With all the demands of child-rearing, it's easy to let the marital relationship fall by the wayside or to neglect our adult friendships. Scientific studies and anecdotal evidence show that happy adults tend to raise happy children. So for your kids' sake, get out there and have some fun! Following is our list of Top 10 Date Night Ideas, but we'd love it if you would add your own ideas to the end of the article and make it a Top 20 ... or 30 ... or more!
No sitter? No problem! Check out the Child Care & Nannies section of our Biz Directory for trusted services for your little ones. If you've got older kids, take a day off and hit the town while the kids are in school, or keep your eye on our calendar for events like:
- Kids' Nite Out every Friday at the Castle Rock Recreation Center for kids 7-14
- Movie Night most months at the Lone Tree Recreation Center for kids 3-12
- Parents' Night Out most months at the Parker Fieldhouse for kids 5-13
1. Tap into your inner artist! There are a ton of places where you can enjoy cocktails and get creative at the same time. Check out Canvas and Cocktails in Centennial (also a locatiion in Cherry Creek).
2. Laugh it up! No matter how rough your day has been, it's hard not to have a good time at a comedy club. Comedy Works has venues downtown and in the DTC area and is well-known for featuring top comedians from Colorado and around the country. The Impulse Theater in the basement of the Wynkoop Brewing Company in LoDo has a fabulous improv comedy show.
3. Get geeky! The Science Lounge is an after-hours themed adults-only event at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. For just $10 for members and $12 for non-members, you can enjoy some mind-expanding science, entertainment, and one of the best views in Denver. (Note: The musem is not available for exploring at this event.)
4. Dinner and a movie with a twist! Whiskey and a Western at the Wildlife Experience is an adults-only movie experience that includes cocktail hour, BBQ dinner, the chance to explore the museum and art gallery, and a cowboy flick. Or try their Movie and a Martini series for drinks, appetizers, and classics of all genres, from Casablanca to Happy Gilmore.
5. Let out your inner child! Do something that will make you feel like a teenager again. Hit the roller rink at Skate City in Littleton or Aurora. Or try Monster Golf indoor glow-in-the-dark miniature golf in Centennial. Afterward you can park somewhere and make out in the backseat of your minivan.
6. Get bowled over. Brunswick Zone in Lone Tree and AMF Littleton Lanes are open from morning till midnight. And bowling burns more than 100 calories per hour!
7. Bundle up. Put some hot soup in one thermos, hot cocoa in another, and then get outside and enjoy a winter activity together. Go ice skating or sledding without the kids. Build a snowman. Have a snowball fight.
8. Look behind the curtain. Metro Denver is rich with opportunities to experience live theater. The Lone Tree Arts Center and the PACE Center in Parker both offer a wide range of live theater productions at very affordable prices. Do a search on Yelp for "performing arts" and you'll get dozens of listings for smaller, independent theaters. If you want a big-name show like Spamalot, Blue Man Group, or Les Miserables, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts has got you covered.
9. A little of this, a little of that. Mercury Café has poetry readings, swing dance lessons, open stage night, Tibetan meditation, and more. Step out of your comfort zone and try something you've never tried before.
10. Stay in. Great date nights can take place at home. Once a month, my husband and I do what we call "Steak and Wine Night" where we put the kids to bed, open a nice bottle of wine, grill some steaks, steam a couple of artichokes, bake some jalapeño-cheese bread, and watch a Redbox movie with a rating of at least PG-13. We enjoy a great dinner and some snuggling on the couch while the kids are tucked snug in their beds.
