Free Date Ideas
1.
Play a Team Sport: Get some
friends together for a game of basketball, touch football, volleyball, or
soccer. Make sure you and your date wind up on the same team. Working together
as a team can help the two of you bond?
2.
Create Bucket Lists: Get
together and have each person create a list of things they’d like to do before
they die. When the lists are complete, read each other’s and see if you share
any goals.
3.
Attend a Car or RV Show: Most
car and RV shows are free to attend, and they can be lots of fun. Pick out your
dream car, or get cozy in a motor home.
4.
Go Seining: Take a
seine net to a beach, lake, or river and see what you catch. You’re sure to
haul in some interesting critters, and you might just bring in dinner.
5.
Smell the Wildflowers: Do
some advanced scouting to find where wildflowers are growing. Take your date to
see them. You might want to bring a long a book on the subject to help you
identify the different flowers.
6.
Make a Movie: Make home
movies of you and your date acting silly. If things work out between the two of
you, those videos will be cherished reminders of your first dates.
7.
People Watch: I love
people watching! Most humans do, and it’s free and can be done practically
anywhere.
8.
Visit a Gourmet Food Market: If your romantic interest is into foods and cooking, take
them to a gourmet market. Free samples are often offered, and you might want to
take home a snack for both of you to enjoy.
9.
Hunt for Native American Artifacts: I love searching for spear points and pieces of old pottery.
All you need is a field, a sharp eye, and a sturdy pair of legs. The best time
to look is after a good rain. The best places are often located near sources of
water, like natural lakes, rivers, streams, and springs.
10. Bird Watching: Pack some cold beverages, a field guide, and some binoculars
and head to a field, meadow, or forest to do some birding.
11. Architecture Tour: Every town includes some interesting architecture, and that
includes yours. Brush up a little on your knowledge of different styles and
periods and give your date a tour.
12. Flashlight Tag: Did you play this when you were a kid? Basically, it’s like
hide-and-seek in the dark. You’ll get the chance to jump out and grab your
date!
13. Nighttime Frisbee: You, your date, darkness, and a glow-in-the-dark Frisbee can
provide for a fun, free date.
14. Window Shopping: Window shopping doesn’t cost a dime, and it can be lots of
fun. Strolling the streets, hand in hand, can also be a good way of making
first physical contact.
15. Pet Shops: If your date is interested in fish and animals, browsing a
local pet shop can be fun. Most have dogs, cats, rabbits, and other small furry
mammals, along with lots of fish tanks.
16. Visit an Artisan
Community: This is enjoyable for anyone
interested in arts and craftsmanship. You might see potters, glass blowers,
blacksmiths, carvers, or leather crafters at work.
17. Show and Tell with
Photos: This is a great way to get to know each
other better. Invite your special person to share childhood pics with you. Have
yours ready, too. Don’t forget your old yearbooks! Viewing old photographs can
be wonderful conversation starters.
18. Ghost Stories: Light a candle and share some spooky ghost stories with each
other. The inherent scares often lead to some cuddling!
19. Hit the Beach: I know very few people who don’t enjoy a day at the beach.
Even when it’s too cold to swim, there’s still plenty to do. fish, make sand
castles, create sand sculptures, or search the sand for shells and sharks’
teeth.
20. Sing-Along: If you play a musical instrument, or if you have a friend who
does, invite your interest over for a casual sing-along.
21. Library/Bookstore Date:
Browse a library or bookstore and point out the books you
read and liked. Get feedback from your guy or girl, too. You can really learn a
lot about someone by their taste in literature.
22. Aromatherapy: Take turns blindfolding each other and identifying different
scents. Use perfumes, fresh fruits, herbs, and spices. This is a good way to
identify “turn on” scents for your significant other.
23. Attend a Church Event: Church events are often free, and if you and your date share
the same faith or religion, they can make for pleasant dates. Of course,
regular services are always available, but many churches also host ice cream
socials, plays, musical performances, and suppers.
24. Snow Play: In the winter, you can spend an afternoon playing in the snow
– sledding, making snow angels, building a snowman, or snowmobiling. Bring
along a big thermos of hot chocolate.
25. Go Bike Riding: Grab a couple of bicycles and go for a ride in a park, on a
bike trail, or in the country. Load a backpack with cold drinks and snacks.
26. Photo Shoot: Take your camera and go on a picture-taking adventure. Visit
parks, old barns, orchards, and lakes. Even city streets can provide some great
photo ops, and you’ll have some photographs of your love interest, to boot.
27. Go for a Walk: Walking is a simple way to enjoy the company of a special
person. Choose a pretty area that’s quiet, or stroll a sidewalk in a busy city.
28. Catch Fireflies: Yeah, I’m sure this sounds “cheesy” to some of you, but I
still enjoy it, and I’m over fifty. You’ll need to find a spot that’s near a
lot of trees and foliage, and the best time to go is usually a summer night.
Take along some clean jars with lids. After you catch a firefly and admire it,
please release it, unharmed.
29. Visit a Farm: Visiting a farm is a great way to get up close to Nature, and
many farms are open to the public. In fact, you might know someone who owns a
farm and is more than willing to have you and your date as guests.
30. Volunteer: Are you and/or your date an altruistic type? If so, spend
some time volunteering at a soup kitchen, animal shelter, or nursing home.
31. Brewery Tour: Many breweries offer free tours of their facilities, often
with some sampling along the way.
32. Vineyard Tour: Like breweries, lots of vineyards provide free tours to the
public, and you’ll probably have the chance to taste some of the vintages at
the end of the tour.
33. Antiquing: Spend an afternoon browsing some antique shops. Find out
which items or period your date likes best. Discuss how you’d refinish or
restore a few pieces.
34. Shelling: Collecting shells on the beach is a wonderful way to get to
know each other. The pressure’s off because you have a specific purpose, but
there’s still plenty of time for chatting.
35. Game Night: Have your date and another couple over for an old-fashioned
game night. Drag out some board games, a deck or cards, or Twister. Have some
snacks and drinks on hand, too.
