27 Bonding Mother Daughter Date Ideas for Daughters of All ages
Have you been looking for mother-daughter date ideas that could help strengthen your bond and create everlasting memories? As a mom to a daughter myself, I know how special the connection between a mother and daughter is.
However, between the day-to-day routine and a million other responsibilities, quality time with our girls tend to suffer a bit.
So today, let’s take the time to slow down a bit and show our best girlfriends that we love them by dedicating time just for them.
Why go on Mother Daughter Dates?
Mother and daughter dates are a perfect way to practice present parenting and it gives you an opportunity to apply mindful parenting as well.
Making it a priority to spend time with your favorite girl makes her feel loved, appreciated, and special.
In addition, it helps build trust and strengthen your bond.
Mother and daughter dates give you the ability to:
- bond
- connect
- increase trust
- have an open conversation
- ask questions
- listen to her
- share thoughts and exchange ideas
- make everlasting memories
Spending quality time with your daughter helps build a strong bond. Whether your daughter is young or grown, enjoying activities together creates memories you’ll both treasure. There are mother-daughter date ideas for every budget and interest, from crafts to outdoor adventures.
Mother Daughter Date Tips
- Remember, you can always group together some of these mother daughter date ideas and make it an all day event.
- If you have more than one daughter you can definitely take all of your girls together on one date. However, try to schedule in one-on-one mother daughter dates for each of them for a more personal experience.
- Consider planning a surprise date
- Pick her up early from school and surprise her with her planned date! She will LOVE that.
Next are 27 of the best mother-daughter date ideas for daughters of all ages.
1. Mani and Pedi Day
Nail care is a fun and affordable activity. Gather nail polish, cotton balls, nail files, and a bowl of warm, soapy water.
Soak hands or feet to soften skin and cuticles. Take turns filing each other’s nails. This activity is especially popular with pre-teens.
Apply a base coat, two layers of color, and a top coat. Try simple nail art with toothpicks or small brushes, polka dots, stripes, or tiny hearts.
You can do this while watching a movie or chatting. It’s a regular bonding ritual for many mothers and daughters and doesn’t require special skills or expensive items.
You can also a day at the nail salon is a great mother-daughter date.
Getting a manicure and pedicure together gives you the perfect opportunity to talk and catch up.
2. Hair Salon Day
As women, nothing makes us feel better than getting our hair done and looking our best.
Share that experience with your daughter by getting a fresh haircut and hairstyling.
3. Ice Cream
Who doesn’t love ice cream?
Going out for ice cream or frozen yogurt is a super fun mother-daughter date. It is also another great opportunity to have one-on-one time with your girl and work on your communication.
4. Favorite Restaurant
Food brings everyone together. So what better way to bond with your daughter than going on a dinner date with her to her favorite place.
It doesn’t have to be dinner necessarily. A breakfast or lunch will do just fine as well.
The goal is to spend time together, eat yummy food, and have a girl chat.
5. Movies
This is one of my very favorite mother-daughter date ideas.
Add a little spice to your dinner date by adding a movie outing as well.
While at dinner, discuss movie options playing at a nearby movie theater and reserve your tickets and seats with a movie app.
Movie Night at Home
Turn your living room into a cozy theater for a movie night. Pick a film you’ll both enjoy, maybe a childhood favorite or something new.
Make it special with:
- Comfy pillows and blankets
- Homemade popcorn with different seasonings
- Special drinks in fancy glasses
- Dimmed lights and phones put away
Movie night at home lets you pause, talk about the story, and share your thoughts. Create a movie bucket list or watch a series together for regular dates.
6. Musical
Check your local theater for musical performances. Discuss it with your daughter to see which ones she would be interested in watching.
For younger girls, consider performances like Disney on Ice.
7. Go to a Concert
Concerts are so much fun! So what better way to bond with your daughter than by singing and dancing to her favorite artist.
Besides making a great mother-daughter date, getting tickets to a concert makes a great gift for teens.
So, for this year’s birthday or Christmas gift give your daughter the surprise of a lifetime to concert tickets to her favorite artist.
8. Shopping
Take your daughter on a shopping spree. Now, this doesn’t have to break the bank. Simply discuss ahead of time what item or items you are going in for, or set a budget ahead of time.
9. Bike Ride
Going on a bike ride is such a fun and enjoyable activity.
Getting out of the house and getting some exercise is so refreshing.
If you don’t own a bike here is a beautiful option you can use together for years to come.
Simply order them from Amazon and they will arrive at your door. They also give you the option to pay a professional assembly fee so you won’t have to worry about a thing.
10. Go on a Picnic
Right after your bike ride, stop for a delicious picnic. Or just simply go for a picnic without the bike ride.
Whichever way you choose to do it, it is still one of the most memorable daughter dates ideas on this list.
That is because this is the time you get to spend with your daughter away from the noise and the hustle and bustle of the daily routine.
