Girl Talk: Mom and Daughter Dates for Every Budget

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While family time is important to prioritize every day, sometimes it’s nice to do something special just the two of you – so today I wanted to brainstorm of great mom and daughter date ideas for every budget! 

Many of these ideas could also be used for Mom & Son or Father & Daughter dates.

Why is it Important to Spend Special Time with our Kids?

Even if we have special “I love you rituals” built into our everyday life, it can be easy for parents and children to disconnect or even just lose touch with how special our relationships are.

I know because I have one child that it is easier for me to say this, but it is so important to spend special one-on-one time with our children. Yes, family activities are great, but there is something wonderful that awakens in a child when they are the sole focus of your efforts and attention. I try to carve out half an hour each day to spend one-on-one with Ella, but even spending a couple of hours once per month can be wonderfully restorative to a parent-child relationship.

It’s also important to choose activities that are of interest to your child and “speak their love language.” If your child’s love language is touch, looking for activities that involve closeness and opportunities to cuddle; if your child’s love language is gifts, figuring out how to fulfill on that within whatever boundaries you want to create to prevent overindulgence.

Finding the time can be hard enough, so I wanted to come up with an awesome resource of ideas for mother-daughter dates. (I’ve also included a free printable at the bottom of this post so you can have this list of ideas at your disposal whenever you want.)

One of my favorite ideas that isn’t on this list is undertaking a project together. Whether it’s re-decorating a room, building a fairy garden, or doing some random acts of kindness – there are so many wonderful projects that you can do, and it can be something that you build on every “date.”

I also think it would be special to get a pretty journal that you can record your dates on – and even print out pictures and paste them in! This would be a wonderful keepsake over the years to flip through and remember all of the special moments you’ve shared. “Creating something meaningful with your own two hands with your child fosters deeper bonds and turns simple gifts into lasting memories,”” says Patrick Wells, founder of My Own 2 Hands.

Please leave a comment if you have any ideas that are not on this list!

Also, check out our three other lists:

• 40 Mom-Daughter Date Ideas Based On Your Child’s Love Language
• 40 Grandmother-Granddaughter Date Ideas
• Mother-Daughter Jewelry Ideas

Free Mother-Daughter Dates

1. Bake together.
2. Cuddle up in bed for a favourite movie or story.
3. Picnic in the backyard or living room. Maybe throw in a couple of board games.
4. Teach your child something. Try to make it something unique and grown-up, without being too chore-like. It could be anything from how to use a tool, to how to curl hair, or how to use a camera.
5. Or have your child teach you something. Let them show you what they are proud of.
6. Go for a walk, bike ride, hike.
7. Do a craft, or fix something.
8. Meditate or learn a few yoga moves.
9. Let her try on your clothes or jewelry — maybe even your make-up! If you have any heirloom or special pieces, tell her the stories behind your favourites. (It might also be a good time to initiate a closet purge.)
10. Just talk. Explore your child’s wonderful mind, goals, and dreams.
11. Take a challenge! My daughter and I have been doing a “playground challenge” this year – finding new playgrounds all around our city! Whenever we have an errand or a playdate in a different part of town, I look on Google Maps to see if there is a playground nearby. Our goal is to eventually visit every public playground in our city.
    You could do a different challenge – a kindness challenge, a scavenger hunt, etc.

 

