10 Dates to Heat Up Your Marriage This Summer
Ready to raise the temp in your relationship with some hot summer date nights? These 10 dates to heat your marriage during this summer of love can really turn up the thermostat in your relationship. (And you won’t even want to cool off.)
1. Be a Kid Again
When I think of my childhood summers, I remember endless games of tag and hide and seek. Now we have adult responsibilities that prevent us from being footloose and fancy-free. How can you bring some of that joy back? Be a kid again. Activities can include mini-golf, bowling, roller skating, and visiting an amusement park or an arcade.
2. Group Date Nights
Remember when you used to hang out with your friends? It may have been at the mall, a park, or the local eatery. Nothing was better than spending time with your friends, talking, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company. Get a group of your favorite married couples together. Go on a walking tour of your town, go ax throwing, or even participate in an escape room together.
3. Retro Date night
You know the saying, “What’s old is new again.” Think about the clothes, music, or hairstyles from the past. Find a thrift shop with clothes from the 50s, 60s, 70s, or 80s. Select an outfit for each of you. Host your own Retro Date Night with friends, or you all can dress up and have a date like they would have had in the past. For example, 50s Date: Go to a drive-in movie and then hit a hamburger spot or ice cream shop where you can share a milkshake.
4. Future Date Dight
Think about what your life might look like in 30 years. Would you be retired? Would you own that boat or lake house you’ve dreamed about? Would you have grandchildren? Would you have an RV? Try renting an RV and go camping near your home. Or go ahead and rent a lake house for the weekend.
5. Enjoy Your Town
You may have lived in your town for years but have never experienced it like a tourist. It may be fun to go on a walking tour. Enjoy the sights and sounds of a local farmer’s market.
6. Try out a First Things First Date Night!
We’ve got a long list of great date nights that all can be done for free and at home! [If you have kids, you won’t even need to hire a sitter. Just start after the kids go to bed and enjoy an intentional night together.] From learning how to Salsa to baking an apple pie together, you and your spouse can rekindle that spark without ever leaving the house!
7. Music of Your Life
Do you and your honey have a song? This summer may be a great time to take in an outdoor concert. One of my favorite local concerts is when our local symphony plays on the 4th of July. Classical may not be your favorite. However, see if your town has music festivals or local artists playing your favorite genres. “Sometimes music is the only medicine the heart and soul need.”
8. Expand Your Mind
Maybe the thought of heat or crowds of people doesn’t seem fun. Instead, you may enjoy quieter moments together where you stimulate your brain, the largest sex organ in the body. Seek out art or history museums. If your town has public art, find it. Go see a play performed by a theater group. Find and watch a lecture by your favorite poet or writer.
9. On the Road Again
Take a short drive, a weekend trip to the beach, or even a planned 2-week road trip that allows you to see and experience something other than the ordinary. While together, be conscious of talking to each other and not spending so much time on your phone or device. If you feel you have run out of things to talk about, here are a few conversation starters.
10. Let’s Get Physical
Being physical with your spouse creates a deeper level of intimacy and greater bonding with each other. Participate in a virtual race and train together. Or, take any outdoor exercise class like walking, yoga, kayaking, etc. (If you run out of ideas, you can always do a bedroom date!)
Let this be your summer of love!
Other helpful blogs:
3 Great Dates To Enhance Communication In Your Marriage
5 Ways to Keep Your Relationship Fit
6 Exercises to Strengthen Emotional Intimacy in Your Marriage
7 Questions Every Couple Needs to Ask Each Other to Improve Their Sex Life
25 Fun Dates to Spruce Up Your Marriage This Spring
It’s the time of year for flowers, birds, and butterflies. Spring is known as a time of rebirth after the dormant season of winter. For many, it’s the time for spring cleaning and sprucing up your home, inside and outside. Likewise, making time to spruce up your relationship may be what you need to stir up those butterflies in your stomach, too!
Dating in marriage can bring joy and fun to your relationship and even make it feel new and fresh again as you enter a new season.
This list of date ideas for couples can get you goin’.
- Visit a local u-pick farm. Find a farm that grows your favorite fruit (strawberries, blueberries, etc.)
- Check out a farmer’s market for some garden goodies. You’ve probably got a weekly market with local products you’d enjoy.
- Stargaze. Light your fire pit. Find specific constellations in the spring sky and talk about your dreams for the future.
- Watch a sunset/sunrise together. Take a thermos of coffee. Grab a blanket, find a spot, and snuggle up.
- Go Junking/Antiquing/Yard Saling. Spend $10 on a unique gift for each other.
- Ride bikes.
- Take walks together. It can be in your neighborhood, nature, or park.
