Trever and I have been going on weekly dates for almost 3 years now. I can't say that we have gone out every week during that time but we have spent special time together every week. It has meant a lot to both of us. I sometimes think it means more to him than me to do this every week. I like that, it makes me feel special that he likes me enough to really want to spend time with me.
I bet some of you are wondering how we do it. There are lots of obstacles such as, money, time, sitters, things to do, etc. On all levels it takes a concerted effort but like I said it has been worth it.
Our oldest son once asked asked why we did this every week. I turned it around and asked him if it was important to him that mommy and daddy like each other? He replied that it was. So I told him that by doing this mommy and daddy were spending special time together to make sure that we are still friends and love each other. I then asked him if he thought it was a good idea for us to do this and he said YES! It wasn't until a while later that I realized how important that conversation was.
Trever and I for some reason couldn't make things work one week so we were not going 'out' for our date. When our oldest realized this he became very concerned that we were not going to have our date. Upon further discussion I discovered that he was worried that mom and dad didn't like each other because we were not going out on a date. I laughed and asked him if he saw anything else that might make him think that. He thought for a moment and said no. We talked about how going out didn't mean we didn't like each other, it just helped to make sure we still did over time.
We have our usual dates but we do try and mix it up when opportunities arise. Sometimes that is hard in a semi smaller town. I wanted to share some ideas that I have come across (a lot are off my master list that has been cut a pasted so some might sound like they were our experience but they are not) that cover the whole gammet of home dates, getting out and about, and really getting out there dates. Hopefully these will spark some conversation and ideas for you to use in your own relationship. There maybe some repeats, and for that I apologize but the list is long, so enjoy!
1. Discuss a book you both recently read. Create a cafe or coffee shop atmosphere at home.
2. Play the First Words game where you read a word card and the other person say the first thing that comes to mind. Here’s a free download of the First Words game.
3. Look through old photographs, wedding albums, other photo albums or scrapbooks.
4. Flip through both of your high school yearbooks.
5. Go through your digital music library to make a CD or playlist of each other’s favorite songs or songs that reminds you of each other.
6. Sketch out a blueprint of your dream house.
7. Borrow or purchase travel books and plan your dream vacation.
8. Write down and discuss each of your bucket lists.
9. Have a cookie or dessert baking contest. Each person try a different recipe and see which one you like best.
10. Browse through magazines and catalogs to a collage of clothing and fashion styles you would like to see the other person wear or try.
11. Watch family home videos.
12. Ice cream or soda or cheese tasting. Try flavors you have never tried before.
13. Set up a photo booth in your home, put the camera on timer and take pictures of the two of you.
14. Go through each room in the house and talk about what you would like to see done to the room.
15. Learn a new skill together – photography, painting, carpentry, massages, skating, running, rock climbing
16. Turn your story of how you met into a children’s book. Your kids will love reading it.
17. Play survivor, (take turns making strange mixtures out of the sauces in your fridge and make each other guess what is in it or make up some other insane challenges for each other)…..
18. Get a bunch of glow sticks and dance around in the pitch black…..
19. Each of you write down the three ways the other makes you feel the most loved, compare answers, it will open your eyes to if you are really showing love the way your spouse understands it best.
20. Set up a small tent in your living room and watch a movie in it.
playing board games and card games
21. One night I got out all my facial stuff-cleanser, exfoliate, mask and moisturizer and gave my husband a facial.
22. I made a make shift bed on the floor, had him lay down and covered him with a blanket. put on a cd of beach music and lit some candles, just like a spa.
made food for a picnic and got a favorite DVD and we went to the park ate and then got the blankets & pillows and watched the movie in the back of the car (it’s a SUV so we could lay down) on our DVD player
23. One of the all time funnest dates I had with my husband involved a thrift store, a small budget ($5 a piece), and an hour.
24. We each took our money and separated until we found the perfect (when I say perfect, I mean absolutely hideous) outfit for each other… to wear. I still remember mine. It was a mint green mini skirt with a coffee stain the size of Texas in the front, and a putrid pink polyester blouse with a gold floral print, green and white knee highs (think Wizard Of Oz) and lavender peep-toe pumps. His was equally awful. We laughed our heads off when we came out of the dressing rooms, and then went to lunch and a show in our outfits.
