Forget dinner and a movie. Break out of a rut with one or more of these creative plans.
When you first started dating, just about anything you did together seemed exciting. But now that you've been together awhile—decades, maybe—it's easy to feel like everything is old hat. Whether you've already been to every restaurant in town or you just don't have the budget to spring for fancy meals, you might start to feel like planning a date night isn't even worth it. You're wrong.
“If your recent date nights have become stale, or if they’ve been non-existent, opting for something original, distinctive and creative can put your relationship back on the right track and help you rediscover each other,” says online dating specialist Alex Reddle. “They don’t even need to take place away from your home, as long as you and your partner get the time that you need to simply focus on each other.”
Not feeling super creative? We're here to help. Here are six fun suggestions to explore.
Head to an old-school arcade.
Whether you used to score big with Pinball or loved racking up major points in Pac-Man, it's not too late to recapture your youth: Just make your way to a local arcade or bar (complete with a pinball machine, pool table and/or dart board). Playing games with each other is a great way to infuse fun, romance and even a bit of flirtatious energy back into your date night, says author Vikki Ziegler. "It will make you feel like a teenager again!"
Try an open mic night.
What better way to add a little excitement to date night than by agreeing to step outside your comfort zone? “Find a local venue that holds an open mic night and sign up," says author J. Hope Suis. "You can each do a solo act, or join forces for a duo. Maybe you sing, do a dramatic reading or try a comedy skit. So what if you have no real talent? The goal is to attempt something new together. At the end of the night, if you had fun and a new memory, you can consider it an award-winning performance.”
Camp out in your home.
Feeling a little cash-strapped? Sometimes a great date doesn't have to cost a lot—or take you farther than your living room. "Set up a romantic indoor tent featuring your favourite comfort food, whether it's popcorn or paté. Set the mood with flameless candles (for safety) or a string of holiday lights and watch your favourite movie or show,” suggests Bonnie Winston, a celebrity matchmaker and relationship expert.
Choose a volunteer project.
It might not sound sexy at first, but doing good together can help you and your spouse bond while affirming your shared beliefs. Just pick a local organisation or a cause that both of you fully stand behind and inquire about upcoming events and one-off volunteer opportunities. This option also offers flexibility, since your "date" doesn't necessarily have to be at night. “Get closer by serving together, whether that’s helping out at a soup kitchen, raking leaves for a single mum, babysitting for friends in need of a night out, or reading classics aloud at a nursing home," says Jeannie Assimos, chief of advice at the dating website eHarmony.
Cook with a trained chef.
If both of you are foodies and you’ve been to all the best restaurants in town more times than you’d like to admit, why not try your hand at haute cuisine in your own kitchen? Hire a chef to come cook beside you, or, if that's not possible, use an online service to Skype in a chef from anywhere in the world. “Hang up the keys, open a bottle of wine, get into the kitchen, and Skype a chef from Italy, Spain, Japan, Hungary, or elsewhere," says Jenn Nicken. "After a few hours 'together,' say goodbye to your personal chef and enjoy an awesome meal you cooked.”
Recreate your first date.
No matter how long it's been since you first met, it's never too late to turn back the clock and recapture some of those first-date butterflies. Think back to the very start and try to re-live every moment of it, suggests Justin Lavelle, a communications officer at a public records search platform that hosts a blog onsafe online dating. “Whatever your date consisted of, try to replicate it as closely as possible and celebrate the feeling of falling in love: Take pictures in a photo booth, play the same music in the car, get an ice cream cone, or cuddle on the couch and watch the same movie.”
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