- Play games in the park. Pack your frisbee, fly kites, or bring a ball to throw or kick around.
- Plant something together. Think flowers, an herb garden, or trees.
- Have an old-fashioned game night. Card games, board games, or Truth or Dare are good options. Use your imagination.
- Make homemade ice cream. Make your favorite ice cream and have toppings on hand that you like!
- Take a Segway tour, either of your city or a city near you.
- Fill out your own March Madness brackets with friendly wagers either game by game, Sweet 16, Elite 8, Final Four, or national championship. Prizes could be massages, Girls’ or Guys’ Night Out, or maybe the winner gets breakfast in bed.
- Participate in a First Things First Virtual/DIY Date Night.
- Plan a community service date where you focus on helping other people. Join local Meals on Wheels, a food bank, or a community clean-up. Give away stuff you don’t need/use. (Don’t be limited by this list. Let your creative juices flow!)
- Do a spring photoshoot. Take selfies, ask a friend to take pictures, or hire a pro. Go to various locations, such as a parking lot, museum, car lot, or a nature park.
- Visit a winery or distillery. Learn about the process they use and try samples.
- Have a water date. Paddleboarding, a water balloon fight, rafting, swim park, sprinklers/water hose, beach, canoeing, fishing, or kayaking are options.
- Create your own food tour of local eateries. Sample Thai food, pizza, sushi, tacos, hamburger, ice cream, or french fries. Check out places you haven’t tried before!
- Fire up your BBQ grill. Have a grilling contest and eat outdoors.
- Attend a minor/major/little league baseball game. Grab some peanuts and Cracker Jacks…
- Go to a drive-in movie theater. Find one here.
- Plan an “Expand Your Mind” date. Read and discuss a book together. Watch a documentary.
- Zoo date! Visit a nearby zoo or travel to one. You may be able to see newly-born baby animals. (And sometimes the library will let you check out a free pass!)
- Spa date night! Give each other pedicures, back and shoulder rubs, or foot massages. Do facials or take a steamy bath.
Spring is a time for new beginnings. And after the year we’ve had, that may be just what the doctor ordered. These spring date ideas can not only help you have fun with your spouse—they can create a fresh start for your relationship and help you have a stronger marriage all year long.
Have fun!
Other Helpful Links:
10 Date Nights Every Couple Must Do Before Summer Ends
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- Recreate Your First Date. Remember your first date? Think about the ambiance and the food. Try to recreate it at home.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.)
- 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!)
- 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…
- 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!
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?
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:
- Head to your back yard or a local park with all your supplies. (Be wearing your light=colored shirt!)
- Carefully pour a small amount of fingerpaint into each Super Soaker. Red in one and blue in the other.
- Pour some water into the Super Soaker and shake until well combined.
- Keep adding water/fingerpaint until the mixture is runny enough to come out but colored enough to see.
- Stand back to back, each with a Super Soaker, and count down from 3.
- Then… It’s on! Have a water fight with your honey!
- 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!
Sure, your schedules are crazy or money is tight (or maybe both!) and you can’t take a vacation. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still have fun pretending to travel on your DIY Date Night Around the World! Now before you roll your eyes, hear us out… There are so many great ways to feel like you’ve gone exploring, even if you haven’t left your town!
You could plan a future vacation somewhere far away. Research places to stay, restaurants to eat at, and things to do! Get it all planned out for a later date.
- Supplies:
- A computer
- A notebook (or use your computer again!)
- A little creativity!
OR you could take a drive without a destination and explore the town you’re in! It’s also a great time to pull out some great date night questions. (In need of a few? Combine two of our at-home date nights and play Truth or Dare along the way!)
- Supplies:
- A car
- A deck of cards (optional)
You can also try and recreate famous landmarks from the comfort of your own home for your DIY Date Night! Try making a cardboard cutout of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and pose with it as if you were actually there! For an extra spin on things, get a disposable camera to take pictures of all the landmarks you “went” to! Don’t feel like all the effort? Take some virtual tours of famous places around the world, instead! Just click here.
- Supplies:
- A camera
- A little creativity
Need a DIY date night but aren’t sure what to do? Stop the never-ending scrolling on Netflix and enjoy an intentional, fun night together! Truth or Dare is a classic, but this one has a twist! So grab a deck of cards, a cozy space, and a snack and get ready to have some fun!
Supplies:
- A deck of cards
- A snack
- A cozy space
- Something to drink
Instructions:
- First of all, take it easy! Light a candle, turn down the lights, look your partner in the eyes, and breathe for a second.
- Now get ready to play some Truth or Dare for your DIY date night!
- Shuffle your cards.
- Take turns pulling a card from the deck.