25. Anniversary idea -- buy a balloon for each year you have been married, tie to the string a story/memory that is special to you that the two of you shared together
26. Go to a trade show
27. Check out the non credit courses at a local post secondary school. There is everything from cooking, dancing, sports, etc.
28. Our area has a Parade of Homes once a year that takes the pressure off going and looking at show homes; for dream home ideas to home decorating inspiration.
29. Make your own fondue. Use a fondue pot (or crock pot) and dip fresh fruit, cake, cookies, marshmallows, and pretzels in melted chocolate. Try this delicious recipe!
30. Make homemade pizzas together. Try our Easy Pizza Crust Recipe and choose your own toppings!
31. Fly kites. You can usually find them at the dollar store! or make them yourselves.
32. Try a new sport together. My husband is an avid snowboarder, so we hit the slopes! It was so fun to see him doing something he loves, even though I had quite a few wipe outs!
33. Have a game night. Pull out all of your board games for a friendly night of competition. Be sure to have some treats for the occasion, like our Gooey Almond and Coconut Chex Mix.
34. Be a tourist in your own city. Find what tourist attractions are in your city and spend the night acting like tourists, which includes taking cheesy pictures!
35. Go rollerblading (if the weather is bad, try an indoor skating rink). We found ours at a thrift store for just a few bucks!
36. Explore. Rent a four wheeler, snowmobile, scooter, waver runner or something you can do a little exploring on. You can often find deals online for cheap rentals!
37. Have a picnic. If the weather doesn't permit, lay out a blanket on the floor and eat in the living room!
38. Go see a play. Whether at your local community theater, high school or a big production, there is plenty of entertainment available!
39. Stargazing. Pack a blanket, pillows and food, and go somewhere to see the stars. Do some research before and look for constellations.
40. Go to a park (if weather permits). Swing on the swings, play frisbee, or feed the ducks!
41. Check out a local museum. They usually don't cost much, if anything, to get in! ours has special evening programs that are really interesting some weeks. The library does too.
42. Have a "crazy dinner." Each person gets $5 (or whatever amount you decide) to spend on any food item at the grocery store for dinner. Come home and prepare your meal! You might end up with some random food!
43. Make ice cream sundaes. Head to the store and buy some vanilla ice cream and your favorite toppings. Relax and enjoy your tasty treat!
44. Go to a local sporting event. Luckily, sports are going on year around! Grab some snacks and head out to the ball game!
45. Treasure hunting. Head to the ATM and get out $10-$20. Drive around to some local yard sales and see what you end up with! There are tons on the weekends!
46. Go on a bike ride (if weather permits). If you don't have a bike, check the classifieds for a great deal! You could even pack a lunch!
47. Have a living room camp out. Make a tent out of blankets, watch a movie and sleep out on an air mattress. As you can see, we had a little visitor!
48. Love Languages. Take The 5 Love Languages Test to see how to improve your relationship. End the evening with our Easy Chocolate Dipped Strawberries!
49. Go for a swim. Head to a local pool and relax in the pool and hot tub!
50. Have a coupon date. Only eat or do activities you have coupons for. We used our local coupon book from the mail and went to the driving range and dinner for about $12 total! You can also check out our newest sponsor, Coupon Lynx, for some great deals!
51. Volunteer. Sign up to volunteer at a soup kitchen, retirement home or somewhere that could use a helping hand!
52. Go to a local fair or carnival. Be sure to bring some cash to play some games!
53. Take a free factory tour. You would be surprised what factories are around you! We toured a cheese factory and had free samples at the end!
54. Visit the zoo. If you don't live near a zoo, go somewhere to see your local wildlife.
55. Take a drive. Get out of the house and take a drive. Take a look at nature or local scenery! For example, changing leaves in the fall, flowers blooming in the spring, etc. You might want to bring some snacks in case you get hungry!
56. Have a movie marathon. We were able to get the Back to the Future Trilogy and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy for less than 10 dollars each online
57. Wii Game Night at home (or any other gaming system). Grab some food and drinks and stay in for the night playing your favorite games! Make some wagers on any sports you might be playing. We occasionally have a cute, little third wheel on our dates. :)
58. Go bowling. To make things a little more difficult, try different styles like only using your opposite hand, "granny" style, eyes closed, etc.
