The Making of Marriage

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Date night doesn’t always need a fancy restaurant or streaming marathon. Why spend date night staring at another screen when all you really need is a pen, a piece of paper, and each other? Last week Michael and I ditched the phones, opted out of Netflix, and grabbed some markers instead. An evening of simple pen-and-paper games turned into friendly competition, inside jokes, and the kind of connection you just don’t get from a screen. For your next date night, opt out of technology and into closeness. 

The beauty of these pen-and-paper games is that they allow for a screen-free, budget friendly way to connect. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Gather Supplies

As a former public teacher, mom of 3, and planner junkie, I have no shortage of markers and colorful pens to make this game night fun. But I know that’s not the case for most normal people out there. If you’re lacking in the arts & crafts department and want to level up a little past printer paper and ball point pens, here are a few of my favorite supplies:

• Crayola Fine Tip Marker
• Crayola Markers
• Felt Tip Pens (I’m partial to the PaperMate Flair but these are good too!)
• Sharpie Highlighters
• A Roll of Craft Paper
• Masking Tape (to hold the paper down on the table)

These things are not necessary to have a fun pen-and-paper date night, by any means. But they do add color to the table (literally).

The Games

1. Battleship

This one took the longest to set up, but it gave us the most laughs. Simply draw an 11×11 grid, label the sides with letters (vertical) and numbers (horizontal), then place your ships in the water. Take up the appropriate spaces for each ship and start launching missiles. Since this game runs a little longer, add a fun twist: the loser gives the winner a shoulder rub.

2. Tic-Tac-Toe

We only played two rounds, but it was still a blast! While I carefully crafted fancy O’s, Michael went with quick squiggly X’s. And that’s the fun—you can customize your symbols. Go classic with X’s and O’s, or try shapes, emojis, or silly doodles. Want a bigger challenge? Use a larger grid!

3. Dots & Boxes

This is a true classic. Draw a grid of dots and take turns connecting them with little lines. Whoever closes a box gets to claim it with their initial—most boxes wins! Play small with fewer dots or go big and fill the page. Bonus rule: the winner chooses the next game.

4. Categories

This game will make you forget every word you’ve ever learned. (Seriously—how many fruits start with “S”? Asking for a friend.) Choose four categories together—for example: countries, vegetables, clothing, and sports teams. Randomly pick a letter (from a hat or on a spinner), set a 2–3 minute timer, and race to fill in as many words as you can for each category. Whoever has the most unique words wins. Prepare for quick thinking and plenty of laughter at ridiculous answers!

5. The Squiggle Game

I loved playing this game as a kid on family road trips. One person draws an elaborate squiggly line and the other turns it into something amazing. From snakes to old lady profiles, the sky’s the limit with the squiggle game. Let your creativity shine!

Sometimes the simplest nights turn out to be the most memorable. A pen, some paper, and a little imagination can spark laughter, deepen connection, and remind you why date night doesn’t have to be complicated (or expensive) to be meaningful. So the next time you feel stuck in a dinner-and-a-movie rut, try swapping screens for scribbles. You might just discover that love looks a lot like lined paper and laughter-filled doodles.

Which game would you try first with your spouse?

Enjoy the adventure, 

Amanda