- Each card is representative of either a truth or a dare. See the list below to find what your card means!
- Your partner has to complete the card that you drew.
- Take turns pulling cards until you’re too tired to keep going or you run out of cards!
Spades: (Loving Dare)
- Ace: Kiss me for 30 seconds like we haven’t seen each other in a month.
- Two: Give me a shoulder rub for 2 minutes.
- Three: Try to get me to laugh by using pick-up lines.
- Four: Go live on a social media account and declare your love for me.
- Five: Find a couple’s yoga pose and do your best to recreate it.
- Six: Kiss me for 30 seconds without either of us using our hands.
- Seven: Draw a self portrait of me using the closest paper and writing utensil.
- Eight: Make out in a room you’ve never made out in for 1 minute. (Closets count!)
- Nine: Reenact our first kiss.
- Ten: I’ll close my eyes, and you kiss your favorite part of my body for 30 seconds.
- Jack: Try not to kiss me back for as long as you can while I’m kissing you.
- Queen: Whisper something sexy to me.
- King: Dance with me to our favorite love song. Have as many parts of your body as close together as possible for the whole song.
Clubs: (Hard Dare)
- Ace: Open the back door and bark like a dog for 30 seconds.
- Two: Read the first news article you can find to your partner in a romantic tone.
- Three: Pretend you have won a Grammy and are giving an acceptance speech.
- Four: Impersonate one of your in-laws.
- Five: Send a random GIF to the 5th person you’ve texted most recently.
- Six: Place ice cubes in the palms of your fists and keep them there until they melt.
- Seven: Put makeup on me.
- Eight: Try to juggle three eggs.
- Nine: Imitate your five most commonly-used emojis.
- Ten: Dance like a toddler to your favorite song.
- Jack: Text a bad joke to your parents (or mine)!
- Queen: Come up with 5 different stylish ways to open the refrigerator.
- King: Recite your favorite poem backward.
Hearts: (Loving Truth)
- Ace: What’s your favorite thing I do for you?
- Two: How have you seen us grow most as a couple?
- Three: What’s your biggest turn-on?
- Four: What was your first thought when we met?
- Five: What’s your favorite thing about me?
- Six: How do you see our relationship changing in the next 5 years?
- Seven: What were your exact thoughts on our first date?
- Eight: How would you spend an entire week without me?
- Nine: What’s your favorite outfit on me?
- Ten: What animal do you think I’m most like?
- Jack: If you had to describe our relationship in three words, what would they be?
- Queen: What’s the best thing I’ve ever done for you?
- King: What’s one thing I could do more often for you?
Diamonds: (Hard Truth)
- Ace: What’s the first thing you’d do if you were me for an hour?
- Two: What’s your least favorite thing about me?
- Three: What’s one thing I don’t know about you?
- Four: What level of PDA are you comfortable with?
- Five: Have I ever done anything to embarrass you in public?
- Six: What’s one of the habits you wish I would break?
- Seven: Are there ways I’ve changed over the past two months?
- Eight: What do you think is my best feature?
- Nine: What was the hardest thing you had to adjust to in our relationship?
- Ten: What’s one thing you regret in life?
- Jack: Do you think our relationship is as healthy as it can be right now?
- Queen: What would you say was the best year of your life so far?
- King: How can I be a better support for you day-to-day?
Jokers:
- Take off an article of clothing for the rest of the game.
In need of a date night but aren’t sure what to do? Skip sitting on the couch together staring at your phones and make some memories instead! Just CHILL is a DIY date night for those moments that you just don’t feel like doing anything. It’ll get you relaxed, revived, and reconnected!
Supplies:
- Face masks (Or DIY – some simple ideas here)
- A foot bath
- Epsom salts
- A bucket or basin
- Hot water
- Towels
- Candles
- Lotion for massages
- Your favorite snack (or your kid’s fruit snacks, let’s be real)
- A cozy drink (tea, hot cocoa, etc.)
Instructions:
- First of all, take it easy! Light a candle, turn down the lights, turn on your diffuser, and breathe for a second.
- Fill the bucket or basin with warm water and swirl the Epsom salts around in it.
- While one person has their feet soaking, have the other give them a back massage!
- After 5 minutes, switch roles.
- Mix up a face mask, lather it on, and while it’s doin’ its thing, ask each other the questions below.
Take It A Little Deeper:
Here are some questions you can ask each other to dig a little deeper and make your connection even stronger!
- What has been the most stressful moments for you in the past month?
- How can I be a better support for you when you’re stressed and overwhelmed?
- What’s one small thing I can do every day to make sure you’re doing okay?
- How can we be a better team when it comes to our shared responsibilities?