59. Make indoor s'mores and read campfire stories. If you don't have a gas stove, you could light candles to cook your marshmallows over! As you can tell, I was pretty excited!
60. TV show marathon. Pick a TV show and get a whole season's worth of DVDs (or use Netflix, you can get the first month free) and watch it together! Of course, you'll need some popcorn!
61. Theme night. Pick a theme for the night and center everything around it. For example, Mexican night. You could eat Mexican food and go salsa dancing!35. Try a new restaurant. We usually end up eating out at the same places. Pick somewhere neither of you have been and try it out! Who knows, it might be a new favorite!
62. Take some lessons. Try taking a lesson for a couples dance, pottery or a cooking class!
63. Restaurant hop. Go to a different restaurant for each course of the meal. Make three stops for an appetizer, main course and dessert. Take turns picking where to go!
64. 20 questions. Write a list of 20 questions to ask each other or find one on the internet. Go over your answers afterward. Here is a list of 20 questions for married couples.
65. Make breakfast together and eat it in bed (you could do this while the kids are still sleeping). We love french toast!
66. Exercise together. Attend an exercise class at a local gym, take a walk or jog together or do something active!
67. Go for a test drive. Head to your nearest car dealership and test drive your dream car!
68. Take a hike. This website will show you places near you to hike!
69. Breakin' records. Read through the Guinness Book of World Records together, and find something the two of you could potentially achieve as a couple and then do it together as a cheap date.
70. Visit a bakery. Go to a local bakery and pick out a treat for each other.
71. Cook a meal together. Find a recipe you've never tried and make it together. Be sure to include some dessert!
72. Write a bucket list. Make a list of things you want to do before you die and go do one to cross it off the list!
73. House hunting. Tour some homes and plan out your dream home!
74. Go to the arcade. Get some quarters and head to your nearest arcade! Play some games and buy prizes with the tickets you win.
75. Have a dance party in your living room and dance to your favorite songs from high school.
76. Borrow a movie from the library or find a movie and make homemade stovetop popcorn while watching the classics.
77. Pack some cheese, crackers, and grapes and your favorite old quilt and have a picnic on the lawn.
78. Sit on the roof and watch the sunset together.
79. Get dressed up in your most formal clothes and go to the coffee shop as if you’ve just been to a gala.
80. Sit on a sidewalk bench and people watch, making up fake names and stories about the people you see.
81. Play board games and see who is the ultimate Hungry, Hungry Hippos champion.
82. Bring your camera and take photos together at the tourist spots around town.
83. Make s’mores over candlelight.
84. Visit the museum on free admission night.
85. Go to the book store and look at travel books, and then plan your dream vacation.
86. Go to the farmers market and buy a new fruit that you’ve never tried.
87. Carry along a loaf of old bread and feed the ducks at the lake(approved duck food would be best).
88. Go to a new restaurant and split a decadent dessert.
89. Cuddle on the couch and reminisce about “remember when”, telling your favorite stories of when you first started dating.
90. Go to the botanic gardens and hold hands while you stroll.
91. Get a pint of ice cream, hang up twinkle lights on the patio, and enjoy your ice cream outside together in the evening.
92. First word game.
93. Book club at-home café.
94. Caramel fondue.
95. Puzzles.
96. Would you rather game.
97. Look through high school yearbooks.
98. Read a book together.
99. Learn how to eat healthy together.
100. Mad Libs and word search. We love to do this at Starbuck’s .
101. Painting each other’s portrait.
102.Make paper airplanes.
103. Guess and tell game.
104. Homemade ice cream.
105. Going through digital photos and deleting old photos.
106. Paper maché.
107. Deliver cupcakes.
108. Listen to old music playlists.
109. Dotting the map.
110. Planning a vacation.
111. Setting goals.
112. Write Christmas newsletter.
113. Watch college football or sports together.
114. Put up Christmas or holiday decorations.
115. Wrapping gifts and a movie.
116. Talk about a business idea.
117. Go to the drive in or make one. Drive ins are often old and run down but that’s a lot of the fun! Make sure you bring a truck or a big SUV (cars just aren’t as fun) and a lot of pillow/blankets. You can buy pizza or food and drinks elsewhere and bring it in to avoid using the snackbar (expensive, too). These are the cheapest movies around!
