Dinner and a movie is a great go-to date for so many couples, but why not shake things up a bit and make your dates even more interesting? Here are five fun date ideas from author/blogger Carrie Starr.
1. The Photo Bombers
Act like tourists in your hometown or nearby city. Head to the most popular destinations where people are bound to be taking photos—statues, fountains, museums, art galleries. You can also try sporting venues, trampoline parks, or Planet Hollywood. Wherever there are cameras, that’s where you’re headed. Sneak into the background of as many pictures as possible until your uncontrollable laughter gives you away. While you’re at it, take a few fun pics of your own to remember the outing.
2. The Grocery Hunt Picnic
Enjoy the ultimate indoor (or outdoor) picnic experience. Begin with both of you creating a separate shopping list of five to 10 crazy picnic food items. Make your selections as unique and outlandish as possible. Head to the local grocery store together. Grab separate carts and trade lists. Now it’s a race to see who can find the other person’s items first. The check-out line serves as the finish line. After you’ve declared a winner, take the mother-load of assorted goods to the local park (or a blanket in the living room/dorm room/heated garage) for a fantastic feast.
3. The Unknown Adventure
One person plans everything for the evening. Dinner and a movie. Improv comedy. Wii boxing tournament. You decide. Once you’ve finalized the plans, cut out words and letters from old magazines or newspapers. Use these to write a ransom-style note explaining when and where you want your date to meet you. Put this in a bag with whatever your date needs to wear and/or bring for the big night ahead. Drop this off at your date’s home or place of work. Let the adventure begin!
4. The Netflix Fortress
Grab all of the chairs and blankets you can find. Arrange the chairs in a rectangle and cover them with the blankets. Line the floor between the chairs with pillows and you now have the perfect fortress for two. After grabbing an armful of your favorite cinema snacks, climb in the fort with your laptop or tablet. Stretch out on the pillows and enjoy a great movie in your private theater. If you’re up for a marathon, watch an entire season of a classic TV show.
5. The Road Less Traveled
Choose a destination about an hour’s drive away—a cool city, a friend’s house, a new coffee shop. Stay off the highway and meander along the back roads. Make a few wrong turns on purpose. Stop and take some impromptu pictures at the surprising scenery. Crank up the radio and sing along together. Take as long as possible to get wherever you’re going. Repeat on the way home to double your fun.
Carrie Starr is the author of Marriage Adventures: The Secret to an Extraordinary Life Together. She, her husband Erv, and their children live in New York. Keep up with Carrie at MarriageAdventures.org or on Twitter @AdventureCarrie.
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