Mother-Daughter Dates Under $5

1. Go for ice cream or a pastry. Sitting in a cafe or an ice cream parlour just feels special, especially when you’re being doted on by mom.
2. Attend a local event. You’ll be shocked at what free or by donation events are happening this week in your city — check out your local newspaper and library.
3. Spend the money on gas and go for a drive — maybe stop at the closest beach or nature conservatory.
4. Buy the supplies for a fun science experiment.
5. Go to a “local” or “by donation” night at your local museum.
6. Make a picnic of local produce. $5 might not go very far, but it can pick up a few snacks at the local farmer’s market — fruit, cheese, and possibly something more indulgent to cap things off.
7. DIY Manicures or Pedicures. Take it beyond just a coat of nail polish by adding in an epsom salt and essential oils foot bath and a good scrub, followed by a heavy cream, and a cute polish and top coat! I also bought these fine tip brushes and we’ve been experimenting with cute designs!
8. Attend a karma class for yoga, pottery, dance, etc.
9. Find coupons for a cheap meal or activity. We recently went bowling for just the cost of my rental shoes (would have been just the cost of both of our rental shoes, but Ella’s feet were too small).
10. Spend frivolously. Let your child loose in a dollar store or supermarket with their $5 and allow them to choose how to spend it. This is a great opportunity to explore the value of money while allowing children to feel independent and lucky.

 

Mother-Daughter Dates Under $20

1. Go out for brunch or lunch.
2. Go to the movies and get the popcorn! Some theatres have discounted prices on specific days or during the morning – we can get tickets, drinks and snacks for less than $20 if we go before noon!
3. Take your child to their favourite store and indulge them. For Ella, that would be any gourmet kitchen store. Maybe for your child it would be a craft store, or a hobby shop!
4. Cheap spa night. We have a nice spa in our city that does $7 Tuesday manicures for kids, but $20 could also buy the supplies for a night of homemade spa products or at least a nice face mask.
5. Plan how to save or invest $20. Maybe your child has a big dream that they should be saving up for. Spend some time talking about their dreams, and exploring the many ways $20 could be saved or invested to help make those dreams come true.
6. Spend the money on gas and go for a day trip. Pack your own snacks.
7. Go to the bookstore, buy your child a hot chocolate and your favourite childhood classic.
8. Let your child pick out a special outfit “just because.”
9. Day pass to a fun local attraction. Water park? Drive-in movie? Indoor gym?
10. Make a charitable donation. Explore your options online and discuss with your child. $20 can make a huge difference in many different efforts, and your child will feel empowered in giving.
11. Do a craft or fix something together. If you’re not sure where to start, try painting with these watercolor workbooks for beginners – they’re simple to follow, relaxing and make the whole experience feel more fun than intimidating.

 

Mother-Daughter Dates Under $100

1. Buy a membership to a local attraction. Many yearlong memberships can be found for under $100, or you can also just buy a membership for your one child for their special days.
2. Check out a play. Check out discount sites if you live close to a major city or see if they have newsletter sign-up discounts — you can get tickets to awesome, kid-friendly productions for cheap!
3. Buy tickets to a sporting event, get the stadium food, and a team souvenir.
4. Get a discounted hotel room & have a glamourous sleep-over.
5. Day trip.
6. A proper spa visit.
7. Recreate a favourite memory or date. I loved when my dad used to take me to his old high school hang out, and Ella loved it recently when I took her out for lunch at my old university campus. Recreating your first date with your daughter’s father, or a special memory you have with your parents would be special as well.
8. Spending spree at your child’s favourite store or a bookstore. 
9. Go out for a pastry or lunch, and spend the time planning on how to save the rest of the money towards a special goal or mini trip.
10. Find a local high tea or special lunch. Fancy hotels often hold monthly “high teas” (which are elaborate spreads with sandwiches and teatime treats), and in major cities you can often find American Girl locations that allow young girls to have a special lunch along with their dolls. (Or you can just call ahead to a regular restaurant and make arrangements for a dolly birthday.)

I hope you loved this collection of Mother & Daughter Dates for every budget – what special mother-daughter dates does your child enjoy? What would you add to this list?

Make sure to pin this post so you can refer to it later – or share it with your friends!

 

Grab your free printable so you can have this list on the fridge:

 

For the moms of boys, are there any suggestions here that you wouldn’t do with your boys? What special things do they enjoy doing with you? My friend Melissa posted today her take on The Eyes of a Boy.

For more family-focused fun, check out our family movie nights’ series or our collection of Grandparent and Grandchild Date Ideas.