Across the country, schools are letting out for summer. And if you have school-age kids, that means your house is about to get a lot busier from now until the fall. With your normal routines disrupted, it can be challenging to keep intimacy alive in your marriage. But the truth is, it doesn’t have to be that way.
Summer is a great time of year to deepen your connection and spend some much-needed time together. Whether you have small children or teens, summer offers a wide variety of activities and opportunities that will bring you and your spouse closer than ever.
Take advantage of summer date ideas
During the summer, the warmth and beautiful weather offer plenty of chances to share activities you can’t participate in when it’s cold and dreary. Use the season to your advantage and plan plenty of romantic and fun dates.
If you and your spouse enjoy movies, summer is a great time to go to the drive-in or catch a movie in the park. You can even spread a blanket on the grass and have a picnic dinner while you enjoy the film.
The same goes for other outdoor concerts and events. Dance with one another, enjoy your meal, and soak in the sights, sounds, and feelings of the evening. And don’t skip out on ice cream or another cool treat to top off the evening (trust us on this one).
If you’re outdoorsy types, spend a day at the lake or river. Don’t have a boat? You can rent a boat or jet ski for the afternoon, grab a few life jackets, and get out on the water. There aren’t many activities that are quite as exhausting–or satisfying.
Other great summer date options include:
- Playing a few rounds of mini golf
- Hitting a baseball game together
- Spending a day at the fair or a theme park
- Cooling down at the art museum
Plan outings that maximize face-to-face connection
Whether or not you have plenty of chances to go on kid-free dates, you can still enjoy special time together with your kids in tow.
Plan activities that give you plenty of face-to-face connection and interpersonal interaction. Pay special attention to the things you do and see that really light your spouse up. Then, talk about your favorite parts of each outing. You could:
- Take a trip to the zoo
- Hit the local water park or pool
- Go to the aquarium
- Visit historical sites or exhibits
- Take a sightseeing drive
Camping trips are a great way to spend time with your family in nature. You can opt for a primitive, tent-camping experience or go all out and rent a cabin. Take a hike down a nature trail, go fishing, or make s’mores by the campfire. Focus on absorbing the beauty of God’s creation and learning new things about the plants and animals you encounter.
You don’t have to leave home to create special summer memories together. Pitch tents for yourselves and your kids in the backyard, ride bikes around the neighborhood, play in the sprinkler (or with water balloons!), grill hamburgers and hotdogs, or churn some homemade ice cream–or do them all! Engaging in play together, whether kid-free or not, will keep you cozied up and connected this summer.
Line up special activities for your kids
Want to arrange some kid-free time for a little romance? Great! There are several ways you can get the kids out of the house for at least a few hours–if not a few days–so you and your spouse can focus on each other.
If your children play with other kids in the neighborhood, take advantage of their time away from home and steal a few private moments together. You could also arrange for a date-night “kid swap” with close neighbors or friends–keep their kids one night for them to go on a date, then send your kids to their house next time.
You might want to encourage your children to choose a camp, class, or other special activity this summer to keep them busy while they’re out of school (and to buy yourselves a few hours for romance). Some options include:
- Day camp
- Summer camp
- Vacation Bible school
- Summer art classes
- Summer dance lessons
Summer is also the perfect time to lineup a weekend–or a week–at Grandma’s house. Creating opportunities for your kids to learn from their grandparents can be so valuable to both the children and your parents (or in-laws). Not only are your parents getting some of that time they crave with their grandchildren; your kids are also forming a bond with their grandparents. And if that also happens to give you and your spouse some much-needed alone time, everyone wins.
Do you and your spouse have any creative ideas for spending a little extra time together this summer while the kids are out of school? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section!
As parents of a College student, this is especially important for us. We have been empty nesters since our daughter started college last fall. Having he back for the summer after settling into having the house to ourselves is quite an adjustment! We find that quiet time we were sharing together just being comfortable around the house now includes a 3rd person. We love her, but some of these ideas are going to be good ones to make sure my wife and I continue to have our own space.