You can play a fun questioning game like Never Have I Ever or 20 Questions to learn more about each other.)
  2. Virtual Summer Date. (Click on some romance! Virtual Date Night or DIY Date!) Check out some of our virtual dates where you can learn to dance Salsa and Merengue or make crêpes together. (Go to FirstThings.org or Facebook!)
  3. Game Night. (You don’t have to ever be board…) It’s time to dust off your favorite board or card game. Agree beforehand on what the winner gets…
  4. Home Concert Date! (You don’t have to go to an arena to rock out…) For this date night, create a playlist of your favorite artist or your musical memories on a music streaming platform. It can be in your living room or under the stars in your backyard. Dance the night away in the arms of your honey. (You could even watch a concert on television and pretend that you are in the front row.)

No matter what is going on in the world, couples need to spend quality time having fun with each other. Play and fun build intimacy and adventure in your relationship. 

Now, go have some FUN!

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We may have just celebrated a major holiday, but why not keep the fun going? Pick a random holiday (it can be major like Christmas or something smaller like Earth Day) to celebrate together! You don’t have to wait till the actual date of that holiday, but you can recreate this DIY date night the next time the holiday comes around! Below are some examples of supplies you may use for some popular holidays, but creativity is always encouraged!

Christmas Supplies:

  • A small, wrapped gift for each other
  • Christmas lights hung in the living room or bedroom
  • Your traditional Christmas meal for dinner
  • Your favorite Christmas music to dance to
  • Ask each other some questions, like:
    • What’s your favorite holiday song?
    • What’s the best present you’ve ever received?
    • What is your favorite Christmas tradition?

Valentine’s Day Supplies:

  • Chocolates (of course!)
  • Roses or other flowers
  • A romantic, candlelit meal
  • A bubble bath for two
  • Massage oils
  • Ask each other some questions, like:
    • When you do feel most loved by me?
    • How would you describe me in three words?
    • What is my most attractive quality to you?

Earth Day Supplies:

  • Plant flowers, trees, or veggies in your yard, garden, or on your porch
  • Pick one single-use item in your house to replace with a reusable item (plastic water bottles → reusable, getting reusable grocery bags, plastic baggies → reusable containers, etc.)
  • Make a plant-based meal for dinner
  • Go on a walk or hike in a park
  • Ask each other some questions, like:
    • Where is your favorite place to be outside? (Beach, Mountains, Woods, etc.)
    • If it was our last day on Earth, what would you want to do together?
    • If I were some type of plant, tree or flower, what do you think I would be?

St. Patrick’s Day Supplies:

  • Something green to wear
  • A traditional Irish meal for dinner
  • Shamrock-shaped cookies to decorate
  • Follow a video to learn a traditional Irish dance
  • Ask each other some questions, like:
    • If you found a pot of gold, what would you do with all that money?
    • What is your favorite St. Paddy’s day tradition?
    • If you could choose one city in Ireland to visit, what would it be?

Halloween Supplies:

  • Dress up in costume
  • Spooky music
  • Make a creepy dessert together (doing a quick Google search will give you great ideas!)
  • Look up scary stories to tell each other or watch a scary movie!
  • Ask each other some questions, like:
    • What’s the best costume you’ve ever dressed up in?
    • What’s the scariest experience you’ve ever had?
    • Do you believe in supernatural spirits / ghosts / demons? 

There’s just something about holidays that create an extra special experience! So take advantage of the excitement, nostalgia or novelty of doing something different with your love! Make this unique DIY date night one to remember!

Looking for more DIY date night ideas?

Check out ALL of our DIY Date Nights!

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This 4th of July is one for the books, no doubt. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a date night with your honey! If you’re stuck in your hometown without your annual fireworks display, check out this DIY date night to set off some fireworks of your own (if you know what we mean)!

Supplies:

  • Fingerpaint (red and blue preferred!)
  • Water
  • 2 Super Soakers or water blasters
  • White/light colored shirts (bathing suit underneath is a good idea!)
  • A large open space (back yard, park, etc.)
  • Sun glasses or goggles (optional)
  • A picnic & blanket (optional)
  • Paper towels (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Head to your back yard or a local park with all your supplies. (Be wearing your light=colored shirt!)
  2. Carefully pour a small amount of fingerpaint into each Super Soaker. Red in one and blue in the other.
  3. Pour some water into the Super Soaker and shake until well combined.
  4. Keep adding water/fingerpaint until the mixture is runny enough to come out but colored enough to see.
  5. Stand back to back, each with a Super Soaker, and count down from 3.
  6. Then… It’s on! Have a water fight with your honey!
  7. When one person has had enough, or your soakers are out of water, enjoy a picnic together!

Want more DIY date night ideas? Check out them all here!

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