6 Ideas for Date Night with your Child
October 6, 2011
Looking for something fun and unique to do with your kids? Consider splitting up and spending precious one-on-one time with your child by taking her on a date. My kids just GLOW when they get a parent all to themselves. It doesn’t even matter what you do, it’s the time together that’s important.
Bonus for parents: If your kids are going through a patch where they fight constantly and it’s driving you nuts, separate them with date night.The peace and quiet is definitely worth it.
Make sure you choose an activity that your child wants to do. If it’s not, then it’s just like running another errand to your child and the magic of the evening is lost. When you are together, make sure you spend time communicating. This is the perfect time to ask your child about their day, their school work, what classes they love taking, and who’s their best friend. Get to know them and learn a little more about their personality and what they love. You know, like a real date.
Date night doesn’t have to be at “night” either. If you can’t schedule something in the evening, go out for breakfast together or do something in the afternoon.
Here are some ideas for Parent/Child Dates:
1. Dinner and a movie. Let your kids choose their favorite place to dine and then go see a movie together. This is great when there is a movie that one child wants to see but their sibling doesn’t. Spend time afterwards talking about their favorite part in the film.
2. Cooking class. If one of your kids likes to cook, check out some of your local cooking class locations to see if they have ones for parent/child. You get to talk, eat and laugh together.
3. Museum Trip. If one of your kids is really into history while the other is into astronomy, splitting up and hitting different museums in town can be a great way to indulge your child’s individual interests.
4. Book Store Excursion. My kids love to read so they are thrilled when we go to the library or the book store, because they can sit and explore. Spend time finding a book your child would love to read and discover what interests them. Then go sit in the coffee bar section and share a hot chocolate or sweet treat while reading your own books together or reading your child’s book out loud. This is a good lazy Sunday morning brunch outing.
5. Get Active. Head on over to the gym and teach your child to play basketball. Go for a run together or train for a local 1 Mile or 5K race in your area. Ride your bikes and stop to have a picnic. Walk to a local park and play catch. Figure out what motivates your child and get active with them.
6. Make a Memory. I’ve had some fun dates with my kids where we make something together. We’ve gone to a pottery place to paint Holiday ornaments, a bead store to create matching jewelry, or a hobby store to find a model airplane. We spend time creating and talking and we have a memento of our time together at the end. Fun!
I hope these ideas have inspired you to get a Date Night on the calendar with your child.
What do you like to do on Kids Date Night?
