My kids perk up at any opportunity to spend quality one-on-one time with me or their dad. They look forward to a special experience catered to their individual interests, uninterrupted conversation, and especially knowing they will have my undivided attention during our time. These family date night ideas help make this happen.
Sometimes, we splurge on a Broadway play and dinner in the city or tap into their artsy sides with paint your own pottery, but I’ve found most of our family date night ideas are inexpensive and don’t take much planning on my part. In many cases, we don’t even have to leave the house to have fun!
These Kidlist-approved ideas are also a great resource for grandparents, aunts, uncles, caregivers — anyone wanting to spend extra quality time with that special little loved one. These moments not only strengthen relationships, but also create wonderful memories that inspire confidence and help set the tone for how your children approach other relationships as they get older.
Movie Night
- Plan a movie night at home! This is one of our family’s favorite things to do. Pick a movie, grab your blankies and cuddle up in the comfort of your home with your favorite treats.
- Head to the movie theatre and catch a matinee together-complete with movie theatre popcorn! Many theatres offer weekday and matinee deals, check our article on movie specials to find a location near you.
- Who doesn’t love an old school drive-in movie? When the temperatures warm up, check out our list and don’t forget to pack a bag with snacks!
Cooking & Baking
- Get out those aprons and cook a meal at home. Crack open a cookbook (or your laptop) and let your child select a recipe that appeals to their taste buds. Hit the grocery store to shop, then prep everything to bring your recipe to life. What a treat for the whole family!
- You could also try a cooking or baking lesson for just the two of you. Many businesses even offer online options if you prefer to cook in your own kitchen.
- There’s so many ways to elevate Friday night pizza at home. Grab your favorite toppings for homemade pizza and make it a competition!
Animal Lover
- Check out one of the DuPage County Animal Services educational programs. The new, remodeled center offer programs teaching children about responsible pet ownership, and even hand-on workshops where you can make toys for shelter pets. Children 11 and up can even volunteer (with a parent) to care for the animals in the shelter. This is one of my kid’s favorite things to do together!
- Located in Wheaton, Cosley Zoo is a five acre zoo and animal education center with close-up interactions with farm animals and wildlife native to our area.
- There’s so much to do at Brookfield Zoo, so we typically plan for a full day when we go because our kids never want to leave. You can bring in your own lunch and drinks, or grab from one of the many concession stands throughout the zoo. A major highlight for our family is always the dolphin show.
- My daughter and I have spent many mornings at the Phillips Park Zoo located in Aurora. It has a small walkable zoo, surrounded by a few different parks including the Mastadon Island Area, that my daughter loves. Pack a lunch, and spend the the morning exploring before naptime. On warm days, stop by the Splash Pad before you head home.
- Cuddle Bunny is new to Chicago and Schaumburg. It’s the perfect spot for your little ones 5 and up! There is a $15 fee, and you must reserve a spot in advance.
- Danada Equestrian Center is the best place to visit if you love horses. We go quite a bit during the summer months for a quick walk or a picnic as we watch the horses trot about and chat with the friendly staff. My sons loves to run ahead and there’s plenty of space here for us to roam and collect rocks and sticks.
Hot Cocoa, Tea, and Coffee
- Shop hot cocoa locally from Four Brothers or Chocolaterie Stam, and then put together your own unique hot cocoa bar at home.
- Feeling up for coffee? Take your little one for a yummy winter treat of peppermint hot chocolate at Starbucks. Request ‘kids temp’ to ensure their drink temperature is just right.
- Coffee shops near parks are such a perfect pairing for a simple, fun date!
Sweet Treats
- An easy go-to idea is a healthy, yummy smoothie. You can have a smoothie date at home or visit one of the many great smoothie shops around us. Green Healthy Cafe is one of our go-to spots, we love supporting this family-owned business in Lisle.
- Try a spot on our list for the best over the top milkshakes. These amazing creations are a great treat to share between the two of you.
- My son loves when I ask him if he wants to grab an acai bowl with me. We always head to Nautical Bowls in Naperville, just the two of us. He loves eating at the surf board table inside, and I love that he’s getting a healthy dose of vitamins and nutrients.
- Have a bubble tea date. Try a few of our favorites like Pisces Cafe in Lisle or Boba King in Wheaton. Bonus: Boba King also has a really neat 3D cotton candy maker!
Get Creative
- One of my daughter’s favorite things to do it paint, particularly painting pottery. Choose from our lists of pottery painting places that offer both workshops and open studio time.
- Visit the Local Glass Studio in Glen Ellyn for classes, camps, playdates or open studio time. Most camps are geared towards older kids, and playdates are for kids 8-14 years old.
Get Some Movement In
- Head to a local open gym for the morning. This is a great way to get those wiggles out in the chilly seasons. Check the schedule ahead of time as some spots require in advance registration.
- Sign up for a sports class for parents and kids through your local park district. These typically take place once a week and are a great way to introduce your kids to a variety of sports and teamwork!
Enjoy the Great Outdoors
- As soon as the weather warms up, my kids are ready to scooter. Check out all these parks with kid friendly trails and get some steps in.
- If you plan to have a garden at home this summer, now is a great time to start planning your harvest. We love heading to Wannemakers, checking out all the interesting supplies, and grabbing some seeds to start our seedlings. We keep a journal and draw pictures of everything we’ve planted.
