Looking for fun activities to amp up your dates? Have you found yourself in a dating rut, going out for food at the same few restaurants or meeting for coffee at the same old cafe? And who has the time or energy to think of wild and crazy date ideas? The struggle to find suitable date ideas is real. While it might seem impossible to break out of the dinner-and-a-movie date night routine, it’s surprisingly easy to think of new ideas. Here are nine of our favorite date night ideas that will keep your dating life fresh!
1. Spend the Day at the Beach
Nothing beats the beach. There’s no feeling quite as relaxing as sprawling out on a beach blanket, surrounded by sand and the sound of the crashing of the waves. Bringing your date to the beach is a great way to unwind together and enjoy the sun and sand! Make sure you bring a cooler with some snacks so you can enjoy the ambiance of the ocean while you eat. For a more romantic twist, head for the beach at sunset and bring a picnic basket with wine, cheese, and crackers. Or bring a few mixers and make a cocktail – dare we suggest that a Sex on the Beach might be appropriate?
2. Go For a Hike
Going hiking is one of our favorite fun date activities. Almost everybody can appreciate nature, and chances are there’s a state park or even a national park within a short distance of where you live. Set out early and bring some healthy smoothies for the hike in, or pack some sandwiches and have a nice picnic when you get to a scenic overlook. You can incorporate other fun activities into the hike: bird watching is a challenging and fun way to get outside and learn something new together, plus you can giggle at the silly bird names.
Speaking of giggling together, hiking is an excellent way to bond because it’s easy to chat while you walk. Having a physical outlet to burn energy and let you move your body can help soothe your nerves and keep the conversation flowing along. And when you’re out in a beautiful park on a hike, you’ll find that the scenic surroundings provide plentiful conversation fodder.
3. Have a Spa Date
Work and life can be downright exhausting. Unfortunately, so can dating. But the good news is that the need for respite and relaxation brings us to our next date night activity: bring your partner out on a spa date! Modern men can enjoy the spa just as much as any girl can. Even a burly police officer or a masculine truck mechanic can enjoy the sensation of relaxation at the spa. If you and your man need some time off your feet, book a couple’s pedicure and sprawl out next to one another in the big, cozy spa chairs while the techs massage your soles with hot rocks. Perhaps your man will even be willing to try a couple’s mud bath, or even better, the couple’s massage! You can relax together and be pampered to your heart’s content with your favorite person. Thirsty? The spa will probably provide mimosas or even a nice glass of wine to help you relax into the experience.
4. Game Night
One of our favorite fun date activities is game night! While this might bring up memories of mom and dad arguing over the rules of Monopoly, game night can actually be a fun experience. For a classic game night experience with friends, have another couple or two over and play traditional board games like Clue. Do you like poker? Card games are a great date night idea with your special someone: you can pour some nice drinks and see who collects the most chips. For those more adventurous couples, there’s always strip poker!
If your date is a more modern man, there’s a good chance he likes to play video games. Why not set up a gaming night together? For those who need to socially distance, a video game date can be a great way to have a good time from a distance. Whether it’s a racing game, a shooter, or an action or RPG game, playing together is a great way to bond together and have a ton of fun doing it.
5. Cook
Cooking may seem like a hassle, but for a couple looking to chill and spend time with each other, it’s a great activity. The first step is to decide what you want to cook together. You could be feeling sweet and decide to make an apple pie, or maybe you want something savory and you decide to cook a pizza together. Whatever you have a hankering for, pick out a recipe and get started. Put on some fun music and pour yourselves some wine and get started! Cooking together is a great way to bond as a couple and get to know one another better. As an added bonus, you get tasty food out of it!
What if you’re not a great cook, and neither is your date? Relax! This is a great time to learn together, and having a similar skill level will keep you on an even playing field with your date. And really, in the worst-case scenario, your food is terrible, and you can simply order a pizza.
6. Try an Escape Room
An escape room is a fantastic date night idea. You and your date will be placed into a scenario where you must work together to find clues and solve puzzles to escape the room before the timer runs out! The need for cooperation makes escape rooms a fun challenge for couples to solve together, and most escape room facilities have unique and clever theme ideas. Some escape room themes include being in a zombie apocalypse, solving a crime on a train, or being a cowboy solving a crime in the old west! Whether you escape or run out the clock, it’s a date you’ll never forget! You could even bring some mutual friends or another couple to add a new dimension to the game.
7. Play Mini Golf
A seriously underrated date night idea is mini-golf. Mini golf is pleasantly silly and a very casual activity that you can enjoy without having to put a lot of effort into it. But even though it’s silly and fun, mini-golf does require some planning and skill to win at — unless you’re a naturally lucky person. The wacky course designs and obstacles provide a handy topic for conversation, and if you and your date have a good rapport, you can even engage in some witty banter while you compete. To make it interesting, place a bet: whoever comes in second must treat the winner to ice cream!
8. Race Go-Karts
When it comes to fun date activities, Go-Karting probably never crossed your mind. This is a shame because taking your date to the go-kart track is a ridiculously fun way to spend some time together. You can race for first place and let your competitive side fly on the track. Don’t be afraid to beat the pants off him, either: you’ll get to enjoy bragging rights forever when you smoke him on the go-karts. This activity might just be fun enough to earn a spot on your regular date rotation. Rev those motors, ladies!
9. Play Charades
Charades is a classic game, and it can be a goofy way to unwind with your partner. If you’ve never played before, the premise is that you try to mime out a word, phrase, or activity. You can’t speak, and your partner must guess what you mean. Silly? Absolutely. Fun? Definitely. Charades is even more fun the more people you get involved: if you have any couple friends you can have people bring wine and snacks and enjoy an evening of light-hearted fun as a group.
When it comes to fun date activities, it can seem daunting to think of new and exciting ideas. It’s so easy to get caught in a rut these days: coffee on the weekend, a nice dinner during the week, and maybe the occasional movie. But there are so many more unique and fun dates you can have! The list we’ve provided you here is just the beginning. With a bit of imagination and communication, you and your partner can come up with endless date ideas to keep your relationship vivacious and fun. Whatever you decide to do, just remember to relax, be yourself, and have a good time. Because no matter what the date is, the best part about it should be spending the time together.
