Once you have kids it seems like date nights are few and far between, especially when you have young kiddos at home (and lets be honest, date nights are usually VERY needed). It’s like I blinked and months went by without my husband and I going out without our son. I found myself wondering how the heck that happened!? I surveyed a group of my mom friends and most of them said they were going out on a date with their spouse hardly ever – most said every few months. So I am not alone in my date night dry spell. I’ve worked out a little trick to make sure I have a date night on the calendar, I schedule it when we get home from a date so it’s at the forefront of my mind.
When it comes to planning a night (or day!) out for us, I try to avoid the humdrum of dinner and a movie. Personally, I feel like both of those things can easily be done at home after the kids are in bed. We eat dinner together every night, and since out kiddo is still small sometimes we will give him leftovers and once he’s in bed we make a fancy meal for just the two of us. And that movie thing? Yeah Netflix, Red Box and HBO can cover that ground pretty well.
When we go out, I like to do something FUN – something that lets us connect, have adult time, pretend like we are kids again and you know, just get my mind off of toddler tantrums. Here’s my ultimate list of date ideas that you can do around here in the East Valley and beyond:
Stir Up Some Friendly Competition…
- A round or two of paintball is a fun way to get moving and spend some time together – Wild West Airsoft & Paintball (Mesa), Tempe Paintball (Tempe), American Paintball Coliseum (Phoenix), West World Paintball (Phoenix)
- How about a friendly game of laser tag? – Stratum (Mesa), M2PTactical (Chandler), Urban Arena Laser Tag (Maricopa), Laser Quest (Phoenix), Wazees World (Peoria)
- Cheer for the home team at a local sporting event – Baseball (Diamondbacks, Spring Training Games), Basketball (Suns, Mercury), Football (Cardinals, Rattlers), Hockey (Coyotes), Roller Derby
- Team up with your spouse to solve the puzzle and get out of the room! These valley escape the room activities are a great way for you and your spouse to put your minds together:Escape the Room Gilbert, The Sleuth Box (Tempe) Escape the Room AZ (Scottsdale), Riddle Escape Room (Scottsdale), Epic Escape Game (Phoenix), Phoenix Escape Rooms (Phoenix), Key Quest Escape Room (Phoenix)
- Feeling lucky? Head out to one of the valley casinos for a night of cards or even some bingo! Lone Butte, Wild Horse Pass, Harrah’s Ak-Chin, Casino Arizona, Talking Stick Resort, Fort McDowell Casino, Desert Diamond Casino West Valley
- Ready…Aim…Fire! Try one of these valley shooting ranges: Caswells (Mesa), Ted’s Shooting Range (Queen Creek), C2 Tactical (Tempe), Archery Headquarters Academy (Chandler), Scottsdale Gun Club (Scottsdale), Ben Avery Shooting Facility (Phoenix)
- Let the good times roll! Visit a local bowling alley for a game or two – East Mesa Bowl (Mesa), Fat Cats (Gilbert), Flipside (Gilbert), Main Event (Tempe, Avondale), Let It Roll Bowl (Phoenix), Lucky Strike (Phoenix), Glenfair Lanes (Glendale), AMF (Valleywide), Brunswick Zone (Valleywide)
- Try a Trivia Night at a local restaurant or bar
Act Like A Kid Again…
- Who says trampolines are just for kids? There are trampoline parks all around the valley that are perfect for a night of jumping around with your loved one – Jump Street (Chandler), Xtreme Air (Chandler), Krazy Air (Mesa), Jump City (Phoenix), Air Time (Scottsdale), Sky Zone (Peoria)
- Challenge each other to a round of mini golf at Golfland Sunsplash or Fat Cats – or practice your swing at one of the Top Golf locations (Gilbert/Scottsdale)
- Put the petal to the metal and drive some Go Karts – Octane Raceway (Scottsdale, Phoenix), K1 Speed (Phoenix), Pure Karting (Phoenix), Phoenix Indoor Karting (Phoenix) Or watch some racing – Phoenix International Raceway (Phoenix), Wild Horse Pass Motorsport Park (Phoenix), Canyon Speedway (Peoria), Arizona Speedway (Queen Creek)
- Get your game on at a local arcade! Some of these like StarFighters Arcade (Mesa), Cobra Arcade Bar (Phoenix) and The Grid: Games & Growlers (Mesa) are full of old school style arcade games. There’s always Dave & Busters (Tempe, Scottsdale, Glendale) to get your modern game fix too.
