Whatever you think makes a date great, you've come to the right place for all the inspiration you'll need. Bookmark it, share it, and print it, but most importantly DO IT!
The fresh air and exercise will get your blood flowing. Pairs well with a bubble bath.
Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you might miss it.
Open mic night, music in the park, intimate concert setting, jam packed arena. Whatever your musical style and social preferences, there's bound to be a great date option involving live music.
Risk, Monopoly, Settlers, Chutes and Ladders, Candy Land, Sorry, Trouble, the list goes on. Pick a classic or a new favorite and host a private board game party for just the two of you.
Or roller blades, if you prefer. Location is everything. Beach sidewalk, roller rink, scenic park trails, the destinations make the date.
Habitat for Humanity helps people build houses. There are thousands more charities. Check out Charity Navigator to find a reputable one near you.
What's the most expensive house you've ever toured? You may never want to buy a million dollar home, but why not go for a tour? You might get some great decorating ideas.
Camping is fun, and camping at home is a great option for the time (or kid) constrained couple. Pitch a tent in the yard, on a patio or deck, or even in the garage.
Find a local restaurant with a trivia night and go join in the fun. It's a great way to work together on something small and the questions can be great conversation starters.
Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong, Oregon Trail. You get the idea. Dust off the old game box and fire up a classic.
What's your style? Fashionista? Foodie? Travel vlogger? Become influencers for a night as you document your date.
This one is for the parents of small children out there. The rest of you won't understand.
At a race track, that is. Auto racing is a fun event that doesn't require a ton of attention and has snack options available.
Polo is that sport where people play soccer on horses with croquet balls and mallets.
Golf courses are like giant lawns with landscaping. Golf tournaments are a great excuse for hanging out at golf courses.
What could be more fun than floating in a vertical wind tunnel with see-through walls? All the fun of sky diving, without having to dive out of the sky. If you have one of these facilities near you, this is definitely one to check out!
What's your style? Salsa, tango, swing, ballroom, shuffle, hip hop, tap? You may not be Fred and Ginger, but that doesn't mean you can't have some fun on the dance floor.
If you're a good bowler, try playing with your non-dominant hand.
At a VR cafe, that is. They're popping up all over the place. If there's not one near you, wait a couple of weeks and check again.
Attend a minor league, high school, or collegiate sports event for some low-key fun.
Indoor climbing is a great activity for hot summers (or cold winters). Climbing gyms often have gear rentals and classes available making this a low investment option.
Go off grid for a night. How will you cook dinner? Can you get around your house in the dark? What could a couple possibly do that doesn't involve screens or the internet?
When's the last time you played pin the tail on the donkey? Exactly. It's time to throw yourselves an adult birthday party. Get a pinata and party hats and have fun!
There are SO MANY great ideas for grocery store games! Use your imagination but make sure you agree on the rules before you leave for the store.
A progressive dinner is a social occasion in which the different courses of a meal are eaten at different people's houses. For the date version, substitue houses for restaurants. Appetizers at one location, main course at the next, dessert somewhere new, and coffee elsewhere. Fast food, fast casual, table service, there are great options here for just about any budget and mood. If you want to get complicated, add in coupons and time of day specials.
Get out the chalk and make some chalk art!
Or at least browse through some Pinterest fails. Careful not to hack off any fingers though!
Buy matching sets and race each other. Or buy one big set and work on the same team. Lego's are a great activity for leaving behind the stresses of work and kids for a while so that you can really connect with each other.
How random, you say?
As in, get a map and a compass and figure out how to get around. No smartphone, GPS, or signage. It's like super advanced hiking.
If you both spend a lot of time on Instagram, this may be the perfect date idea. Pick some cliche poses and do your best to recreate them. Mountaintop cup of coffee, anyone?
LOL IRL
It's all about the time between shots, strolling to retrieve your arrows, taking in the scenery. Archery is a great date option for couples that like to be outside and prefer a more casual pace. Find a local archery range or, if you have the space, set one up in your backyard.
Go to a local coffee shop, share a drink, repeat every 30 minutes. Coffee shop crawl dates are great for couples trying to mix things up a bit. Caffeine, people watching, and changing scenery all contribute to a fun, conversational experience. It's a great way to catch up!