Take a picnic basket with delicious snacks. Then, spread out a picnic blanket. Last but not least get a Bluetooth speaker and connect it to your phone for some background music, and voila!
Look into the #1 Amazon Best-Seller Sunflora Picnic Backpack for an all-in-one picnic experience.
Related Article: 15 Fun Mother-Son Date Ideas for Son’s of All Ages
11. Cooking Class
Look online and check for local cooking classes in your area. Sharing this experience with your daughter is priceless.
Something you can learn together calls for a great bonding experience.
Check out this 40 pcs kids cooking set!
12. Butterfly Garden
I love butterfly gardens, and every girl I know (including my daughter) loves them too. Check for local butterfly gardens in your area and make it a date.
13. Pottery Class
Another fun class to take with your daughter is a pottery class. There is something really special about creating something from scratch.
They also have places where you get to paint your own pottery. Look for pottery studios in your areas and get painting!
14. Painting Class
Talking about painting, taking a painting class is also a really creative way to come together.
Again, look online for painting classes and activities near you.
15. Make a Garden
Creating a garden from scratch gives you the ability to teach your daughter about gardening and taking care of living things.
It also serves as a way to be creative, put in a little sweat, and sit back and enjoy something you did together for months to come.
Gear up with the gardening essentials, here.
16. Spa Day
Massages, hot tub, pools, manicures, pedicures, facials… I mean, this is a dream day for any mother and daughter.
Grab your best friend and have an unforgettable day at the spa.
17. Volunteer and Donate
Another great mother-daughter date idea is to volunteer together and/or donate items to your local charity.
This type of experience is incredibly bonding, meaningful, and memorable.
It teaches her about gratitude and humbleness and she gets to do so alongside of you!
18. Go to a Museum
Museums are so much fun! Look for a museum that matches your daughter’s interest and surprise her tickets to a fun packed day.
19. Night on the Town
If you would like to leave the daily routine behind and do something exciting with your daughter, dress up and hit the road.
Think of upbeat places near you where there is nightlife, music, food, and cool things to do.
Have fun, relax, talk, dance, laugh, and enjoy the beautiful gift God has granted you by celebrating your relationship.
Take it even further by getting ready together, picking out outfits, and doing each other’s hair.
20. Farmer’s Market
Going to your local farmer’s market with your daughter is a great way to spend the day outdoors and explore.
Taste new things and have fun enjoying each other.
You can also buy the ingredients to make a tasty and healthy meal when you get home.
Don’t forget matching aprons.
21. Book Store and Smoothies
I don’t know about you, but going to a bookstore is a real treat.
Go with your daughter to a nearby bookstore and stroll around the isles discussing books of interest. Discover new books by searching together and then go out for smoothies afterward.
Check out our Reading Journal for Kids!
22. Fun in the sun
We used to live about 15 minutes from the beach, so going on a beach/swimming date is wasn’t too difficult.
However, you don’t need the beach to have a special “fun in the sun” day with your daughter.
Go to a local public pool, water park, lake, river, pond, hotel, or any body of water near you that will allow you to have a blast with your girl!
23. Go Skating
Whether it be ice skating or roller skating they are both super fun activities for a mother and daughter date. Pick one and enjoy.
24. Star Gazing
Near our house, there is a public park that sets ups telescopes on clear nights for anyone who would like to take a closer look at the stars.
We did this as a family recently and both my son and daughter loved the experience.
If you don’t have anything similar in your area, just look for a quiet place you can camp out with your daughter. Gaze at the stars and talk.
Bring a blanket and a few snacks and make it a memorable experience.
You can even do this in the backyard.
25. Fruit picking
Grab your favorite hats and go fruit picking at a nearby farm. Then go to lunch or dinner afterward.
I am sure you will both be hungry after this mother-daughter adventure.
26. College Tour
Okay, so I have yet to try out this mother-daughter date because my daughter is still too young. But honestly, I can’t wait!
This isn’t only for older teen daughters. Taking your daughter from an early age (middle school) to look at colleges will be incredibly motivating for her.
Plus, the fact that you are sharing that experience together will be even more meaningful and encouraging.
27. Weekend Getaway
Last but not least, here is to the mother of all mother and daughter dates…. a weekend getaway!!!
Yes… a full weekend just for the two of you.
Pick a destination of your choice in a nearby town, book a hotel, and research attractions in the area.
Go out to dinner, stroll around, experience new places together, talk, laugh, hug, and most of all… celebrate and strengthen your bond.
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Final Thoughts
I don’t know about you, but being a mother to a daughter has been one of the greatest gifts God has granted me.
Motherhood is hard and with the daily routine we forget to set aside small bits of time to dedicate to our beautiful girls that yearn for our attention.
So, whether you have a spunky toddler or a defiant 15-year-old, I assure you that you can find at least a few mother-daughter date ideas on this list to celebrate her and make her feel like the special person that is.
So tell me, which mother daughter date idea you can’t wait to do with her first?