Date night doesn’t have to be canceled just because you can’t get out. With a bit of planning and a little creativity, you can create any of these 15 at-home date night ideas for when you and your partner are stuck at home!

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Written by Erin of Nourishing My Scholar.

15 At Home Date Night Ideas for Homeschool Moms and Dads

We all love a good date night with our significant other. It’s a way to reconnect and have fun. But homeschooling, housework, and other jobs you and your partner may have all take up a huge amount of time and energy. It’s exhausting trying to get everything done every day!

But one day the kids will be grown and gone (even though it doesn’t seem right now like that day will ever arrive)! And when that happens, you may find that, unless you and your spouse have invested in your marriage over the years, you’ve grown apart. It’s important to plan date nights and spend time with your significant other! It’s not selfish or unnecessary. It’s something you absolutely should make time to do!

That’s why I’m sharing 15 of our favorite fun at-home date night ideas! Because let’s face it. Life happens. You may find yourself in a position where childcare isn’t an option, your kiddos may be too small to be left alone, or heck, you may be living through a pandemic that makes going out on a date nearly impossible!

That’s where this list comes to the rescue!

I promise that my husband and I have done ALL of these in our 20 years of marriage. Actually, I think we’ve done all of these this year!

The key is to make it fun and not take things too seriously.

15 At Home Date Night Ideas for Homeschool Parents

1. Enjoy a Candlelit Dinner Together

We’ve done this several ways, and though it seems kind of obvious for a date night, it is still a great way to reconnect. Sometimes I prepare the meal, then we both dress up in date-night attire while sending the kiddos downstairs with popcorn and a movie. Other times, he prepares the meal and makes sure everything is taken care of. I think this is one of those awesome ways that husbands can support their homeschooling wives. Then there are the times where we cook the meal together while tag-teaming the kids as they ask for another juice box. It can be a new recipe or a favorite recipe. Try mixing it up!

2. Do a Cooking Challenge

Have you ever seen those Pinterest fails? There is a show on Netflix that my husband and I enjoy called Nailed It. The premise is that the show takes amateur bakers and gets them to recreate baked goods while being timed. One at-home date night idea is to do your own version of a cooking challenge! Our last baking challenge was a Wild Kratts Tortuga Cake. We figured the kids would enjoy eating them regardless of what they looked like, ha! It was so fun trying to race the clock while making the cake look and taste better than my husband’s!

3. Binge Watch a Television Show

OK, I know this one is obvious. But when you’ve got a winner…take advantage of it! After the kids go to bed, we sometimes watch an old favorite series or start a new one for an at-home date night! We may even make ice cream sundaes for each other or break out the movie theater type snacks!

4. Paint Together

We love using our Masterpiece Society Art Membership for our paint nights! These fantastic online art lessons aren’t just for kids. This particular one was part of the Masterpiece Moms Exclusive member content. Just set out all your supplies plus some special snacks or drinks, pull up your favorite art course, and enjoy sharing an artistic experience!

5. Play Video Games Together

My husband loves video games. I haven’t really been into them since my high school years of playing Super Mario Brothers 3 and Legend of Zelda. So, sometimes for an at-home date night idea, we either try a new video game (for me) or hook up the old Nintendo system and enjoy some old favorites! It really takes us back and leads to loads of reminiscing about a time when we were teenagers!

6. Have a Nerf Battle

If you don’t have Nerf Guns, don’t worry! You can also have a Marshmallow fight, ha! Yup, we’ve challenged each other to fights and duels… It’s a pretty fun way to act like kids and have loads of fun in the process.

Fair warning, the kids WILL want to get in on the action!

Homeschool Parents Need to Make Time for Date Night

7. Have a Dance-Off

Oh yes, we have been known to bust a move in the middle of the living room. Dance battle anyone? The sillier the better. Laughing and giggles (on my part) ensue.

You can also take on a calmer and more dignified approach and simply have a lovely dance in your home. Play your favorite music, dress up, and enjoy being in each other’s company.

8. Movie Marathon

Perhaps another obvious date night idea since it’s similar to binge-watching a television show. But we love binge-watching the Harry Potter movies, the Lord of the Rings movies, Avenger movies, and many more! Remember to bring good snacks!

9. Play a Game Together

We are a family of game lovers! So naturally, this spills over into our date nights! Some of our favorites for a date night include BLOKUS, Boggle, Scrabble, and Mastermind.

10. Workout Together

Back in the day, my husband and I went to the gym together. It was glorious because the gym provided childcare. He and I could focus on weight training or cardio together. Things have changed, but our need for togetherness and fitness has not. Working out together can be a great way to stay healthy and bond. Look into trying a new Yoga app. Or maybe you have a favorite online fitness instructor! Make a date of it before the kids wake up or after they go to bed. Get that adrenaline pumping, Folks!

At-Home Date Night Ideas for Homeschool Parents

11. Spa Night

My husband is not above having a foot soak, and neither am I. Spa night can be anything you want it to be so long as you are pampering yourselves. Think facials, manicures, pedicures, massages, etc.

12. Stargazing

Grab a cozy blanket and a thermos full of your favorite hot beverage, and go snuggle with your sweetheart under the stars. Bonus points if you have a telescope for stargazing. But it’s not required. Just being together while gazing up at the vastness of the universe will be enough.

13. Outdoor Picnic

Food and nature make a great combination. Schedule an outdoor picnic in your backyard.

14. Take a Long Walk

This may seem silly, but trust me. Even something as simple as a 15-minute walk to the mailbox or taking a stroll around your yard while holding hands can help rekindle that little something. I like to think of it as a mini date.

15. Puzzle Night

Doing a puzzle is a great way to unwind. Doing it together can give the opportunity for conversations and connectedness. We keep a puzzle board in our home with a puzzle always in progress. It makes it easy to move a puzzle when need be while keeping the pieces together. Serve your favorite drinks and snacks and settle in for some quiet puzzle time together.

Most times we plan our at-home date night for when the kiddos go to bed, or we set them up with a movie to watch so we can have a bit of quiet. It’s never perfect, but it’s always just what we need to reconnect as husband and wife.

Author profile

Erin Vincent

Nourishing My Scholar | Website

Erin Vincent is a homeschooling mom to two intense kids. They are child led with a heavy emphasis on read alouds, games, art, nature hikes, and hands on science! They traded the hustle and bustle of city life for the quiet farm life where opportunities for exploration in nature abound. When they're not homeschooling you'll find Erin curled up with a cup of coffee and a good book!. You can find Erin at Nourishing My Scholar.