118. Watch an air show Again they don’t happen all of the time, but when they come you don’t want to miss them. Air force bases put on the best shows, and often times there are planes parked on the ground that you can walk around and look in. A good chance to get up close!
119. Go to a car show They have these all of the time too, if you’re watching for them. Just wander around and ask car owners about their ride — they get all excited and love to tell you. Then if you’re not really impressed, you can go away and make fun of them!
120. Instead of a car show there are also the ones that show old cars and they often have a night where they drive up and down the ‘drag’ and it is a lot of fun to watch and snack.
121. Go to a racetrack (horse race, drag race, etc.) There are all kinds of races — pick one that you will both like. I went to a 1/4 mile racetrack nearby once. It was a little pricy, but one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen (as someone who didn’t grow up around those kinds of things).
122. Watch a spring training baseball game Only in places like Arizona, but spring training baseball games happen for about a month in March and are cheap and fun sporting events!
123. Go to a comedy club Laughing is what dating is all about. I’m not a funny guy, so I like to go to comedy clubs to get the laughter going. Once your date is in the mood, you can keep him/her laughing and smiling all night.
124. Carve a pumpkin Obviously this is for halloween time, but carving a pumpkin can be great fun. Definitely invest in a “pumpkin carving kit” at a local grocery store because they are cheap and have lots of tools that make it MUCH easier than using your kitchen knife. You can also look on the internet for jack-o-lantern patterns that will make you a pro that can win any design contest!
125. Watch a movie outside with a projector and a sheet This is best for groups of people, but nowadays everyone knows someone with a projector that can be hooked up to a DVD player or computer to show a movie outside. Make sure it’s not going to rain, then throw up a big white sheet on the side of your house and project your movie on to it. Don’t forget sound!
126. Visit a planetarium Planetariums range in coolness. Some have sweet star and laser shows, others are just boring unless you’re really an astronomer. I suggest looking in to it though — Most colleges/universities have some sort of planetarium and reasonable prices.
127. Go to the local science center If you like learning, the local science center will fascinate you. They can be a bit pricy to get in, but it’s good for a few hours of entertainment and a whole lot of conversation starters.
128. Make home made ice cream Home made ice cream is actually really simple to make. You can make some recipes without an ice cream machine — I remember my sister and I roll a can back and forth to mix it up and freeze it. Check out this site for great ice cream recipes.
129. Watch the DVDs of your favorite TV show (like 24) Watching TV is so boring for me, but watching the DVDs is downright addicting. If you can find a show that you both like, it will spark lots of conversation and give you something to look forward to.
130. Play a card game I think every family has a card game they like to play. Check out rules of card games over at pagat.com to learn the rules of just about any game you can imagine. This is another great way to see your date in action.
131. Play a computer game This sounds ultra dorky and I certainly wouldn’t recommend it for a first date, but playing computer games is fun and free. Set up a simple network, and unless you’re in a serious relationship where you are just “hanging out,” you’ll probably want to keep it to short games like Starcraft.
132. Play with fireworks Only the right kind of girl will play with fireworks with you, but it can be great fun. Ladies, if you really want to see your man excited, take him to play with fireworks!
133. Watch fireworks Of course it has to be a holiday or special event, but don’t miss this opportunity to get a free date!
134. Visit a nearby landmark I had an “ah-hah” moment when I realized I don’t know the state I’ve lived in for 10 years. There are LOADS of cool places that are less than a day trip away where you can go, have a picnic, take a camera and get to know your date the whole time
135. Watch a little known sports event (lacrosse, cricket, hockey) I know some of you are probably offended by my calling these “little known” sports, but every region has them. Around here, not much Lacrosse is played so it’s fun to go and watch (you can sit really close to the field) and cheer (there aren’t usually a lot of other fans) and you get to see some people who are very passionate about what they do (they have to be! nobody else cares!) Another one is watching a rocket launch. Pretty cool!
136. Go to a roller derby I discovered roller derbies by accident, but it is totally hilarious. It’s a race where these hard core girls (often dressed gothic) race around and knock each other down. I’m not sure how the rules work, but it’s a full contact sport and lots of fun to watch!
