Summary
“Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.”
– Aristotle, Greek Philosopher (384 – 322 BC)
Simply spending quality time together is probably not enough to prevent a marriage relationship from getting stale. Keeping the butterflies of early romance from quickly fluttering away after marriage is a desire shared by both the husband and wife. So how do guys just like you, keep their marriages from slipping into familiar, predictable feelings of long-term attachment – Date Night!
Objective
The objective is for the Fathers Team member to find ways to keep injecting novelty into the relationship by focusing on “Date Night” with their wife.
As background, most studies of love and marriage show that the decline of romantic love over time is inevitable. However, marriage studies, real-world experiments and even brain-scan data, scientists & therapists can now offer long-married couples a simple prescription for rekindling the romantic love that brought them together in the first place. Rather than visiting the same familiar haunts and dining with the same old friends, couples need to tailor their date nights around new and different activities that they both enjoy.
Fun date night ideas are a great way to help blossom a marriage by doing things you both enjoy. There are so many places to go and things to do – so, go play! Fun date ideas are the best way to get closer as a couple. Your wife wants to see your creative, playful side and when you put your own thoughts and effort into it, you’ll be surprised how well she will respond to your romantic date idea simply because the date idea came from you. And don’t be shy, if you are aiming to surprise your wife, don’t be afraid to ask her preferences so you can create fun date ideas that both of you will enjoy.
The activity can be as simple as trying a new restaurant together or something a little more unusual or thrilling — like taking a hot air balloon ride together or riding horseback through a vineyard, then having a secluded wine & cheese picnic.
Bible Readings
1. 1 Corinthians 7:4-5
The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
2. Proverbs 18:22
Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.
Small Group Questions
1. What is the best “date night” that you have had with your wife so far?
2. What was the novelty in the “date night” that excited her?
3. Review the list of 100 Great Date nights, which one will you try with your wife in the next week?
Accountability
1. Share your plans for the “first date” this week with your small team (from the 100 Great Date Nights list or other)
2. Share with your small team next week how the date night went, what was the novelty in it for you and your wife?
3. Plan out the next 10 date nights with your wife, and then go on the dates! Share with the small team after 90 days.
Included Resources
100 Fun Date Night Ideas & Activities
“mix and match” to make your date night a unique novel experience
1. Go get pampered or have massages together at a local day spa
2. Go schooner sailing at sunset
3. Take a Segway Tour through out a park
4. Reserve a spot on a yacht party cruise
5. Try your hand at indoor rock climbing
6. Go on a kayaking adventure tour – sight see from a kayak or canoe
7. Take an archery class together
8. Try skydiving, take lessons or try a tandem jump
9. Go on a harbor excursion – watch marine life or go whale or dolphin watching
10. Take a romantic horse-drawn carriage ride thru the city
11. Day adventure to any beautiful garden-park or arboretum, together
12. Enjoy a secluded beach and swim and/or enjoy the sun, together
13. Take a winery tour, or vineyard/winery tour on horseback if possible
14. Rent canoe, kayak or paddle boat and have a floating picnic on a lake
15. Go river rafting or inter tubing on a creek, river or lake
16. Go camping together
17. Become restaurant critics, find the most romantic restaurant by trying ones you haven’t
18. Go to the zoo and/or aquarium
19. See a play at the local suburb theater or at the High School
20. Hang out at a high-class cocktail lounge or restaurant, request a song from a piano man
21. Book an experience activity such as driving a real race car together
22. Take a Hot Air Balloon ride
23. Go Para-sailing together
24. Make your own wine, beer or root beer together
25. Take your dog(s) to the local dog park
26. Go fishing, or teach each other how to fish
27. Take a romantic walking tour of your city – pretend to be a tourist for a day
28. Spend the day with binoculars and a camera and go bird watching
29. Visit a U-Pick farm and pick fruit together, make sure you feed each other the samples!
30. Go Ice Skating together, and then warm up together!
31. Go to a baseball game, football game or Basketball game.
32. Tour new homes together
33. Learn to scuba dive together
34. Go on a haunted ghost tour together
35. See a local jazz band, concert, or orchestra in Cincinnati
36. Make it a romantic mission to ride a Ferris wheel together, kissing each other at the top!
37. Take a romantic afternoon walk or picnic at a park together
38. Go on a hiking trip together
39. Go to your local bookstore to pick out a surprise book for each other
40. Take turns reading a book to each other
41. Relive and go to the first place you ever went out together
42. Go shopping for new clothes, pick out clothes for each other
43. Go to a local gym to exercise together or to join together
44. Go tanning at a salon together and then go get pedicures
45. Spring time walk to pick wildflowers together
46. Go on an afternoon sightseeing drive and explore places you haven’t seen before
47. Spend the morning going to local garage sales to go treasure hunting
48. Visit an old cemetery
49. A date to have ice-cream together, make sure you feed each other a few bites
50. Window shop at local antique shops
51. Go moonlight bowling
52. A date to a karaoke bar for some singing (or watch others sing)
53. A roller-blade or roller skating date
54. A date to take pictures of each other
55. Go to a supermarket to pick out a meal and then back home to cook it, together
56. A date to wash and wax your cars together, make sure you spray each other with the hose!
57. Spend an evening to write poems for each other
58. A date to roast marshmallows over a campfire or fire pit in the back yard
59. Park near the airport to watch planes take off – feel the thunder of the planes –dream of your next trip together
60. Go to a park and star watch together
61. Bake cookies, make popcorn and watch a scary movie at midnight
62. A date to wash each other’s hair and then give back rubs to each other
63. Have a shaving cream fight and pillow fight
64. Go dancing or take dancing lessons together
65. Take a scenic drive in a rented convertible, or your own sports car
66. Schedule a dinner cruise on a train or boat
67. Take a charter fishing trip or whale watching tour
68. Go skiing or hang out around the snow, at the lodge
69. Visit a town or city you’ve never been to
70. Play a round at a fancy golf course
71. Take a helicopter or airplane site seeing tour together
72. Go visit the art gallery or art museum together
73. Go to the beach and build a sand castle together
74. Rent a limo and drive nowhere in particular
75. Visit the planetarium or Museum Center
76. Play in the water at the Beach Water park
77. Learn a new game at a casino
78. Visit a wax museum or find the historical landmarks in your area
79. Play arcade games together or play games on your home console
80. Patio/deck picnic
81. Watch a meteor shower in the evening, with wine and snacks
82. Go on a ferry boat ride to nowhere in particular
83. Go to a classic car show
84. Play miniature golf
85. See a Broadway show together
86. Take a helicopter ride together
87. Go to a high school or college sports event
88. Go to a Roller Derby event
89. Visit a dog or horse race track, together
90. Play laser tag or paint ball tag
91. Go target shooting or go to a shooting range together
92. Make it a mission to ride as many roller coasters you can find
93. Go on a hay ride in the fall during the evening; remember to bring a blanket to snuggle under!
94. Watch the sunset. Just pick a scenic spot, grab a bottle of wine (or your favorite beverage) and enjoy!
95. Reminisce Together – Share journals, pictures, letters, home videos, etc.
96. Bake Dessert Together – cake decorating, banana split, sundae, berry or chocolate smoothies
97. Build a snowman or snowwomen together, then warm up with hot chocolate and a blanket
98. Ride go-carts or “bump m” cars at the carnival
99. Visit the pumpkin farm or Christmas Tree Farm and talk a long slow walk in the nearby woods
100. (Fill in your favorite Date Night Idea Here )