I'm always on the lookout for some unique date ideas. Sure the whole dinner and a movie thing is great, but it gets old pretty fast. So, in honour of romance, I've compiled ten different date ideas to break out of the whole dinner and a movie rut.
1. Be a zookeeper for a day. Ok, for this one, there are two contingencies. One, you need to live in a city that is big enough to have a zoo. Two, they need to have this program at the zoo. However, you would be surprised how many zoos actually have this program. I did this date idea in Edmonton, Canada and I loved it. It provided conversation material throughout the date but, since you’re part of a group tour, any awkward lulls in the date were covered.
2. Rock climbing. If you want to up the ante of sexual tension in a date, give this one a go. You can check out your date’s body without being too obvious. After all, you’re just “spotting” him.
3. Brewery or wine tour. So, I am a little biased on this one. I love drinking and I have no qualms about admitting it. Anytime that there is an excuse to drink, I’m there…especially wine. Let’s face it, if you’ve only been on a few dates with this person, a couple of drinks will loosen the both of you up and the conversation will flow so much easier.
4. Lock yourself in a room together. Escape rooms are super popular right now and you can find them all over. It’s amazing what you can find out about someone when the pressure is raised just a little.
5. Brunch and the Farmer’s Market. This one just fills me with warm fuzzies. I love, love, love brunch for starter’s. Seriously, it’s not breakfast, it’s not lunch, it’s just a whole lotta yum!!!! After lingering over your cappuccino and eggs benedict, you can head out to the Farmer’s Market and peruse fresh vegetables and homemade crafts. It’s relaxing and pretty much any town has a restaurant and a Farmer’s Market.
6. Jazz Club. Jazz was made for romance. Imagine yourself sipping a glass of wine while jazz music plays, looking into your guy’s eyes. The atmosphere just sets you up for some great conversation where you can find out little tidbits about your mate that you had no idea about. If your town doesn’t have a jazz club, phone a couple of restaurants. Sometimes they have jazz nights.
7. Make a Scavenger Hunt. This idea will take some extra preparation but it’s so worth it. My husband did this one when he proposed to me and the day was amazing. Yeah, it was a proposal so of course it was amazing but still, this makes for a great date without the ring too. Choose locations that are significant to the two of you and then write clues which will lead your mate to the next location. You can send them to a coffee shop, a beach, a restaurant for lunch, a park, the mall, wherever. The sky (or your wallet) is the limit!
8. Check out a street fair or a festival in your town. Have you ever gone into work on Monday and asked what everyone did over the weekend? There is always that one person that has a great story. “Oh, we checked out this festival or went to this nearby town to see that.” Why not be that person? Log onto your town’s website and I’m sure there is at least one event happening every week. Even if it turns out rather lame, you can still bond over your mutual dislike of the biggest yarn festival.
9. Take a hike. Yes, I’m sure you’ve read this one on countless lists but there is a reason. Heading out into nature relaxes you and provides the opportunity for some alone time. What you do with that alone time is up to you. ;-) If you do decide to get a little intimate out in the wild, though, just make sure to research what poison ivy looks like first so you don’t have any mishaps.
10. Head out on the water. Whether you decide to rent a boat, a kayak or a paddleboard, this one has fun written all over it. You’re soaking up the sun and having some laughs along the way.