February 04, 2016

Totally bored with dinner and a movie? Here are 35 date ideas to try instead

35 Amazing Alternatives to Dinner and a Movie

Are you a "romantic dinner" on Valentine's Day type? Me, not so much.

Husbie and I have found our V-Day sweet spot. We'll either just order takeout (if it's a week night), or pick fancy recipes out to cook together (if it's a weekend) and rent a movie on Valentine's Day.

Because for us, going out to a "romantic dinner" on February 14 just seems so forced. But doing nothing doesn't seem like it celebrates our love either. So. Sweet spot. :)

But, for all the other days of the year, we love going on dates and doing somethings special. And

while ruts happen, we love not being stuck in one... :)

So, whether you're planning a big V-Day blowout (you are a total inspiration), your next first date, or just need an idea for the next time you can wrangle a sitter, here are 35 ideas for a badass Date Night.

Do a cross word together at a coffee shop (or in your jammies with bedhead). You'll be able to buy the newspaper right there...
Go bowling or play pool or darts or skee ball (my favorite) or air hockey. Maybe there's a wager involved?
Host a board game night (could also be a dinner party with friends). Up the ante by giving whoever wins the most by the end of the night something as wholesome as dessert or as risque as you'd like. Good two person games include Bananagrams, Set, Fluxx, Spot It - or go old school with Battleship, Connect Four, Trouble, etc!
Head to a concert at a venue you've never been to
Check out a sporting event: baseball, roller derby, tennis, basketball...
Mosey around the farmer's market. Get breakfast or brunch, or get the fixins to cook your own brunch afterwards.
Go for a long bike ride
Check out a comedy club. Because laughter is the best medicine, and belly laughs are like a stomach massage. In my absolutely not medical opinion.
Decorate a sidewalk with some chalk. Reach for that inner Picasso.
Show your smarts at a trivia night
Rent a convertible for a day (My mom worked for Ford and came home from work one weekend with one of those flipping adorable Thunderbird re-releases. Her plant made them. We never had so much fun tooling around town...)
Go roller skating. Go a little later and avoid throngs of adorable kiddos...
Head to a thrift store and pick out outfits for one another. Which you should maybe then wear on the next part of your date... Themes, or celebrity impersonation can also be a really fun idea to incorporate here.
Be a tourist in your own town (because who ever does the touristy stuff where they live?!?) Hit a museum, go to a landmark, take a walking tour... And maybe even crash in a hotel. (And we just heard about the app Hotel Tonight for good deals on last minute hotel rooms...)
Play frisbee on the beach. Make smores. Pick strawberries. Pick blueberries. Pick apples. Carve a pumpkin. Decorate a gingerbread house. Go ice skating or sledding. Take a carriage ride under a big wooly warm lap blanket. Do something fun and seasonal.
Go fly a kite.
Take a class: cooking, rock climbing, dance (swing, salsa, line...), couples massage, ceramics, sailing...
Put a puzzle together together (hee hee).
Go out taking pictures. Spend your time together looking for beauty waiting to be documented. Or concentrate on the beauty in each other...
Mini-road trip, also known as a day trip... :) Check out something rural if you're a city dweller (could be a U-Pick farm, a State Park, a historical society museum), or a city if you're out in the 'burbs or country (take an architecture tour, hit up a museum, or just be a food tourist). And there's always trouble to be found! You might be headed to a random museum, conservatory, arboretum, or other local attraction, or maybe you're just taking the road that isn't the highway to check out all the towns you always drive by but never stop in. Whether you're on a hike or spending the day wandering and window shopping, you'll both enjoy the change of pace.
Go fishing. Taking gummy worms with you is highly encouraged.
Pick a fancy recipe out of a cookbook and make it. That's how we ended up with the most amazing rack of lamb in our kitchen last Valentine's Day... It still makes my mouth water...
Stay up late and stargaze. Or watch the sunset. Or the full moon rise. Or, go to a planetarium!
Go on a picnic! Chez La Vie en Orange, our picnics always include fancy cheese, summer sausage, olives, baguettes and fresh veggies. Plus chocolate. And usually wine... It can be glorious. It can be in your living room, in your backyard, or even in the back of your car or under a pavilion if you get rained out.
Go on a doughnut crawl to taste all the best doughnuts in your city!
Host a chocolate tasting at home: there are so many different regions, and percentages of dark chocolate. Tasting them all side-by-side will be delicious, enlightening, and fun! Other things you could sample: wine or bourbon, craft beer, coffee (might be easier to do this out and about)
Perform a science experiment. This one with cookies would be my choice, but making a volcanic eruption would be pretty sweet too... YouTube also has lots of ideas...
Take a train ride. Maybe it's the Amtrak, maybe it's a dinner train, maybe it's a streetcar...
Have a progressive dinner! Get apps at one restaurant, entrées at another, and dessert at a third, or plan a progressive dinner party with friends where each couple hosts a course.
Take a hike or walk through a city park. Better yet, visit a park you've never been to.
Garden together. There's something fun about getting dirt under your nails and planting something that's gonna be around for while with the person you love.
Go to a flea market, or yard sale-ing. See who has better negotiation skills or who discovers the best treasure!
Have your fortune told
Go backyard camping
Go on a scavenger hunt (for help organizing, because why reinvent the wheel, check out scavenger-hunt.org)

Some are better for a date with someone you're close to, and some work super well for a first day or beyond. :) Some ideas are lower budget, some are for outings when you have a little more to spend. Hopefully they all have you thinking about the fun you could have...

What's your favorite date idea? What did you do on your favorite date? Please comment below to add to the list!