Couple Fun

26 date ideas for (almost) free.

You may not have much time, and you may not have much money, but here are a few ways to have fun with your spouse:

1. Make healthy raw, nutty truffles together. Here’s one recipe to try: https://liagriffith.com/food-loverfriday-paleo-chocolate-bliss-bites/.

2. Cycle along an off-road bike track in the countryside or through a park. Borrow or hire bikes if you don’t have your own.

3. Try drawing each other’s portraits or taking some fun photographs together.

4. Download a walking treasure hunt around a local town or a driving treasure hunt around your area. You can often purchase these online for a small price. If there isn’t one available, why not go out together and create one for a church outing? Search online for some basic guidelines for making safe and fun treasure hunts.

5. Meet up for lunch on a workday. Have a picnic in the park, try a local café, or take your sack lunch to a lunchtime concert.

6. Pop into a card shop and find three cards you’d like to send each other. Choose one with meaningful words, one that would make your spouse smile, and one other card that they might like to receive. You don’t even have to buy the cards—just read them aloud to each other in the store.

7. Learn something new together. Look for interesting, short workshops in your area that you’d both enjoy, such as spoon carving, furniture refinishing, or bookbinding.

8. Take a rug, binoculars, and a flask of hot chocolate and lie out under the stars. Try doing this when it’s not cold or raining and when there are shooting stars or other astronomical activities.

9. Rent a boat and explore a small lake together. Take a picnic and a couple of good books. Relax.

10. Go for a hike along a trail you’ve never visited before.

11. Visit your local tourist information center and ask about any special events that are scheduled for your area.

12. Visit a local art gallery or art store and choose your three favorite pictures. Or look for all the pictures connected with Bible stories and see if the artwork gives you new perspectives on the stories.

13. Take turns reading an interesting book to each other.

14.Do something you enjoyed doing together before you were married.

15. Fly a kite, play crazy golf, jump on a trampoline, visit a zoo, or ride a quad bike and have a little adventure.

16. Spend a whole evening relaxing in your home—no TV, no screens, no talking about work—just the two of you enjoying closeness. Kiss, cuddle, take a long bath, light candles, and get an early night.

17. Search for the short YouTube clip about the Kindness Boomerang by a team called Life Vest Inside. Then go into town and walk around together, looking for people to help. Buy lunch for a homeless person and talk to them, give some money to a child for ice cream, or help a young mom with her kids. Remember the Kindness Boomerang— you have no idea where those acts of kindness will end.

18. Visit a garden center and choose a few plants for your garden. Plant them together.

19. Stay home, pour each other your favorite drinks, and light some candles. Put on some romantic music and take a half hour to write each other love letters. Then read them aloud to each other.

20. Visit thrift stores in your area and find a couple of outfits to wear.

21. Restore a piece of old furniture together for your home.

22. Search the Web for some funny “Minute to Win It” games and try them out together. These might include: How many sticky notes can you stick on your partner in one minute using only one hand? How high can you build a tower with newspaper and sticky tape in one minute? How many dice or sugar cubes can you balance on a Popsicle (lolly) stick placed in your mouth in one minute?

23. Tackle a challenging job together, such as clearing the garage or the attic. Listen to an interesting audiobook or music while you work. Reward yourselves by going out for dinner or ice cream.

24. Find a small gift bag for each of you. Then think of five things you’d like to give each other if you could. They don’t have to be real things—they could be abstract ideas, and you could pop five things into the bag that represent the things you would like to give.

25. Walk through your home or your neighborhood. Take turns finding things to be thankful for in every room or along every few steps of your walk. Notice the joy and peace you feel when you’re filled with gratitude.

26. Watch inspiring YouTube clips together. Explore such sites as www.gratefulness.org and www. ignitermedia.com, or watch clips of Christian humorists.