137. Go to a sports event This goes without saying but it’s one of my favorites. If your date is boring or if the conversation sucks, you can just watch the game! But it’s usually the perfect length where you can decide whether to go out to eat after or to drop them off early!
138. Go ice skating A quick search on Google will show the nearby ice rinks (we even have one in Phoenix!) Skates are always available for rent. Just make sure you aren’t trying to go during kiddie-skate night or anything (Ice rinks tend to have a lot of events) and make sure you dress in layers because you’ll be cold at first and THEN hot. If you pick the right place, this can also be a very romantic date.
139. Go to a skate park or roller rink This is a step up from the previous date idea. Skate parks or roller rinks sometimes have an admission (although some are free) and it’s a better/safer environment than a park or the street.
140. Go roller blading/skating This can be a lot of fun. Studies show that exercise gets things moving in your brain and actually (1) give you more confidence and (2) make your date respond better to your … advances! It’s a great way to break the ice.
141. Go for a bike ride Go for a ride, but make sure you pick a trail that’s pretty easy (aka flat). You don’t want to embarrass anyone, and you don’t want to ruin a chance to get to know them.
142. Play with legos, erector sets or k’nex Not for everyone, but if one of you is an engineer at heart this can be hours of fun. You can even have a competition to see who can make the most creative creation!
143. Go to a concert This can be expensive, but you can’t really lose as long as you’re seeing someone good. With the right girl/guy, you could go to a cheap punk show for $5 bucks but be careful – not always the best atmosphere!
144. Play Laser Tag It’s not good if it’s the “only” thing you do all night (you don’t get to talk much while you’re running around in the dark), but it will help break the ice and give a good lead in to something else.
145. Play Croquet Or Horseshoes (there are some parks around)You remember this game from when you were little, right? The one where you knock the ball around through the little metal rings on the grass? The hard part is finding a set. Once you’ve got that, get ready for a trip down memory lane and (again) a chance to laugh and get to know each other. Another one is Frisbee golf if it is in your area.
146. Play Guitar Hero or other video games Guitar Hero is one of our favorite date activities when we don’t feel like going out. If you’re competitive, you can battle for the highest score. Plus even if your date is a total dud, you’ll have a good time jamming out.
147. Play ping pong, pool or other games at a local community center Many YMCA, Boys & Girls clubs and Institutes have community rooms where you can play these classic games for free. Bring some friends and have a tournament!
148. Play air hockey or other arcade games Many cities have arcades like the nickel cade where you can play old school arcade games for dirt cheap. Stay away from places that charge ridiculous amounts for a “premium” experience. Remember, you’re there to enjoy and get to know each other not actually play.
149. Go Bowling This is good as long as you’re sure you can beat the other person. I’ve been thoroughly embarrassed by Katie many times by making the mistake of taking her bowling. It’s worth a good laugh (especially if you need bumpers like I do)
150. Go Ice Blocking Ice blocks can be purchased from a supermarket or (obviously) made with very little effort. Grab one of these babies and head to your nearest grassy (that’s important) hill and turn it in to a giant slide! It’s a good idea to bring a towel so you don’t have to sit directly on the ice block. And it gets old fast, so have something else planned.
151. Play Frisbee Frisbees are very cheap and yet a great source of fun. If you’re really adventurous, look for a frisbee golf course near your house and give that a try! Also good for small groups of double-daters.
We haven’t documented this one yet. If you try it, please let us know how it went below!
152. Serve Dinner for Two at a Lakeside There are few dates more romantic than a planned dinner for two near a local lake shore. You can impress your date even more by having a friend prepare things before hand so as to surprise your date. Act as if you are simply going for a nice walk around the lake. Have your friend rent a table and some chairs and set them up at a spot near the shore that you have previously selected. Have him decorate the table with a fancy table cloth and some candles and any other decorations you can think of. After you’ve sat down with your date, have your friend come out of the background dressed as a waiter in a fancy outfit and have him take your order (You might have only one item on the menu so that your friend can prepare the meal beforehand). Eat and enjoy spending time together near the cool lakeside. If your friend is really talented. He may even come back and play some background melodies for you on the violin.
