101 Date Ideas

101 Creative Date Ideas
(Those with a * indicate can be free or done for very little cost)

Active/Outdoors Date Ideas

1. Go for a swim, just the two of you*
2. Go rock climbing at a rock gym
3. Rent paddle boats
4. Tube a local river
5. Kayak a river or lake
6. Go hiking*
7. Train for a 5k to run or walk together
8. Go camping (just the two of you)
9. Rent or borrow a jet ski
10. Go through a corn maze
11. Set up a tent in the backyard and order takeout*
12. Have a campfire with s’mores*
    

    Places to Go on a Date

13. Go horseback riding
14. Ride bikes (try renting a tandem)*
15. Ice-skating (even more fun in summer months)
16. Roller skating
17. Go bowling
18. Build a snowman together*
19. Go sledding*
20. Put on some boots and go country line dancing
21. Pick fruit together at a local farm
22. Learn to skateboard or longboard together*

Romantic Date Ideas

23. Make fondue together
24. Read The 5 Love Languages and discuss what you can do better to help your spouse feel loved*
25.  Go stargazing*
26. Watch the sunset*
27. Watch the sunrise*
28. Pack a picnic basket and go to unique location*
29. Make a nice dinner together
30. Look on Yelp, find a high rated restaurant and recommended meal for a type of food you’ve never tried before, share dishes for a new culinary experience
31. Enroll in a cooking class for 2
32. Have your own cooking class at home with YouTube or Food Network video demonstrations
33. Rooftop picnic at home or a building you have access to*
34. Give each other massages at home*
35. Find a hill or mountain in your area and go to the top at night to look at the city lights.  Enjoy a “dessert picnic” while you look at the lights. *

Intellectually/Culturally Enlightening Date Ideas

36. Go see a play
37. Go to the symphony
38. See a concert of any type (favorite band, school, etc) *Many are free
39. Watch TED lectures on your computer and discuss your thoughts on what you learn (I love this one and this one)*
40. Take a city class together; most city websites list offerings (photography, dance, etc.)
41. Make a bucket list of things you want to together, with kids, independently, and share*
42. Find a lecture at a local University or community college and attend*
43. Watch a foreign film together (rent from library for free)*
44. Download a vintage radio program podcast, go listen to it in a unique location (think horror story in the woods at dusk)*
45. Rent a documentary (try Fast Food Nation, Waiting for Superman, or Grizzly Man)*
46. Read a novel/short story/play together (I’m happy to recommend some J)*
47. Borrow a guitar or other instrument, watch YouTube videos teaching you how to play, take turns and be sure to perform a song for each other.*
    

At-Home Date Ideas

48. Play board games for 2*
49. Buy a cheap canvas and paint portraits of each other
50. Build an adult fort and watch a movie*
51. Buy Pinewood Derby kits from BSA and build/race your carts at home
52. Buy a bunch of popsicle sticks at a craft store, have a competition who can build the best structure out of the popsicle sticks and glue*
53. Build “gingerbread houses” out of graham crackers and frosting (be creative)*
54. Bake sugar cookies and decorate to look like people you know (deliver them after)*
55. Draw a cartoon of how you met in sidewalk chalk on your driveway*
56. Rent or borrow a Wii and play games together*
57. Do “Dinner and a Movie” with a theme (like watch The 3 Amigos and make Mexican food)*
58. Do a puzzle together*
59. Build paper airplanes, make sure to get fancy and look up several different types, then have a flying competition*
60. Get on Spotify and make a playlist of your favorite songs from high school.  Take a trip down memory lane and share your favorite songs while telling a memory attached to each one. *

Group Date Ideas

61. Host a dinner party (themed, formal, or casual)
62. The Amazing Race Dates (tasks for couple to complete at various locations)
63. Host your own murder mystery (you can buy games online)
64. Couples game night (charades, catch phrase, whatever group games you enjoy)*
65. Build a marshmallow gun out of PVC, have a fight
66. Play “Bigger or Better” and compete which couple returns with the best item*
67. Karaoke out on the town or at home*
68. Have a scavenger hunt taking pictures or retrieving items, compare findings after*
69. Have white elephant gift exchange (no need to wait for the holidays)*

Places to Go on a Date Night

70. Art Museum (often free one day of the month)*
71. Art walk (usually held as summer festivals in college towns or state capitals)*
72. Musical Instrument Museum (BofA card members can get in free at certain times, check websites)*
73. Improv comedy show
74. NBA game
75. MLB game
76. NHL game
77. Visit an aquarium
78. Local high school sporting events*
79. University sporting events
80. Visit the Zoo
81. Visit the nearest rodeo
82. Go to the circus
83. Ride go-carts at a Raceway
84. Visit a home décor store (like Pier 1 or Crate and Barrel) and each of you takes a turn design a dream room in your house or apartment separately, pretending money is no object.  Meet up and give each other a “tour” of the items in your room. *
85. Paint pottery at a paint your own pottery shop (like Color Me Mine or As You Wish)
86. Miniature golfing
87. Arcade games (like Dave and Busters or Gameworks)
    

    Creative Date Ideas You’ll Both Love

88. Ride the light rail and enjoy people watching*
89. Go to a drive-in movie
90. Visit a car show (like Barrett Jackson) when they are in town (score points with your husband)
91. Walk through IKEA, it’s an experience all its own!  (and there are cheap Swedish meatballs)*
92. Go to a bookstore and share your favorite books with each other  (you can even read your favorite children’s books to each other)*
93. Go to a bookstore and look at the travel section.  Plan your dream vacation on your own and then present yours to your spouse and listen to their ideas too.*
94. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, nursing home, or women’s shelter*
95. Visit your local “Movies in the Park” during spring or summer offering (usually free)*
96. Visit a planetarium and learn about the solar system
97. Visit your state’s science center*
98. Test-drive cars you have no intention of buying*
99. Go look at model homes or home shows and pretend you’re in the market*
100. Go see lights at Christmas, just the two of you*
101. Watch a local band’s show (often free)*
     

Hopefully, these creative date ideas help you plan your next date night with ease- happy dating!