Struggling for interesting date night ideas? A date night jar could be a fun – and easy – way to spice up your next batch of quality time with your partner.
Read more: 34 Date Night Ideas for Every Kind of Couple
What is a date night jar?
A date night jar does exactly what it says on the tin – or jar, in this case. It’s a jar (or other container) filled with date night ideas. When the big night comes, you or your partner draw a date idea out for a fun surprise date – no peeking! – or when you just can’t decide on what you want to get up to. Whatever it says on the suggestion, you go out and do.
It’s a fantastic way to stop sticking with the tried-and-true dinner-and-a-movie and be more spontaneous. No more humming and hawing over what to do when you should be out dating and nighting.
Sounds good? Here’s how to make & use one:
Step 1: Get a jar
Can’t have a date night jar without something to keep all your great date night ideas in. You can use something as simple as an old jam jar or ice cream container. If you’re the crafty type, you can jazz it up with some paint, some artwork, a fancy label – whatever floats your boat.
Step 2: Think of some date ideas
This is the fun bit. Grab a pen and some paper and sit down with your partner. Scribble as many cool date night ideas as you can, preferably individually, and tear them into strips. Then pop them into your date night jar and bam! One fresh jar of dates, made with love.
If your jar starts running low, repeat the process. It can be great fun to make filling the date night jar a date night in itself – planning activities with your partner can be almost as fun as actually doing them.
Pro-tip: When you’re thinking of these ideas, don’t be afraid to get creative, but remember that these date night ideas have to actually be doable. We’ve left a few suggestions down below to get you started.
Step 3: Make it pretty
A jar full of scrap paper might not be the prettiest thing in the world, but if you want just functionality, it works. If you’re feeling creative, a lot of people choose to write their date night ideas onto popsicle sticks instead. You can color-code these, wrap them in coloured paper, paint them, draw on them; go wild. Some people even like to turn their scrap of paper into origami, or put them into tiny envelopes.
That way, when you actually draw the date night out, you’re doing it with pizzazz. It makes a real event of it compared to just pulling out a scrap of paper.
Step 4: Use it!
When date night rolls around, draw an idea from the jar, then go do it. Easy, right?
Most couples have a date night about once a week, and you can use the date night jar to pick the activity for you each week. Or just whenever you’re bored. There are really no hard and fast rules here – other than whatever you draw, you should do your best to follow through with; especially if it’s an idea your partner thought up.
If you absolutely can’t do the date night idea in question for whatever reason, you just put it back in the jar for another day. Then draw another one instead!
Ideas to add to a date night jar
Considering Cupla is an app that’s dedicated almost entirely to great date nights, we like to think we’ve got a solid set of date night ideas for you to put in the jar if you’re drawing a blank.
Here are a few tried and tested options:
- 34 Date Night Ideas for Every Kind of Couple
- 12 Ideas For Date Night At Home
- 6 date night gift ideas to make your night truly memorable
- Get co-opetitive with your partner with these 5 date night challenges
- The Ultimate Picnic Date Checklist
Another great source of ideas is friends and family. Every couple will have a romantic or memorable date night story that they’d love to share.
If you’re really struggling? Start with something you already know works. Ask your partner what their favorite date nights have been and add those first. Add yours too! Once you get started, the ideas will flow much more easily.
So you’ve got the date night jar – now you just need to find the right time to use it. Finding a slot for quality time with your partner can be tough, especially when you both have busy schedules. That’s why we created Cupla, a shared calendar app specifically designed to help you and your partner find the right time for a good time.
All you have to do is download it, sync your calendars, set reminders or date night goals, and Cupla will handle the rest, automatically finding time slots that work for both of you. Combined with a date night jar (or one of the activities you can book right in the app), it’s the easiest way to find a great date night for you and your partner.Trial Cupla now for free on iOS and Android.
