This article is co-written by Kelsey Curran and Jayson Schmidt.
Time flies by when you’re having fun and, for the most part, life is full of laughs and friends and each sundown comes before we’re ready to say goodbye. If you’re not intentional, you won’t be investing in the things that are important to you. While these date ideas are written by a couple, they’re things you can (and should) do with your friends too.
Jayson and I have been dating for a while now and love to change it up! (I promise you one thing, dating an Enneagram 7 is always an adventure.) We didn’t go to a movie together for probably the first 8 months of our relationship. Even today, it’s never been a date night. (Well ok, there was that one hockey documentary we saw together… but does that really count?) We’re not good at sitting still and neither of us drink coffee so the typical movie and coffee first dates were out.
If you’re looking for some new ideas, check out some of our favorite things:
- Home Depot Date
Great for: Problem-solving, Communication, Productivity
Do you love the smell of lumber? Do rows and rows of toilets get your creative juices flowing? Home Depot might be a surprisingly perfect date spot.
While I (Jayson) wouldn’t say that I am the biggest Home Depot aficionado, Kelsey is the veritable queen of fixing, which means she’s happy to find any reason to go. And you know what? It’s great. I get to pace around pretending to be big-manly-fix-it-man while she does the real shopping.
This really boils down to love languages. While my top is words of affirmation, hers is quality time and Home Depot. Put them together and you’ve got a great date.
It doesn’t have to be a big project! Maybe you found something at a thrift store and it needs to be repainted. Or maybe you just want to start a garden and learn how to grow your own herbs.
- Spontaneous Travel Date
Great for: Rest, Exploring, Learning
When was the last time you didn’t overplan a trip? For us, that was early last… never. We’re both Type-A planners, but occasionally it’s refreshing to travel on a whim.
Just this week, we booked two JetBlue tickets to Atlanta for a 24-hour getaway. (And, because of Jayson’s nature to watch for any possible deal, the grand total was only $52.60! That’s $26.30 per person. We’ll spend more on airport snacks, no doubt! So if travel and exploring is important, keep those deal notifications on!)
My (Jayson) favorite thing about spontaneous trips is that you open yourself up for new adventures. While on a 24-hour trip to New York, we stumbled into the Sony Square storefront near Madison Square Park. It was completely unplanned, but we found ourselves immersed in colorful backdrops with $4,000 cameras in hand. Those photographs became some of the most cherished photos we’ve ever taken (and–I know what you’re wondering–yes, you do look better with a $4,000 camera).
We booked the Atlanta flights with JetBlue, but you can check out TravelPirates.com for deals and a friend recently turned us on to OnTheGrid.city for ideas.
- Rock Climbing Date
Great for: Communication, Trust, Exercise
Hanging precariously from a rope, sixty feet off the ground. Yup. Sounds like a great way to build trust. Rock climbing is a great, active workout that forces you to put your life in another person’s hands. It’s great for communication, too. You never realize your communication deficiencies until your arms are shaking and you’re begging your partner to tighten the rope.
If heights aren’t your thing, you could try Top Golf/Drive Shack, Ice Skating, or even a Ninja Lounge!
- Pick-An-Outfit Date
Great for: Communication, Trust, Affirmation, Fun
This is just a spin on a traditional night out. Instead of looking in your closet to pick out your own outfit, go to the mall with a budget and pick out your date’s outfit. (Pro-tip: Keep the receipts.)
Honestly, Kelsey here, this was one of the best and hardest dates for me. It was so much fun seeing Jays run around and find things he liked or thought I would, but some of the options almost gave me hives. I’m so picky and absolutely love being in control, especially of myself. But this date was a great lesson in letting go and having fun. Be weird with your date and let the night be just about the two of you.
If you’re sticking to a budget, raid the other person’s closet and create a unique look.
- Work Date
Great for: Productivity, Balance, Life
Ugh. This sounds so lame, but honestly this is probably the most common date we have and I’m convinced it’s the only way we function. I (Jayson) am a college lacrosse coach and Kelsey is a freelance designer so our jobs don’t have the normal time constructs of “clocking out.” It may not be sexy, but sometimes with our hectic schedules the only way we can see each other is if we head to a coffee shop and grind (pun intended) on our projects for hours.
- Second First Date
Great for: Gratefulness, Nostalgia
Do you remember the magic of that first date? And the butterflies? And the crippling nerves? Of course! But the great thing about planning a second first date is that you can relive that original magical night without the gut-wrenching unease of accidentally telling a guy you read every blog he’s ever written since 2006. (Oh, please! Jayson wrote that… but I am not and will never be embarrassed of that.)
Go back to the original spot. Get the same drink. Remember the conversation and celebrate how far you’ve come.
- Game Night Date
Great for: Teamwork, Competition, Community
Friends and games are two of our favorite things. We don’t often watch movies or shows, but we’re all about schooling the other in Uno Flip or Monopoly Deal. So make it a group affair. Invite another couple or your ten closest friends and make a night of it! It helps bring your circles a little closer while getting out some of the competitive nature we all have hidden inside.
- Counseling Date
Great for: Healing, Growth, Connection
Maybe you wouldn’t call a counseling appointment a “date” …but if dating is about getting to know someone more and building a greater connection, then this definitely counts!
Prior to our first counseling appointment, I (Jayson) was nervous, as I’m sure many people are. “Counseling? What is this? I don’t need counseling.” But we had some rough patches and wanted to intentionally choose health. And sometimes that looks like asking for help. We never ambushed the other with questions we hadn’t already asked one-on-one, but still new things came up and we’ve seen incredible growth and trust built because we saw the other humbly come to a common space to seek a greater partnership.
If it sounds too expensive, try simply asking hard questions and creating a safe space. Listen more than you talk.
- Thrifting Challenge Date
Great for: Competition, Finances
We both love to frequent the local thrift shop, but this idea is actually one we’ve yet to try. The premise is this: head into a thrift shop with a bill in hand ($5, $10, $20) and buy something that you think you can sell on Craigslist, OfferUp, or Facebook Marketplace. Whoever flips their item for the highest margin wins.
If you want to keep it going, take the profits to a different thrift shop the next week and try again. Keep a running tally! Before you know it, that small investment could turn into your next spontaneous travel budget!
This is just a few of our favorites, but we keep a running list (our “To-Date List”) of things we want to do, places we want to check out, or people we want to see.
Highly recommend starting your own! Think of things your person loves. Maybe it’s cooking at home in your sweatpants, maybe it’s a drive-in movie, or maybe dinner out with the in-laws.
At the end of the day, I believe dates are just about becoming better friends, better communicators, and better people. What are areas you want to work on? Find something that targets that and make a night of it! Find your thing!
Kelsey is a freelance web and graphic designer that is both addicted to her work and also obsessed with everything outside of it. If she’s not coding or designing, she’s probably planning a game night or exploring the aisles of Home Depot.