Marriage doesn’t have to be serious all the time. In fact, the couples who play together tend to stay together, creating bonds through shared laughter and ridiculous moments that become the stories you’ll tell for years to come. These are simple, slightly ridiculous ways to break the monotony and create moments of connection in your everyday life. Ready to bring back that playful spark?
1. Have Random Dance Breaks During Household Chores
Nothing transforms the mundane quite like suddenly breaking into dance while folding laundry or washing dishes. Keep a playlist of your favorite high-energy songs ready to blast at a moment’s notice, then grab your partner and start moving. The more unexpected the timing and the more ridiculous your moves, the better the results will be.
Those few minutes of shared ridiculousness can completely reset your mood and turn a tedious chore into a memory. Plus, according to The Nation’s Health, dancing releases endorphins, the happy hormone. Even if one of you has two left feet, that’s part of the charm—this isn’t about looking good, it’s about feeling good together. The laughter that comes from seeing your partner attempt to moonwalk while holding a vacuum cleaner might just be the highlight of your week.
2. Bring Back Your Childhood Games With Adult Twists
Remember the simple joy of playing tag, hide-and-seek, or red light/green light? There’s no rule saying these games are just for kids. Challenge your spouse to an impromptu game of hide-and-seek throughout your home, but add adult stakes like the winner chooses dinner or gets a foot massage.
The contrast of playing childish games as full-grown adults creates an instant feeling of conspiracy and shared rebellion against adulthood (and according to Psych Central, it can reduce stress!). Plus, there’s something surprisingly intimate about rediscovering your partner’s playful side – the one that existed long before mortgages and career stress. You’ll be amazed at how competitive you both might get over something as simple as a pillow fight or thumb war championship.
3. Create Elaborate Backstories When Meeting New People
Next time you’re at a casual social gathering where no one knows you well, invent ridiculous alternate lives for yourselves. Maybe tonight you’re former circus performers who now train emotional support parrots, or perhaps you’re developing a reality show about professional napkin folders.
Keep it lighthearted and obviously fictional—this isn’t about truly deceiving anyone. The fun comes from building on each other’s absurd claims and trying not to crack up. You’ll need to communicate with subtle glances and quick thinking to maintain your shared fiction. This creates a sense of “us against the world” while practicing the lost art of collaborative storytelling.
4. Leave Each Other Weird Notes In Unexpected Places
There’s something delightful about finding a strange, funny message when you least expect it. Tuck notes with inside jokes, ridiculous compliments, or absurd observations in your partner’s shoes, lunchbox, or car. The more unexpected the location and message, the bigger the smile it will trigger.
This little practice creates moments of connection even when you’re apart. It’s like sending a text, but with the added element of surprise and tangibility that makes it special. Try leaving a note complimenting their elbows in their wallet, or a dramatic declaration about the coffee maker’s conspiracy against humanity taped to the bathroom mirror. These tiny moments of whimsy accumulate into a relationship culture of playfulness.
5. Make Up Secret Signals To Use At Social Events
Develop a covert language of subtle gestures, phrases, or movements that only the two of you understand. Maybe tugging your ear means “I’m ready to leave,” while mentioning the weather signals “this conversation is painfully boring.” The more innocent-looking the signal, the more satisfying it is to use.
These private communications create a bubble of intimacy even in crowded rooms. There’s something powerfully connecting about sharing secrets in plain sight, like you’re secret agents on a mission together. Just be careful not to make your signals too obvious, or you might have some explaining to do when your friend realizes that every time you mention your fictional aunt Bertha, you and your partner mysteriously disappear within five minutes.
6. Rename Everyday Objects Around Your House
Why call it a refrigerator when it could be “The Cold Kingdom” or “Leftover Limbo”? Decide together to give ridiculous new names to ordinary household items, then commit to using only those terms. The coffee table becomes “The Shrine of Unfinished Beverages,” while the TV remote transforms into “The Magic Stick of Distraction.”
What makes this especially fun is how the names evolve over time, often becoming shorter or more ridiculous through regular use. Soon you’ll have an entire vocabulary that only makes sense within your relationship. This linguistic world-building creates a sense of being in your own little universe together, with shared references that strengthen your connection through language and laughter. As The Atlantic explains, naming your possessions can also make you appreciate them more.