Anyone else remember Danny Kaye's "Choreography" routine in "White Christmas"? Regardless, watching a play or musical at the theater is a fun date idea for a couple wanting to take in more the arts.
Sometimes you just want to get out of your stomping grounds for a day. The 100 mile day trip is far enough to be different, but not so far that you're exhausted from the drive. Pairs well with audiobooks, music playlists, and conversation.
Seriously though, this isn't the date idea for you if feeling trapped is not your thing.
Bird, Bolt, Jump, Lime, Lyft, RazorUSA, Scoot, Skip, or Spin your way around town on some rental electric scooters. It's not quite the Jetson's flying car, but it is a great date idea. Pairs well with coffee shop crawling.
A demolition derby really is the perfect metaphor for marriage. Think about it. One minute they're crashing into each other, looking like mortal enemies, but afterwards they're still friends.
This is a little on the expensive side but we just had to include it. Maybe you're in Hawaii right now, sitting on the lanai, sipping some passion guava juice, wondering how things could possibly be any more fantastic. Two words. Helicopter tour. It's like hiking but without the exercise. Pairs well with being Instagrammers for a day.
"If you wanted to make the indication of a happy little cloud, all you do is just sorta tap..." Did you know there's an official Bob Ross YouTube channel? Here's a look at season 29 episode 1, "Island in the Wilderness":
#coloringforadults #paintbynumbers #coloringforgrownups #paintbynumberforadults #colorfun
Campfire optional. S'mores indoors are also nice. S'mores bars are good too...
A photography date, obviously. Take turns as the model. Use the timer. Glam or folksy, you decide. It's not uncommon for couples to go months, if not years, without taking any photos with just the two of them. Don't let that be you!
Pairs nicely with a scenic drive.
When you spend your date walking in the park.
Or delete it. Either way, it's a fun way to mix things up and dance a little.
*Some cleanup required.
No names, hearts, anchors, or foreign languages. Be more creative than that.
You get the idea. Green thumb date.
This is probably the best ever date idea of all time. Seriously. If this isn't on your date idea bucket list, it needs to be. Pairs well with cartoons, scrapbooks, indoor picnics, music playlists, and s'mores.
Thai curry, Japanese sushi, Ethiopian, German bratwursts, Brazilian steaks, whatever you usually do, don't. Try something new! Branch out! Even if that means ordering something different at the only restaurant in town.
It's easier than you think and it tastes A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
Like s'mores. Are you noticing a theme?
If you've never played with an Arduino or Raspberry Pi, start with a kit. For those already in the know you can find some more challenging projects on YouTube or forums.
Cricket. Rugby. Curling. Pick a sport, learn the rules, watch a match. If you're a more intellectually inclined couple, try Go or Chess.
Puns optional.
Yes, I'm sure you have. But have you ever made one that flaps it's wings like a bird? No? Watch this:
"Dear Love, I love you. Love, Your Love". Want better? Learn how to write a love letter.
Yep. That's what it means. ;-)
Or maybe start with just 2 towels. And a washcloth? Ok skip the washcloth, just do the two towels.
So let me explain. A kissing photo scavengar hunt is when you write up a list of fun, creative, romantic, adventurous, or whatever other type of kissing scene you'd like to try, and then you see how many of them you can complete in a single date. Need some ideas to get you started? Leaning across a table, on a bench, in a car, at sunset, on a roller coaster, under water...is it starting to make sense? Highly recommended for couples with the love languages of touch and quality time. Obviously.
Steak is a good option. Wagyu to be precise. Ribeye is a nice cut. Share a light appetizer. Get the dessert to go. (Sorry vegans, this one is not for you.)
It's basically just bathing outside, right? Not a big deal.
Great as a morning after treat following an amazing date night comprised of pretty much any of the other ideas on this list.
Hot fudge sundaes are also delicious. Doesn't an ice cream date sound nice? Follow it with coffee and a walk in the park if you want to be extra.
The good news that you can't strike out.
Here's a line to get you started: "Beyond the bright lights..."