- Winter, spring, summer or fall, anytime is a good time to take a hike on some wooded trails! Nothing is as good for the soul as time in nature together.
- If your snow bunny loves the cold, there are lots of awesome ice skating options as well as snow-shoeing and cross-country skiing during the winter months.
Indoor Date Ideas
- Never forget the power of an indoor play space to burn off some energy and stay warm indoors. My kids love the freedom and fun of open play. Call beforehand to check safety protocols and business hours.
- The Garfield Park Conservatory is a great spot for for a date day! They have family programming and a children’s play space that should be opening in the coming months.
- Winter is a typical time for your local park district to be hosting parent-child events indoors: classes so you can try something new, parent-child dances, and affordable recreation of all kinds. Jump online, or reference your local park district booklet for more information.
Ice Cream
- One of our favorite dates is to simply pick up a quart of our favorite ice cream and create a sundae bar at home. We also love to visit our favorite local ice cream spot for a treat together.
- If you’re looking for the extra cherry on top, visit the Museum of Ice Cream for an unlimited supply of ice cream . . . plus a chance to swim in their pool of sprinkles.
Winter Night Out
- For a more active outings during the wintertime, check out a spot where you can go snow tubing, skiing, or sledding!
Overnights and Road Trips
- For a longer and bit more extravagant date, plan a little staycation right here in Chicago! There are lots of kid-friendly local hotels and hotels with pools. If a longer trip isn’t in the cards, we love to sneak away for the day with a day pass.
- There are some days where you just need to get out of the house. On those days, we head an hour and a half east to New Buffalo, Michigan for lunch at Stray Dog and ice cream at our favorite place, Oinks. If the weather permits, we even head to the New Buffalo Beach Playground for some fresh air before the ride back home.
Building Things
- Okay, it’s been sitting long enough! It’s time to tackle that 1,000 piece puzzle or gigantic LEGO set as a team.
- Older kids and teens may love to help with small renovation or craft projects around the house, and they’ll learn so much during the process.
- Home Depot offers fun in-store kids workshops the first Saturday of every month. Be sure to register in advance.
- Grab all the blankets, sheets and pillows to make a fort in your living room or the kids’ bedroom. Then snuggle up together under a fort and have a book date.
Sports
- For your young golfer, Topgolf in Naperville and Schaumburg is always a fun spot with great food, too! Or try Mistwood Golf Dome in Bolingbrook.
- The Kane County Cougars baseball game is always a good time. The Kidlist team has had the privilege of going the last few years and we loved exploring the KidsZone and enjoying the kid-centered entertainment.
- Enjoy a night out cheering on the Chicago Wolves this season. The Wolves often have theme nights, and kid’s activities before and during the games. Check online before you go with littles, because lap kids are typically free entry!
- There are also many great local high school and college teams to support.
Library or Bookstore
- You cannot go wrong with exploring a new library. My daughter and I choose a new library to check out a few times a month. We pack a snack, and head out for the morning.
- There are so many cute bookstores popping up all over, why not explore one with your little one. We love Swallow Stories in downtown Lisle for their cozy atmosphere and weekly story time. They offer adult and children’s books, an extensive cafe menu including adult beverages and kid-friendly ones too.
Servant Heart
- Consider a volunteering date! There are so many great local opportunities to choose from. Caring for and about people in need is such a meaningful experience to share with your child. Helping those in need is sure to spark some quality conversations.
Sensory-Friendly
- Our list of sensory-friendly events and activities is a great place to start if you’re looking for family date ideas that cut down on overwhelm. How about an extra-special night out at a sensory-friendly children’s theater performance?
- We Rock the Spectrum has gyms in Franklin Park, Naperville, and Shorewood. Check out Katie’s review of We Rock the Spectrum in Naperville.
Older Kids
There are so many opportunities in our area for one-on-one time with your tweens and teens. Recently, we took our kids out on a date day. It was very special, since we only brought our two older boys and didn’t bring their little sister. We had lunch at Fogo de Chao (kids under 12 are half the adult price) and then headed to Puttshack. They loved the focused attention on them, and being able to do something a little more mature, that may not be appropriate for the baby. Check out the Kidlist list of kid’s eat free spots and find one near you. Let us know if you have a favorite spot to take your teens.
More Ideas for Family Dates
In a hurry? Here’s a few ideas to consider without much planning…
- Picnic in the park
- Bowling
- Car detail or car wash, Annie recently checked out New Wave Car Wash in Willowbrook which looks like a kid’s dream.
- Farmer’s Market
- Playground date
- Splash pad
- Museum
- Build-A-Bear
- Arcades
- Ear piercing
Prefer to keep things spontaneous? Start by using Kidlist each month to brainstorm. Our events calendar is the perfect place to start. Write down your favorite ideas on small pieces of paper, and put them into a jar or bowl. (Make sure to involve your child(ren) in brainstorming, so they feel some ownership and excitement! You can even sprinkle in some surprises, if you’re feeling festive.) Then, when the opportunity arises, just have your child of choice pick one out, open it up, and depart on your adventure.
Kidlist has all the inspiration for winter fun with kids in Chicago’s western suburbs! Do you have a favorite activity to do one-one-one with your child that wasn’t included? Please let us know in the comments below!