153. Walk around a beautiful building LDS temples, cathedrals and other impressive buildings can make for a great place to walk around or to sit and talk (at night, they are often very well lit). It’s great for having conversation and talking about things that really matter.
154. Visit a nearby little town. Every state seems to have a small town that is well known for tourism. In Arizona, it’s Sedona where you can see red rocks and check out all kinds of neat little shops and trails. There are others in other places – go look for them!
155. Take a horseback ride If you don’t know someone with horses, this can be difficult. You can choose how long you go for and where to. You can also decide whether to ride together or to split up. Great opportunity!
156. Rent a paddle boat on a small pond or lake These aren’t too expensive (usually $10-15) to rent for an hour. If you find one that’s open late, you can enjoy a sunset talking and floating around the lake.
157. Visit the Christmas lights at a zoo Lots of places have christmas lights in December. If you don’t want to drive around and look at them, consider paying to go to a zoo and see the lights. They’re often very well done, and have extra goodies like apple cider, music and entertainment!
158. Go on a picnic or picnic in the woods Picnics are great for short, eating food, and of course talking. Combine this with another idea like playing cards or a board game! Alternatively, you can do it in a slightly more public place like a park and have fun people watching.
159. Watch the stars with a telescope Not quite as much fun, but still doable without a telescope. Make sure you go a LONG ways out of town so that you don’t get the light pollution. When you’re under the stars on a clear night in a remote place, it’s truly breathtaking.
160. Go to the airport and watch the planes (smaller airports are better) Particularly true at small airports, you can get up close to some really cool planes. You can also sit on the car hood or on the back of a truck and watch the planes take off and land. Very romantic, good chance to talk (also good to combine with another activity like card games)
161. Go to an opera or symphony This one was suggested by my grandpa. No, really. Old fashion, but one of the funnest dates I ever went on with Katie was when we got dressed up in “formal” attire, went to a ritzy restaurant and later to a symphony. The entrance was like $35, but the lady at the door thought we were so cute that she let us in free!
162. Go ice skating (Ice rinks tend to have a lot of events) and make sure you dress in layers because you’ll be cold at first and THEN hot. If you pick the right place, this can also be a very romantic date.
163. Go for a bike ride Go for a ride, but make sure you pick a trail that’s pretty easy (aka flat). You don’t want to embarrass anyone, and you don’t want to ruin a chance to get to know them.
164. Go to the local rest home and visit Really old people love it if you come to visit them or to sing to them. They are full of amazing stories, and if they’re old enough, they won’t really care who you are or why you’re there they are just happy to see you! It will make you feel good, and give you lots to talk about.
165. Help the local missionaries Missionaries are always looking for help to do service, find people to teach or assistance with any of their volunteer activities. Get in touch with some and offer to help them — it’s very rewarding, and you can see what kind of person your date is!
166. Walk around a beautiful building LDS temples, cathedrals and other impressive buildings can make for a great place to walk around or to sit and talk (at night, they are often very well lit). It’s great for having conversation and talking about things that really matter.
167. Do a service project There are always lots of opportunities to serve that can give you an opportunity to see what kind of person your date is at heart. Check out a local food bank, cannery, homeless shelter or any one of 1000 volunteer projects going on at any time
168. Go to a shooting range If you know someone who likes guns, you can easily convince them to take you shooting. There are usually indoor shooting ranges if you live in a place where you don’t have an outdoor range nearby. You can take it one step farther and do some sort of “gun safety” class before shooting as part of the date.
169. Go toiletpapering This is another thing that you can do MUCH better now that you’re older. In High School, we’d toiletpaper our teachers houses and people we didn’t like. But it’s a good trick even for people you do like. Or there are other ideas like ‘forking’ their lawn. Another is hiding Easter eggs and leaving a note that they have been ‘egged’ and have a certain number to find.
170. Build and fly a model rocket This is another big hobby for a lot of people. Flying a model rocket can be done for under $20 (but obviously, some people get much more elaborate). If you are lucky enough to find an event, you can see hundreds of these of varying complexity. But if not, it’s still fun to pick up a starter kit at a hobby shop and build one together then fly it a few times.
