9 No Sitter Date Night Ideas for Valentine’s Day
Remember… back in the day, before kids how you could just sleep in as much as you wanted, dow whatever you felt like throughout the day, go to a movie last minute without a worry in the world, and Valentine’s Day was easy? No stressing about a sitter, wondering what you’ll do with the kids so you and your sweetie could have a romantic night out together. Oh, those were the days!
But now everything’s changed. You have kids now. You can’t just leave on a whim… and you have to plan date night weeks in advance, and sitters are few and far between.
So we say, have date night in! Skip the crowded restaurants and hour long wait list. Don’t stress about finding a sitter (not to mention those babysitting fees) . Save the money and have a romantic night in.
If you have kids at home, put ‘em to bed early or put them in a room, plug in their favorite movie, give them some popcorn and let them hang out (fingers crossed they eventually fall asleep).
We put together 9 no sitter date night ideas for Valentine’s Day this year. Because mom and dad need a little romance in their life, am I right?
#1 Make a Fancy Dinner
Get the good stuff out, you know… the nice table napkins and china you got from your wedding that you’ve never used. Set the mood by sprucing up the kitchen table to look like a fancy dinner. Move the food you’ve prepared from the usual pots and pans you could in, to some serving dishes (food in fancy containers can go a long way).
Grab a nice (or cheap) bottle of wine or champagne. And don’t skimp on a yummy salad starter and dessert. When you have more than one serving, it just seems so much fancier for some reason. It’s fun to either cook together, or get your partner involved by giving them a job i.e. you’r in charge of the main course and they’re in charge of an appetizer and dessert.
#2 Make a Blanket Fort
Yeah, you heard me. Like the fort you made as a kid. We may be adults not but there’s nothing like going back to the good ol’ days with your partner. I don’t care who you are, an adult fort is sure to bring a smile to your face. And the coolest wife ever award goes too…
This idea is so much more fun when it’s a surprise. Kick your spouse out of your room (or living room) for 30 min while you grab some chairs, snatch all the blankets in the house and have a mountain of pillows. To set the mood, go grab a string of Christmas lights out of the basement or turn on a crystal lamp, turn off the lights and set a plate of chocolate covered strawberries and champaign right in the middle. Made a little bed inside and get ready for night full of storytelling, giggles and hopefully you’ll get lucky too ;)
#3 Game Night
I know, I know… game night. Meh! But we don’t mean just any game night. Make a Target run (we challenge you to spend only 30 minutes ha!) and snag all the old games you and your partner grew up with. Games like Battleship, Scattergories, Guess Who, KerPlunk, Sorry, Trouble, Connect Four, Scrabble.
All these games are sure to spark some good conversation. Sharing stories of how you used to play this game with this person when you were in junior high. Or how your partner used to always cheat at this game when playing with his little brother.
Game night is sure to be a hit, you just have to pick the right games. And who knows, maybe you throw in some extra rules like, whoever wins has to take a piece of clothing off ;)
#4 Go to the Movies
I know what you’re thinking…. but, how to we go the movies without a sitter? Recreate the movie theater right there at home. This is probably one of our favorite date nights ever.
Run to the store and grab all your favorite snacks. Don’t forget the popcorn and coke!
Pull a small side table or coffee table next to the couch. Put all your snacks in some mason jars (or small bowls), grab the popcorn and drinks and you’ve got yourself a concession stand. It’s more fun when you tape a little sign to the table that says “Snack Shack” to it too.
Make some fake movie tickets and tape a sign underneath the TV showing a “Now Playing XYZ”. You and your partner will feel like you had a date-night out, while watching your favorite movies right on your couch. You can make out all you want without worrying about giving other s show haha.
We find this is best when you make it a surprise. Your partner will be blown away by your dedication to this super romantic night. Make him stay in your bedroom for a bit while you set everything up and voila!
#5 Nerf Gun Fight
#bestwifeever… no joke! This is probably the best idea ever and something your partner is absolutely NOT expecting. Make a Target run (again) and grab a few Nerf guns. Trust me, buy some extra “bullets”, you don’t want to un out right in the middle of your war.
Load the Nerf guns, hide a few bundles of “bullets” throughout the house and leave the Nerf guns on the kitchen table with a note. Something like “Welcome home! I’m hiding somewhere in the house with the other Nerf gun, come find me. May the odds be ever in your favor.”
I don’t care if you had a fight this morning before leaving for work, this little stunt will get you both laughing and over it in no time!
#6 Order Take-Out and Watch Your Wedding Video
There’s nothing like taking a little trip down memory lane and bringing back all those old feeling that sometimes get buried underneath the stresses of parenthood. Remember when he had that ridiculous haircut that you secretly loved, or the feeling he got when he saw you for the first time walking down the aisle?
Order from your favorite take-out restaurant, snuggle up on the couch and pop in your old wedding video.
Seeing the look on your faces when you had your first kiss as a married couple is sometimes all we need to suck us out of our groundhog day and feeling like we’re 20 again.
And nothing brings back the spark like reliving your wedding day all over again.
#7 Couples Massage
I mean, if you’ve got the money… hire a few masseurs to come to your home and give you and your partner an hour long couples massage.
But…. if you don’t have the money, do it yourself.
Set up a station somewhere in your room or living room, grab some oils or lotion and tell Alexa to play Genuine radio. Each partner takes turns massaging the other for 20 min, 30 minutes… however long you can last.
But you have to be dedicated. No sloppy back rubbing here, ask your partner what part of the body they want you to focus on (warning: things might get a little dirty. But hey, the kids are in bed right? lol).
#8 Wine and Cheese Tasting
Go to the local grocery store and go to the “fancy cheese section”, just about every store has one. You can ask the cheese lady to point to her favorites, or just randomly grab a few that sound good. Grab a few different types of wines and your set.
Make sure to take everything out of it’s packaging. Set it out on a nice cheese board, cutting board or fancy plate, sprinkle some fruit in between the cheeses to make it look fancy and grab your favorite wine glasses.
Eat some cheese (because who doesn’t love cheese) and get tipsy with your spouse.
#9 Video Game Night
Yep, you heard me. Video games. If your spouse didn’t love you before, they will now haha.
Plug in a few of their favorite games and have them show you how to play (if you don’t already know how). Or you can grab a few of your favorites. You know they have a mini Nintendo Classic Mini that you comes with 30 games already loaded. Warning: you and your spouse can spend hours playing old games like Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Ninja, Zelda, etc. without realizing how much time’s passed by.
This little game console is a blast!