Family time can be hard to come by. With school, 50-hour work weeks, sports schedules, and activities, it can sometimes feel like time with one another is rushed. That is why we love the idea of date nights with the kids. This is a special time that is set aside for one parent and one child to spend quality time together. In some families, they rotate the date night monthly so that each kid has a different month and in other families it is a spontaneous event. Growing up this is something that we enjoyed doing with our parents. From a movie with grandma to sleepover at an aunt’s house, even our relatives would do special date nights with us.
Learning how to make pizza at Napizza
Here are some of our favorite date night ideas for the kiddos. Have another? We would love to hear it! Share it on our Facebook or Instagram comments.
- Cooking class-Whether you have an aspiring Top Chef in your family, a child that loves to bake, or one that just enjoys eating taking a cooking class together can be a lot of fun. Many restaurants and community centers offer a variety of cooking classes. Some are a one-time experience while others are a series of classes and go more in depth into technique. Pick which one is the best fit for your child. It can be their favorite type of food, a technique they want to learn more about, or a restaurant they enjoy. We recently enjoyed a pizza making class at There were kids of all different ages there and we all learned how to roll and spread the dough. Our toddler enjoyed this part the most. Everyone enjoyed picking out their favorite toppings and then watching them get popped into the oven.
- Take in a play or musical-While everyone would love to make it out to Broadway to catch their favorite musical, that isn’t always in the budget. Thankfully, there are so many great local companies that put on great productions and these can be a great date night for the child that loves or has an interest in the arts. Your child might have a favorite movie, book or play and then check to see if there is a theatrical-version of it. We recently took in our childhood favorite movie, “Little Mermaid,” at the Moonlight Theater. It was so fun watching families sing and dance together to their favorite songs. The cast at Moonlight did not disappoint! From the costumes to the performances, everything was amazing. Attendees of all ages are sure to enjoy this date night idea. Make sure to get your tickets in advance because these shows have a tendency to be popular and sell out.
Moonlight Theater’s The Little Mermaid (photo courtesy of Moonlight)
- Get handy-If you haven’t heard about the monthly projects at Home Depot, this is a free event that they do monthly. Kids and an adult can make different DIY projects. Check your local Home Depot for the monthly schedule. Registration is not required, but it is encouraged so they can get an idea of how many kits that they need. Also, be aware that it is first-come, first-served and often times they run out of supplies because these events are so popular. Projects including building a Penske truck, making a birdfeeder, and more. The kiddos enjoy making something special with their dad that they get to keep. They also receive an apron with their name on it and a certificate. Dads and grandpas are a huge fan because they can always stop and get a couple things they need for the next project.
(photo courtesy of Home Depot)
- Enjoy a treat-This is probably the easiest and our favorite date idea. Take your child out for their favorite treat. From ice cream to a special cup of hot cocoa, this can be a great time to catch up with your child and see how they are doing. Growing up this was our favorite thing to do with our dad. Even when we got into our teen years, he would still take us to grab an ice cream cone after a hard loss on the softball field. Some dads like to do “Donut date night,” where they grab donuts with their kiddos and catch up. Whatever the treat, the kids will cherish the time on the date.
We were invited to complimentary experiences at Napizza pizza making class and Moonlight Theater. All of our thoughts and opinions are our own.