Want to mix up your dinner dates? Find a river or harbor dinner cruise. Just looking for some fun outside time to enjoy the breeze? Scenic cruises are a great way to go.
A freezer full of chocolate chip cookies is a great problem to have. Ready for something new? Make your own kitchen sink cookie recipe.
If you don't have an ice cream maker, ask on Facebook if anyone has one you can borrow. They probably won't miss it (if they can even find it).
Steaks are a good option. See above.
Manicure, pedicure, hair salon, accupuncture, aromatherapy, be creative and splurge a little.
Preferably in a fort while watching cartoons and eating s'mores bars.
Go crazy, buy toys, have fun. The obvious choice here is Nerf guns.
Go perfume and cologne shopping and freshen up your ambience.
Mona Lisa is too obvious. Try something a little more obscure. "Pine Tree and Crane" by Xu Gu is a good option.
Four wheelers, side by sides, snowmobiles, pick your favorite and get out on the trails.
If doilies and hot pads aren't your things, check out modern cross stitch.
Learn a skill that will benefit you for years to come.
Who knows, maybe they'll say yes?
The one thing that actually does revolve around you.
Without any political backstabbing. Like actual playing cards. Stacked up.
Pairs well with portrait painting or photography dates.
Hair be gone when you're done.
Yes, it's a thing. Google it.
Go to the airport. Buy roundtrip tickets returning today. Board.
Meta.
Bonus points if it's in public and nobody else is doing it.
Find a local rescue and ask if you can help with dog walking. It's great way to boost your endorphins, get some outside time, and work together to love on the animals. You might even find a new best friend.
Kiva is a micro-finance lender providing loans to improve lives. Read through the inspiring stories and find someone you want to lend a hand to. Only God knows the impact you could have.
The page is plain white. The pen leaves letters of ink. No more plain white page.
Don't worry, it'll eventually start coming back to you.
Stuffed animals are a nice option for indoors on a rainy day. Kittens, preferably.
Or whatever other yard game you have around or can dream up. Badminton is a good one. That thing with the golf balls on the strings. The one with the frisbee and buckets. Oh, and the bags that fall through holes in boards. Lot's of options here.
It's mainly just fun sloshing pebbles around in a pan. No need to find somewhere with actual gold. Maybe you'll start a local trend at that one creek by the park?
For all the Dave Ramsey fans out there. You know who you are.
If you think stamps and bottle caps when you think of a collection, here are some things people collect that will freshen up your mental image of the hobby.
It's relaxing just thinking about, right? Gently swaying in the breeze, toes dragging in the sand, waves crashing on the shore.
We asked some of our favorite marriage-focused instagram accounts and bloggers what their favorite date idea recommendations were.
Here's what they told us:
“Our favorite date nights consists of laughing, smiling and connecting emotionally. We typically play card games at a new coffee shop or head to the beach and talk and walk for hours.” - @marriage365
"Make a time capsule with a notebook full of all your goals, dreams, fears and plans. Then lock it in your safe and don't open it for ten years." - @youmeusfirst
"Choose a good book together, read it separately, then discuss it together." - @themarriagementality
"Attend a mixology class!" - @restorationmarriages
"Recreate your first date!" - @emptynestblessed
(Suzy also has her own list of 35 Inexpensive Date Ideas for Empty Nesters!)
"Go for a nature walk, they saved our marriage!" -
@liveyourbestmarriage: https://www.liveyourbestmarriage.com
"Find a couple in public who looks like they're in love and make up a love story about them. We always add in parts of our story, which keeps our story alive and romance on fire!" - @tandemmarriage
"Grab your favorite ice cream from a local ice cream and shop and people watch." - @her.dope.marriage
"Go for a walk in an exclusive neighborhood and talk about what like/don’t like about the homes." - @buildyourmarriage
What's your favorite date idea and how many of these have you already tried? We want to know!
Authentic Love Blueprint is the 30-Day Devotional Challenge designed to take your life and relationships to the next level by putting God at the center.
"My marriage has changed. Not because my husband has changed. But as I live in the love of God, I see my husband in a new light."
"I wasn't sure that I could ever sincerely be passionate toward my husband again…but I was shocked when I spontaneously hugged him…"
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