- Ice skating or roller skating if a great way to get in some hand holding with your spouse – Ice Den (Chandler), AZ Ice (Gilbert), Oceanside Ice Arena (Tempe), Arcadia Ice Arena (Acadia), City Skate (Phoenix – Dec-Jan), Ice Den (Scottsdale), AZ Ice (Peoria), Skateland Mesa, Skateland Chandler, Great Skate (Glendale)
- From rides to fried food, a local carnival or fair is a fun way to spend the day – Arizona State Fair (October), Maricopa County Fair (April), Arizona Renaissance Festival (Feb-March)
Enjoy Music & Art…
- Let out your artistic side and take an art class or paint some pottery! There are lots of step by step painting classes available at studios around the valley: Painting with a Twist (Tempe), Uptown Art (Chandler), Burst of Butterflies (Chandler) (painting, pottery & more), SunDust Gallery (Gilbert), Party with Paint (Mesa), Art of Merlot (Scottsdale), The Brush Bar (Scottsdale), Carrie Curran Art Studios (Scottsdale), Pinots Palette (Paradise Valley), As You Wish Pottery Painting (Valleywide)
- Go see a favorite band in concert or experience some new to you music at one of the many venues across the valley – Comerica Theatre (Phoenix), Ak-Chin Pavilion (Phoenix), Crescent Ballroom (Phoenix), Marquee Theatre (Tempe), Nile Theatre (Mesa), Celebrity Theatre (Phoenix), The Lost Leaf (Phoenix), The Rhythm Room (Phoenix), Joes Grotto (Phoenix)
- Explore a local museum. Many of them have nights geared towards adults with fun extras. Here are a few of them in the valley – Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix Children’s Museum, Heard Museum, Arizona Science Center
- Head to a local theatre to see a performing art – ASU Gammge, Chandler Center for the Arts, Mesa Arts Center, Tempe Center for the Arts, Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Orpheum Theatre, Herberger Theatre, Phoenix Symphony Hall
- Experience local Arizona art and attend one of the various Art Walks in the valley – Artlink Phoenix/First Fridays, Motorcycles on Main (Mesa), Downtown Chandler Art Walk, Scottsdale ArtWalk, 2nd Friday (Mesa)
- Get in some laughs at one of the valley comedy clubs – Tempe Improv, Stand Up Live (Downtown Phoenix), Scottsdale Comedy Spot, National Comedy Theatre (Mesa), Jesterz Improv Comedy (Mesa), House of Comedy (Scottsdale)
Add a little Romance…
- Just want to relax? Head to a local spa for a couples massage. Don’t have much time? Try a foot reflexology massage
- Saddle up with your significant other for some horseback riding – Horseback Arizona, Cave Creek Trail Rides, Ponderosa Stables, Koli Equestrian Center
- Learn to make something new together (and not have to do the dishes!) at a cooking class – Sur La Table (Chandler/Scottsdale) , Sweet Basil Cooking School (Scottsdale), Whisked Away (Phoenix), Williams Sonoma (Scottsdale/Phoenix)
- Take things outdoors and try out a local hiking trail, have a picnic or head out after dark for some stargazing
Looking for more date night fun? Check out our Date Night Remix post, Our Spooky Date Night Ideas, and First Fridays in Phoenix. Leave your spouse at home and try a BFF Date Night or a Daddy-Daughter Date Night.
This list is the best! Thank you so much!