50 Creative Date Ideas to Keep Your Relationship Fun

Whether you're just starting to date, are dating someone seriously, are newly married, or have been married for some time, it's always important to make time for your special someone. It's easy to get in a rut doing the same things on dates (or not go on them for lack of ideas). But with a little planning you can have dates that will give you new experiences and deepen your relationship, while keeping it fun!

1. Go hiking in the evening and watch the sun set on the mountain top
2. Set up a scavenger hunt for your date with clues in places you've had memories at
3. Visit a wishing well or pond with a roll of pennies and say wishes aloud and thow them in
4. Build a bon fire in the canyon and roast hot dogs, marshmallows, starburst, etc.
5. Get up early to watch the sunrise then make breakfast together
6. Videotape your own movie that you write, using props from around your home/apartment
7. Buy cheap kites and fly them at a local park
8. Gather pictures and make a scrapbook of your memories
9. Go on a bike ride around town or up a trail
10. Go on a scavenger hunt in your neighborhood to collect ingredients to make cookies together
11. Get paper and a clip board and conduct survey (random questions) on people you meet in a public place
12. Read a book together outdoors on a blanket (or indoors by a fire)
13. Take a class together you'll both enjoy, learning a new sport or finding a new hobby
14. Have a candle light picnic dinner in the park
15. Visit a nearby pond and feed the ducks and your own picnic lunch
16. Go to a thrift store with $5 each and see who can find the best (or ugliest) outfit, wear it on your date
17. Set up your own drive in movie with a projector in your your yard, garage or up the canyon while you watch inside your car or on blankets
18. If you have a large group, play some good old fashioned night games together
19. Play frisbee after dark with glow sticks to light up the frisbees
20. Play bingo at your local grocery store with a bingo card you created including random items, such as, scrunchies, spandex pants or hiking boots. Split up and see who gets "bingo" first
21. Build an indoor fort with blankets and tables then watch a movie or play a game inside
22. On a hot day play a game of water balloon volley ball or swimming pool kickball (kiddie pool for home base)
23. Eat a picnic lunch in an unusual spot, such as a round-a-bout or in the back of a truck
24. Play frisbee golf at a local park, then stop off for smoothies on the way back
25. Go on a nature walk and collect wild flowers, bring along a bagged lunch
26. Go to a dollar stores and puchase gifts for each other to have an unbirthday party. Have a contest for who bought the most creative or coolest present
27. Have a baking contest where each couple makes a different item of food/dessert
28. Attend live entertainment together, such as a local band or play
29. Make finger foods for dinner and feed each other
    
30. Make a mixed cd of all your favorite songs that have meaning to you as a couple
31. Even if you can't sing, take turns singing ballads for free at karaoke.com
32. Visit your local farmers market and buy a lemonade or fresh fruit to snack on
33. Paint mugs at a make-your-own shop.
34. Stop by a local bakery and buy a treat for each other
35. Take a horseback riding class together
36. Hit a bucket of balls together at a golf driving range
37. Build a snowman together then drink hot cocoa by a fire
38. Take a class at the college together to learn a new hobby, such as pottery or jewelry making
39. Go paint balling in a wooded area
40. Rent some tandem bikes and ride around town or on a trail
41. Visit your local zoo and bring a packed lunch
42. Decorate your apartment to look like you're in a foreign country and cook food to go along with the theme
43. Find a place to go Geocaching, which involves finding hidden treasure using a handheld gps
44. Bake tinfoil dinners and eat around a campfire snuggled in blankets and share your favorite memories
45. Buy some flowers and give them to random people on the street that seem to need cheering up
46. Visit a local orchard and pick fruit together to include in a picnic lunch
47. Wake up early, grab a flashlight and hike up the mountain to watch the sunrise and the city wake up
48. Wash your cars together (accidently get each other wet)
49. Plant a tree, vegetable or plant together
50. Dodge sprinklers at a public park or golf course to see who remains the driest

Original article posted to Examiner.com. Photo credits: FreeDigitalPhotos.net/PhotoStock

Love in Marriage: Making Time for Each Other

The average American family today is often overwhelmed with a variety of means that take their time and attention. If you're like me, you often find it challenging to schedule date night or even have time to communicate effectively. Between work, school schedules, and the daily routine our time feels stretched between life's demands. It's also easy to focus on the kids' needs and forget that our relationship needs nurtured, too. Over time it can prove detrimental to a relationship that was once strong (but don't worry, you can work on that).

