Being married with kids can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but, as always, there is a flip side to the coin. All the work and care, the constant lack of sleep, never having enough time for yourself and your partner – it can get exhausting.

Weekly or even occasional romantic dates with your spouse is a tried and tested way to keep your relationship fresh. Here are eight fun date ideas for married couples that will help you get out of a rut.

1. Visit a new ethnic restaurant

There is no shortage of different cuisine foods nowadays. Even serious foodies have trouble trying all of them out! Ethnic restaurants are great for a date if you both love exploring new flavors, but you can’t escape on holiday at the moment.

Pick a spot on the local foodie map and embark on the journey of mouth-watering flavors! You are guaranteed to discover new experiences, and what’s more fun than sharing some meals with your partner that you’ve never tried before?

Whether it’s a Turkish restaurant with kofte and beyti, or a colorful Peruvian place with fresh ceviches and tangy Pisco Sours, it will be a night to remember.

2. Go on a romantic picnic

Picnics are one of the easiest ways to escape your marriage routine. The best part is that you don’t need much planning nor special preparation for it. Just grab a blanket and some nibbles and refreshments, and choose a destination for your mini getaway.

There are so many picnic date ideas you can try: from national parks to beaches or quiet riverside settings, the options for picnic locations are limitless. It doesn’t have to be a remote place – you can always spread your picnic blanket in the backyard or even on the rooftop of your apartment building!

The most important thing is not a location nor a fancy bottle of wine (although you can never ruin a picnic with one!), but the time you spend together with your significant other.

3. Go somewhere fancy

If you don’t have a habit of having dinners in fine-dining restaurants, going on a particular date there from time to time can be a nice change. Not only will you indulge in the food, but the whole etiquette and classic feel of it will make you feel uplifted. It will be an excellent opportunity to get dressed up, made up, and flaunt those heels that have been sitting in your wardrobe for a couple of years.

Don’t think high-end places only offer small, scanty dishes – that’s a myth! Many of these classy restaurants are excellent steakhouses serving succulent chunks of meat or sea-side restaurants offering multi-tier seafood platters. Read some online reviews beforehand and pick the place that serves food you’d enjoy the most.

4. Visit an arcade or an amusement park

A romantic date with your partner does not have to revolve around food. Why not add a fun element to it and visit a place where you both can have fun like kids? It can be an amusement park, an arcade, or even a zoo.

You may be used to visiting amusement parks or zoos with your children. Still, the experience can be totally different when you’re alone with your partner. You will have the freedom to roam around, talk, and laugh without having to look over your shoulder every thirty seconds. Going on some of the extreme adult-only rides or playing a game to exhaustion can help you disconnect from the routine and create a lot of positive emotions.

5. Consider a sports date

Another fun idea for a date is engaging in sports activities. It doesn’t have to be anything too physically demanding and overly exhausting. Even if you and your partner are not sporty types, mini-golf or bowling could be a great idea to change things up a bit. The latter is an especially good choice as bowling alleys usually have restaurants in them too where you can have dinner and some drinks.

Even just a bit of physical activity helps relieve stress, get the adrenaline running through your veins, and increase endorphins. Shared physical activities will surely help you relax and bring smiles to your faces.

6. Pretend you are tourists

Most people think they know their home town well. But have you ever tried one of the guided tours there? It can be a surprisingly fun date night activity.

Sometimes you learn lots of new and fun things about the place, and you get something to talk about with your spouse. And sometimes, you have fun laughing with your partner at the inaccurate nonsense the guide tells the tourists.

Even if there are no organized tours in the town where you live, why not put comfy walking shoes on and explore the neighborhoods you are not familiar with? You might get surprised with hidden gems that you find, from antique book stores to tiny hidden cafes.

7. Volunteer somewhere

This might not be your usual romantic date scenario, but volunteering together with your partner and helping those in need is a great bonding activity. Many soup kitchens and nursing homes are looking for volunteers to help them take care of those in need, even if it’s for just one night. There are many food banks and soup kitchens in constant need of volunteers, and it shouldn’t be hard to find one near you.

Helping other people without expecting anything in return makes you feel great, and it is a lasting feeling. Sharing this experience with your spouse can make your date night truly memorable.

8. Roleplay as strangers

Roleplaying can be as fun for adults as it is for kids. And, yes – it can be entertaining outside of the bedroom too. It offers a new perspective on dating and can be the cause of lots of laughter. You may also get to know your partner in a new light. Plus, it’s always fun to pretend in front of strangers.

And, if you start getting into roleplaying, there are many other fun things you can try, such as themed dates, dating as fictional characters, and more.

So, which idea caught your attention? Or, do any of these seem “too much” for you? There’s nothing wrong with starting small and having a simple dinner date every week. What counts is quality time that you two spend together away from your daily commitments.