Date Night Ideas Jar + Printables

This date night jar is a fun and easy way to come up with new date night ideas!

Around here, we LIVE for date nights! We’ve shared several of our favorite date night ideas, like our favorite  casual date night at home, a fun daytime date with your sweetheart, and our popular couples dinner party with friends. But today we are going to share an idea that will take even more guesswork (and most of the planning) out of your weekly date nights! Get ready for some romantic fun!

Date Night Ideas Jar

Making a Date Night Jar is a great way to keep your marriage or relationship healthy and happy!

Date Night Jar Supplies –

• date night printables (download below)
• marker or pen
• scissors
• glue stick
• jumbo-sized popsicle sticks
• small jar
• hole punch
• ribbon

How to Make A Date Night Jar –

1. Download, print the date night printable and cut out each individual strip. You’ll notice there are 3 different colors on this printable – gray, pink and red. For our date night jar we organized our dates into 3 categories based on cost –
   • GRAY= $10 and under
   • PINK= $10-$25
   • RED= $25-$50 + {this category will take some planning}
2. Glue each printable strip onto craft sticks, then write a date night idea onto the stick based on the cost value associated with the date. (We’ll share some date ideas for each category below.) Put all the sticks into the jar.
3. Punch a hole in the corner of the date night tag, then string some ribbon through the hole and tie it around the jar.
4. …and that’s it! You’re ready for an awesome year (or more!) of dating your spouse!

Date Night Ideas

Here are some date ideas you can include in your date jar –

GRAY – Under $10 – Free or Cheap Date Night Ideas: 

• Dinner and a movie at home –  Plan a night in with one of your favorite movies. You could have a popsicle stick for a movie that  “He picks”, one that “She Picks”, or  surprise your spouse by renting the first movie you saw together when you were dating.
• Invite friends over for an adult game night
• Go for a walk – If you live near a park or trailhead, take advantage of the outdoor space and go for a stroll. Even if you live in the city, taking a walk for a couple hours gives you and your spouse a chance to chat in peace, while getting a little exercise in the process. Walk by the river / around the neighborhood / downtown … etc.
• Smoothie/ Hot Cocoa Date
• Garage Sales / Go to the Mall – Window shop or pick up a few things you’ve had your eye on.
• Homemade Pizza Night + activity – Get into some comfortable clothes and relax on the couch after the kids are asleep.
• Cruise in the Car – Sometimes it’s nice to drive though scenic parts of town with no particular destination in mind.
• Picnic Lunch or Dinner – Make a few sandwiches, pack some drinks, and enjoy a picnic on a sunny day or nice evening.
• Take out Dinner and Game Night
• Make Dinner at Home + Watch a favorite show (Shark week fans will love THIS one!)
• Sneak out on a lunch date – Consider scheduling a day off work together, or escape during your lunch hour to go on a lunch date while the kids are at school. Lunch dates are usually less expensive than dinner, and they’re a great way to fit some quality time into your busy schedule.

PINK – $10-$25 – Casual Date Night Ideas

• Dessert Only Date
• Italian Dinner Night Out
• Mexican Dinner Night Out
• Movie Date
• American Cuisine Night Out
• Take a Class Together
• See a Show {play, inexpensive concert, comedy, etc.}
• Local Sports game {even high school games count!}

RED – $25-$50 – Fun Date Ideas

• Couples Massage
• Concert/Show “Her Choice”
• Concert/Show “His Choice”
• Hotel Stay for the Night
• His choice {wild card}
• Her choice {wild card}
• Active Activity….anything sports related, outdoors, etc.
• Dinner at a Nice Restaurant

Ready to make your own Date Night Jar?

I hope that these ideas have encouraged you to get out and date your spouse!

If you have more date night suggestions, please leave us a comment below. We’d love to hear from you!

Cheers and happy “dating!”

About the Author: Jennifer is the creative mom and wife from Blissfully Ever After. She was on the Somewhat Simple Creative Team in 2012-2013.

This post first published in 2013. It was updated with new ideas and printables in 2019.