Making more time for your partner:

• Leave a notepad on the counter to write sweet notes when coming and going if unable to see each other during the day
• Make it a habit to call or text your partner on your lunch break at work to see how her day is going
• Put a note with his lunch just to say “I love you”
• Schedule a date night at least once or twice a month, and be creative in finding new things to do
• Write a love letter sharing your commitment and feelings

                                                Image courtesy of Simon Howden/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

• Set aside some uninterrupted time in the evenings to talk about your day and plans for the week
• Keep a calendar available to track your schedules so you’ll know when your partner will be home
• Try to plan at least one activity each week you can both look forward to having the time to do together
• Surprise your spouse with a gift, flowers, tickets to an event, etc. "just because"
• Become more interested in hobbies your partner enjoys and do them together
• Plan a weekend getaway in advance so you will both have time off from work (or a babysitter for the kids) and can have time for just the two of you                           
     
  
                                           Image courtesy of num_skyman/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
• Keep the romance alive by being spontaneous and fun in the bedroom
• Make a big deal about anniversaries-- and not just the marriage date, but first date, first kiss, became boyfriend/girlfriend, etc. Remember them and find some way to celebrate that's special to you both
• Above all, communicate often with your partner and try to be understanding and accepting of each other, your needs, and ambitions in life

Have more ideas? Please share them in the comments!

Ten Memorable Anniversary Date Ideas

Celebrate your anniversary right this year with a romantic date that will say to him, “I love you even more than the day we said ‘I do’”. Make your partner see that you remember what it was like to fall in love with her and that you want to feel that way day after day.

1. Re-enact a Special Date:  Think along the lines of first date, first kiss, proposal, etc.  Set up the date “scene” as closely as you can remember to re-capture the beginning of your relationship all over again.
2. Create a Book about Your Life Together:  Collect pictures of when you were dating, your wedding day, family road trips, holidays and celebrations, births of children and other meaningful times.  Add captions depicting memories of your lives together as a couple.
3. Picnic at the Place You Got Engaged: If the place is too far away re-enact it the best you can.  Enhance the romance with a candle-lit dinner and dressing in formal wear.  Reminisce on the feelings you both had on that particular day.
4. Have a Romantic Spa Day in Your Home:  Relax in a hot tub or jetted tub, give each other massages and enjoy time to unwind together.
5. Splurge on a Honeymoon Style Dinner:  Think of your favourite meal while on your honeymoon and have it catered and served to you in your home or a hotel.  Have other activities from your honeymoon planned for the day.
6. Visit a Bed and Breakfast Close to Home:  You don’t always need to travel far to get a vacation from every-day life.  Order room service and simply delight in your free time away from work and other responsibilities. 
7. Two-activity Date Night:  Accommodate your loved one by each picking something you have tried to get your partner to do.  For instance, go to a football game and then watch a chick-flick.  End with an activity you both enjoy like getting a frozen yogurt, and remember your care-free courting days.
8. Turn Your Home into a Vacation Spot:  Light some candles, change into comfortable clothes, and curl up in cozy blankets and pillows.  Turn off all electronics and spend the evening having take-out and meaningful conversation.
9. Drive-in Movie and Concession Stand:  Take a more “old-fashioned love story” approach by borrowing a screen and projector you can set up in your yard.  Watch a favourite movie together while snacking on popcorn and favourite treats.
10. Renew Your Vows:  Honour your commitment to each other by having a vow renewal ceremony.  Invite close family and friends and recreate your wedding day.  Don’t forget to hire a photographer to capture the special re-commitment.

However you choose to celebrate, a romantic anniversary date will build new memories and strengthen your relationship for years to come. You’ll find your love deepened and renewed as you recall just how you fell in love in the first place.

Photos credit: Free Digital Photos