Screen-Free Ideas For A Fun Date Night In With Your Husband
Going out with your partner is always fun, but sometimes you just want a nice quiet evening in. These days that usually translates into watching a movie and ordering takeout.
Don’t get me wrong, my husband and I enjoy a nice night at home in front of the TV as much as the next exhausted couple, but sometimes it’s nice to switch things up a little. In particular, it’s often a good idea to turn off the screens from time to time and actually do something together — as opposed to just watching something side-by-side.
The thing about screens is that they suck you in. What starts as a quick email check turns into an hour on social media and YouTube. And even if you and your partner are watching YouTube videos together, or crafting the perfect response to that particularly annoying Twitter follower that’s always tweeting at you, you’re not completely connecting if there’s a screen involved.
If you’re committed to ditching the devices from time to time and really spending some quality time with your partner, here are a few ideas for a fun evening in, sans screens.
Play a Board Game
There are plenty of really great two-player board games that will get you and your partner working, playing, and laughing together. Collaborative games — like Forbidden Island or Pandemic — are great because they get you and your partner talking and thinking together on the same team. If a little friendly competition is more your style, games like Lost Cities or Five Crowns are intellectually stimulating and fun. Playing a board game is a great way to connect with your partner in new ways, and to practice important relationship skills like problem-solving, and good sportsmanship.
Playing a board game is a great way to connect with your partner in new ways, and to practice important relationship skills like problem-solving, and good sportsmanship.
Do a Puzzle
My husband and I love doing crossword puzzles together. We buy books of crosswords at a level that suits us — there are plenty to choose from — and work on them together. It’s best if one of you holds the pencil (or pen if you’re really daring), and the other calls out answers. If you both have a pencil, you’re essentially working separately on the same thing. If only one of you has a pencil, you end up talking about the clues together. (The one with the pencil can also fill in clues.) If crosswords aren’t your thing, there are plenty of other paper-and-pencil puzzles you can try. Sudoku, ken-ken, and word search are just a few examples.
Read Aloud
This may sound sort of corny — and it may feel a little corny at first too — but reading aloud to your partner can be really romantic and fun. Choose a book that both of you will enjoy that isn’t super dense and doesn’t have content that will make you uncomfortable to read aloud — like graphic sex or violence. Alternate who does the reading and choose an amount of pages or chapters to read each night. Snuggle up together and read. You’ll probably find yourselves discussing the book and wondering what will happen next which is always fun and will lead to great conversations.
You’ll probably find yourselves discussing the book and wondering what will happen next which is always fun and will lead to great conversations.
Have a Real Talk
This one may seem pretty obvious, but it’s amazing how often we forgo just sitting and chatting with each other. It may seem like you and your partner talk all the time but, when you really think about it, it turns out you’re always talking about logistics — who will take the kids to school, what nights you’re working late, when to return that dinner invitation — rather than your thoughts and feelings. If you commit to keeping all screens off for an evening (or two, or three) and sitting and really talking, you’ll be surprised by how deep your conversations will become. Make a cup of tea, grab a cookie, snuggle up under a blanket, and chat.
If you commit to keeping all screens off for an evening (or two, or three) and sitting and really talking, you’ll be surprised by how deep your conversations will become.
Closing Thoughts
There’s nothing wrong with vegging out in front of the TV from time to time — sometimes it’s exactly what everybody needs at the end of a long day — but it’s important to make sure you and your partner are doing other things too. Committing to turning off the screens and doing something together is a great way to make sure you and your partner stay connected. And human connection — especially in this digital world — is always a good thing.