171. Play with a remote control airplane (or watch others) If you don’t have access to a remote control airplane (I know I wouldn’t let you fly mine if you didn’t already know how!) you can go to mini-airports where enthusiasts gather all of the time to fly these things. It’s a pretty big hobby for some people, so it’s cool to see what they’ve done with it.
172. Ride in a hot air balloon There’s a lot more in hot air ballooning than you would think (they’re harder to fly than an airplane) so it’s hard to get someone to take you up. But if you’re lucky, this can be a really fun adventure. If not, they have hot air balloon events where you can watch dozens of them take off at once.
173. Go to the sand dunes Lots of people get in to riding ATVs and Motorcycles and camping for days on end at the Sand Dunes. It doesn’t hurt AS bad if you wreck on sand, so there are some pretty crazy people you can watch (or be)
174. Go across the border in to another state/country (Mexico!) There are lots of cool things to be seen if you’re a tourist outside of your state/country. In Arizona we like to go to Mexico because it’s not too far away and it’s quite a cultural experience.
175. Build and shoot a potato gun (more for the guy than the girl) Again, a date that’s probably more for the guy than the girl. You can buy all of the parts you need to build a potato gun for less than 20 bucks (ammunition included!) which is a couple of PVC pipes and an ignition source (like a lantern lighter and hairspray). Good fun — a decent potato gun will go 50 yards. You can find instructions all over the internet.
176. Play on a rope swing (preferrably in to water!) Rope swings can be great fun. Lots of lakes and rivers have already built rope swings (make sure they’re safe!) but you can build your own pretty easily. It’s especially fun if it’s in to water (you could do it when you go cliff diving)
177. Build a fort or tree house (best over multiple dates) Now that you’re older, you can probably engineer a really cool treehouse or fort. Wood isn’t TOO expensive, and if you already have the tools, you can make a pretty sweet club house either in your back yard or even out in the woods somewhere.
178. Go paintballing It takes the right kind of girl to go paintballing with you, and it helps to have the gear, but this can be a highly adventurous and fun activity. And you definitely need a group.
179. Sneak in to a ritzy hotel to go swimming in their pool Most places don’t care as long as you’re quiet. It’s pretty easy to stroll in and park as if you are checking in and then sneaking back to the pool area. Have your swimsuit on under your clothes, then just strip down and hop in! Many “ritzy” resort style hotels have some really sweet pools.
180. Go cliff jumping Ask around and you can probably find a nearby lake or river that’s well known for cliff jumping. Usually better in a group and definitely a daytime activity. Combine this with a picnic or barbeque and you have yourself a party!
181. Go boating Most people don’t think of this as a date, but it’s great for a group. If you know someone with a boat, you can go water skiing, tubing, wakeboarding, knee boarding, etc. etc. at a nearby lake.
182. Raft or tube down a river There are rivers of varying speed and rapid-ness just about everywhere. Grab a tube or raft, some drinks and maybe some music and hit the river! Make SURE to bring sun screen.
183. Visit a nearby, quaint little town (like Sedona, AZ) Every state seems to have a small town that is well known for tourism. In Arizona, it’s Sedona where you can see red rocks and check out all kinds of neat little shops and trails. There are others in other places – go look for them!
184. Go camping, if not overnight then at least to a bonfire Camping is a blast with friends. Be sure you’ve got all the gear you need, and bring along card games, board games, snacks and lots of wood for building a giant bonfire. If you don’t want to camp overnight, grab a campsite and build a giant fire for a few hours.
185. I had a really fun idea for a crazy cheap and spontaneous date night! I made my fiance his favorite meal and I put it in the office. I went to the dollar store and I bought 2 water guns. I taped his to the door filled with water with a note that said *There is chicken pot pie in the office. In order to get it you have to get through me. You will need this. Good luck.* He walked in and I just nailed him with my own water gun. We had a blast, even though it was a pain to clean up it was so fun and we laughed about it all night!
186. Go geocaching. If you have a GPS this can be really fun. There are all different kinds to look for, and some are even puzzles. You can choose how many and what kind based on the time and skill you have.
Well again have fun and just spending time alone together and conversing and having a common experience can make a huge difference in how you relate and show love for each other. Sometimes using the fun things to learn how to communicate will help with the big things later.