7. Create a Marriage Time Capsule With Ridiculous Predictions
Grab a box and fill it with wildly exaggerated predictions about your future together. Will one of you have invented self-cleaning socks by 2030? Will your house be overtaken by an army of robot pets? Write down your most outlandish forecasts, seal them up, and set a date to open them years in the future.
The fun isn’t just in creating the capsule but in the anticipation of eventually reading these predictions together. Include some genuine hopes and sweet messages alongside the silly stuff—the contrast makes both more meaningful. Consider making this a yearly tradition, with each capsule representing a different chapter in your ongoing story together.
8. Write Absurd Reviews Together For Products You Own
Turn a mundane evening into creative writing practice by composing ridiculous reviews for everyday items in your home. Draft an epic tale about how your toaster saved civilization, or explain how your throw pillow has changed your philosophical outlook on life. The more ordinary the item, the more over-the-top your review should be.
This activity exercises your creativity while giving you glimpses into each other’s sense of humor and perspective. You might be surprised by your partner’s unexpected takes on objects you both use daily. Share your masterpieces with each other and vote on which deserves to be actually posted online (though maybe use alternate accounts if you do).
9. Declare Random Accent Days
Wake up one morning and announce that for the next 24 hours, all household communication will happen in terrible British accents, cowboy drawls, or your best impression of a celebrity. The rule applies to everything from asking for the salt to discussing serious topics like budgeting.
What makes this especially fun is how difficult it becomes to maintain the accent during normal conversations. You’ll both inevitably break character and dissolve into laughter at the absurdity. This simple change creates a playful framework that transforms ordinary interactions into opportunities for performance and humor, making even routine exchanges feel fresh and entertaining.
10. Swap Roles for a Day And Exaggerate Each Other’s Habits
Take turns impersonating each other’s quirks and mannerisms for a full day. Does your partner always check if the oven is off three times before leaving? Do you have a specific way of organizing the dishwasher that defies logical explanation? Embrace and amplify these traits in a good-natured parody.
This playful mirroring requires paying close attention to each other’s patterns, which is an exercise in observation and empathy. The exaggeration helps you both laugh at yourselves and appreciate your individual peculiarities. Just remember to keep it affectionate rather than critical—the goal is shared laughter, not pointed commentary.
11. Hide Small Unexpected Gifts In Challenging Places
Transform gift-giving from an occasional event to an ongoing treasure hunt. The items don’t need to be expensive—a favorite candy bar, a funny sticker, or a handwritten coupon for a back rub can be perfect. The fun comes from the increasingly creative hiding spots and the surprise of discovery.
This practice creates a perpetual state of possibility and anticipation in your shared spaces. Suddenly, ordinary activities like putting on shoes or grabbing a coffee mug might yield an unexpected moment of joy. The thoughtfulness behind these tiny surprises accumulates over time, creating a relationship culture of generosity and playfulness that requires minimal investment but yields significant emotional returns.
12. Host Midnight Snack Competitions With Random Pantry Ingredients
When you both find yourselves hungry late at night, turn it into an impromptu cooking challenge. Select three random ingredients from your pantry that don’t obviously go together, then challenge each other to create something edible within a time limit. Judge each other’s creations on presentation, creativity, and of course, taste.
These culinary adventures often result in surprisingly delicious discoveries or hilariously inedible disasters—both outcomes make for great stories. The shared experience of creating something together, especially under silly constraints, strengthens your bond through collaborative problem-solving. Plus, you might just discover that peanut butter, potato chips, and bananas create a sandwich worth repeating.
13. Narrate Each Other’s Actions Like Wildlife Documentaries
Channel your inner David Attenborough and provide serious, scientific-sounding commentary on your partner’s most mundane activities. “Here we observe the North American husband in his natural habitat, attempting the complex ritual of parallel parking. Notice the furrowed brow, indicating deep concentration as he navigates this challenging terrain.”
The contrast between ordinary actions and dramatic narration creates instant comedy. This game works especially well for activities that would otherwise be boring or tedious, transforming them into performances worthy of documentation. The more detailed and deadpan your delivery, the funnier the effect—bonus points for using technical-sounding terminology for simple tasks.
