10 Fun Parent-Child Date Ideas

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Gifting our children with some fun parent-child date ideas is something that they’ll remember forever. These ideas are simple things that help us win the heart of our children and let them know we care.

10 Fun Parent-Child Date Ideas

Being a parent is more than just providing the necessities, managing chores, teaching manners, and setting up consequences for rules that aren’t followed. In order to cultivate a close parent-child relationship, we must set aside intentional, one-on-one time with them.

While this may be an adjustment for some, as you work towards putting some of these parent-child date ideas into place, you will see just how important it is to spend quality time with your child on a regular basis.

1. Breakfast DATE

Hop on over to the local breakfast diner with your child and enjoy a fun breakfast date. It’s amazing what a meal together alone with your child can do for their heart (and yours, too). We find that the children open up their hearts over breakfast and it’s a wonderful way to start off the day!

Don’t want to go out to breakfast? We totally understand. Here are some great recipes you can use to make your breakfast date extra special:

2. Go for a Nature Walk

Grab a jacket and get outside with your child as you embark on a nature walk date. Walking is not only good for your health, but it does wonders for bonding with your precious child.

This also gives you the opportunity to teach and learn about nature together. We love to pick up bird books for our local area and identify the birds on our walks and hikes. It’s a ton of fun!

TIP: Use these bird notebooking pages to make the most of your learning together.

3. Go to the Mall + WINDOW SHOP

Take your child out to the mall, but don’t buy anything, just enjoy window shopping and chatting about what your child likes. This is a great time to dream together and talk about things that you may not usually chat about. It’s also a sneaky way to see what they may want for their birthday or Christmas.

It’s also a great time to teach your children about money and the importance of budgeting and saving for purchases. This is a helpful lifeskill that has the potential to change generations to come! The Smart Money Smart Kids book is a wonderful place to source ideas and conversation starters for your date!

TIP: This family budget binder is a wonderful tool to teach your older children about budgeting.

4. Surprise Lunch Date

Nothing is better than a surprise lunch date with Mom and Dad! This always brings a big smile to our children’s faces. This is one of our parent-child date ideas that has resonated equally well with all three of our children. It’s a keeper, even as they’ve entered into adulthood.

5. Special Indoor Campout Night

Consider having a special indoor camp night with your child without electronics. These nights are full of fun, laughter, and deep connection. Our favorite things to do during our indoor camp nights are play board games, play charades, and make s’mores.

TIP: Here are our 13 must have board games for family game night.

6. Sneak out Before Everyone Wakes Up

Take your child out to get a special walk before anyone else wakes up. This not only adds an element of fun (because…shhhhh…everyone is asleep in the house), but there is also something so peaceful and calming about being out and and about when everyone the world is still asleep.

7. Take a Bike Ride

This is a great way to get some exercise while enjoying bonding moments over an activity you both enjoy. We love to go to a local bike riding trail and just chat as we ride. And sometimes it is a fun way to have some friendly competition.

We love finding frugal family activities to get the blood pumping and take the family bonding up a notch!

8. Go to the Movies

If your child is all about the movies but you rarely go, take them out on a special date to the movies as a surprise! We go all out when we do – popcorn, candy, and maybe even a soda! This is one of our children’s all-time favorite parent-child date ideas.

9. Do Origami

This is one of the funnest parent-child date ideas we did when we were younger; origami! It’s amazing to look up neat origami projects to recreate on YouTube. There are also so many great origami books out there that give easy to understand instructions and projects.

TIP: Our all-time favorite origami (family friendly) YouTube channel is Jeremy Shafer Origami. Seriously, this guy is amazing.

10. Visit the Library

While you may have to be quiet in the library, they have many parent/child events that you can attend with your child. The library has been a major source of bonding for our children and us over the past two decades of being blessed as parents.

TIP: This is a great list of picture books for you to take when you head there together!

There are so many ways you can get out and enjoy a date with your child, the key is to really think about activities they would enjoy and feel comfortable to open up to you. After all the main point to starting a date with your child is to solidify the bond as parent and child so they will forever feel loved, safe and trusted with you regardless of anything else that happens in life.

To be sure that these parent-child date ideas actually happen, write them down on your calendar and hold yourself accountable. Life can wait — but we only have a short time with our children before they head off into the world. Let’s use that time wisely and be good managers of their hearts and our connection with them.

10 Fun Parent-Child Date Ideas