25 Valentine’s Day Date Ideas For Parents
Valentine’s Day — it’s when love is truly in the air and dates can be had a plenty, but not for parents right?
Wrong! There’s no reason that parents can’t celebrate Valentine’s Day with a bit of fun and romance, providing you have the right idea for your potential date. Here are a few to get you started, regardless of whether you get a sitter, spend it with your kids, or do it at home when the kiddies are in bed!
When you have a sitter…
You’ve planned ahead, secured a baby sitter, or roped a willing family member into the role, and you have either a whole night or part of the day to spend with your significant other. Here are a few ideas!
1. The Classic
If you’re just wanting some time to spend with your partner having some fun, you can’t go wrong with the classic dinner and a movie date. Pick a movie that you could never see with your kids, and enjoy a lovely dinner before or after to really make for a lovely night.
2. First Date (Again)
Amidst the busy lives of being mum and dad, it’s easy to lose track of your own relationship. So, this Valentine’s Day, go back to the start with a ‘first date’ at a coffee shop (or wherever you had your first date). Pretend like you’re going right back to the beginning, it’s a great laugh.
3. Sing your heart out.
Enjoying yourself at karaoke and being a good singer have absolutely nothing to do with each other. Sure, you and your partner might empty the room with your terrible tunes, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have a ball rocking out together on stage. It’s duet time!
4. Hit the road.
image via befreetolove.com
Sometimes, the nicest thing to do with your partner is hit the road for a mini-adventure. This works best in the daytime, but you can also take a drive to a height and enjoy a view over your city for some stunning nighttime light action. Romantic
5. Get your (classy) drink on.
image via MashtunandMeow.com
To really take advantage of your kid-free state, why not head over to a winery or local brewery for a lovely night of classy drinking and chats with your significant other. Many places like this do romantic dinner settings for Valentine’s Day along with a good selection of different drinks to try.
6. Watch the skies.
Get away from it all in peace and quiet with a night of stargazing. If you live in a metropolitan area, you might need to head a bit out of town to get away from the light pollution, but it’s so romantic to lie back, watch the stars, and just spend some quality time together.
7. Groove it up.
Even if you have two left feet, learning a new skill like dancing with your partner is really fun. It’s a great active and physical way to connect if you’ve been feeling like your relationship is getting tired. Plus, some kinds of dancing is really romantic and even sexy.
8. Flex your brain.
Get the best thing in your body (ok second best thing) working by taking your Valentine’s Day date to a pub trivia night. Choose a nice pub, not a dive, and you can almost guarantee a night of entertaining conversation, good drinks, and decent food. You might even learn something.
9. Nature’s show
Catch the best show that nature provides, free of charge, by heading somewhere nice for a picnic and a sunset session. You can pack a simple dinner, or even just some nibbles, along with a beverage and a picnic rug for a lovely evening in each other’s company.
10. Take a hike.
Get back to basics and get some exercise by heading off on a hike with your romance buddy. Again, this is a good daytime date if you’re struggling to find a night sitter, and if you’re prepared, it’s heaps of fun. Pick somewhere naturally stunning for a truly memorable date.
11. Turn the heat up.
Learning new skills is always fun, and it’s even more of a laugh if you do it with someone you care about. Taking a cooking class is a great Valentine’s Day date night idea, and it means you’ll both be able to whip up something scrumptious in the future!
12. Forget dinner.
Why worry about Valentine’s Day dinner dates when brunch is so much better? Breakfast foods are clearly superior, and you can keep yourself going on quality coffee as well as the love that drives you. Perfect!
Family-friendly activities…
Can’t get a babysitter and want everyone to be involved? If you’re looking for family friendly things to do on Valentine’s Day, with your partner and all your little miracles, here are a few places to start.
13. Hit the lanes.
Bowling can be a massive expense, but if you’re looking for a family-friendly Valentine’s Day date option, this is it. Kids of most ages (not small babies) get a kick out of bowling and you can even pit mum and dad against each other, or parents against kids, just for a laugh.
14. Pick some produce.
Valentine’s Day in Australia falls just before spring, but there are still some fruit picking opportunities depending on where you live. Not only is this a very photogenic family Valentine’s Day experience, but it’s also loads of fun and allows you and your partner to chill while the kids run wild.
15. Get high.
Whether you have confident adventurers or cautious observers, rock climbing is a really fun Valentine’s Day outing. You and your partner can belay, chat, and encourage your little ones, and they can make great memories and conquer fears all in one go.
16. Hole In One
What’s not to like about mini golf? Little kids don’t need to follow the rules, and big kids will have a ball, plus you and your partner can wander the course together, competing or just seeing your kids make some really poor golf choices!
17. Pizza Party
If you’re looking for a fun Valentine’s Day night in at home with your kids, why not have a loved-up pizza party. Make some pizza bases in the shape of love hearts, set out a pizza bar with lots of ingredients, decorate accordingly and then bake. You could even do a movie together.
18. Love is a game.
For partners with a competitive streak, laser tag is a really fun way to recapture your own childhood while your kids enjoy theirs. A chance to get active, pit mum against dad, and generally have a run around, laser tag gets the blood pumping and is guaranteed for laughs.
Dates at home (after bedtime)…
Not everyone can get a sitter, but Valentine’s Day with the kids doesn’t do it for everyone either. So, here are a few date ideas for Valentine’s Day at home, once the kids are all asleep.
19. Memorable Meals
One lovely thing to do if you’re home for Valentine’s Day is relive a great Valentine or romantic memory from the past, like a memorable meal. Recreate a great meal that you had on a past date, go as big or as small as you like, and then enjoy it with your partner.
20. Healing Hands
Massage is a really romantic, and sometimes sexy and sensual, way to reconnect with your partner on Valentine’s Day. Whether they’ve got hurts for you to heal, or just some tension to get out, give each other a massage and just see where things go.
21. Ice cream tasting.
If you aren’t into wine, or you don’t want to deal with the morning after effects, enjoy a fun ice cream tasting as a home Valentine’s Day date. Just get a heap of different ice cream flavours, and feed them to each other blindfolded. Yummy!
22. PJ Board Games
Board games, or even card games, are great fun for couples, and make for a nice Valentine’s Day date idea. If you want, you could even change the rules up so that each of you removes items of clothing, or does different things (hint) at each turn.
23. Date ‘n’ Bake
Baking something rich and decadent is a fun way to spend Valentine’s Day. Do some naked baking in the kitchen, or just have some fun making up a recipe with an easy base, like a brownie, and lots of extras thrown in for good measure. Then, you can eat it!
24. Mix it up.
If you don’t have the time or the money to drink out at fancy cocktail bars anymore, why not mix yourself a few at home for Valentine’s? You and your partner can get dressed to the nines if you want, or just have a cocktail mixing experiment in your PJs or even birthday suit. Your choice!
25. Take it slow.
There’s something about a slow dance in the living room or kitchen, being quiet and close, that ups the romance in any situation. Put on some smooth music, and spend at least part of your Valentine’s Day with a nice slow dance this year, at least to get things started.
What other Valentine’s Day date ideas for parents do you have? Share it with us!
