Unique Date Ideas

When to Plan a Unique Date

When you first start dating someone, a unique date might not be the best choice. If you're meeting an online match for the first time, the tried-and-true coffee date is still a good idea. It gives you the chance to find out if you like each other, without requiring a large investment of effort or time.

Once you've been dating for a while, though, ordinary dates might start to get old. It's easy to get into a rut, doing the same thing every Friday night. Where can you turn for unique date ideas?

Books and Magazines

You local bookstore probably has a few volumes of ideas for "unique dates", and both men's and women's magazines have occasional articles on fun things to do. Of course, if you got it out of a book, it's not really unique! The best off-the-beaten track dates come from things you or your date are already interested in.

Mining Your Own Experience

What do you know that your date doesn't? Where have you been that he or she hasn't? Sharing something you love with your date is like inviting him or her into a special part of your life.

Here are some places and events to consider:

• Do you have a favorite park or hiking trail? Pack a picnic and show your date a place you love.
• Is there a food or an event you remember from childhood? Serve up your mom's mac-and-cheese recipe, or invite your date to opening day of the local amusement park.
• Do you have a talent or skill your date has admired? Plan an afternoon in your carpentry shop, or teach your date to ride your motorcycle.

Indulging Your Date's Interests

An important part of any relationship is showing the other person that you care about the things that interest them. Make a list of your date's favorite things, and of things you know they've always wanted to try. If you're lucky enough to have the money, you can fulfill her dream of a weekend in Paris or his longing to drive a race car. But even if you're on a shoestring budget, you can still attempt to make your date's dreams come true.

Try these simple ideas to find ways of delighting your date:

• Treat her to a lesson, or a series of lessons, in something she's always wanted to do. Go along and learn together.
• Look for events related to his interests. Watch for a reading by his favorite author, a lecture about a topic that intrigues him, or a concert by a band he's wondered about. Invite a barbeque fan to the local rib cook-off or a dog lover to an annual dog show.
• Take her to a place she loves. Does she talk about a childhood haunt, a bar in her old neighborhood, or a lake where she watched a beautiful sunset? Surprise her with a visit.

New Adventures Together

Sometimes, the best unique date ideas involve new adventures for both of you. It can be something wild and crazy like bungee jumping or something significant like a trip overseas. A new adventure can also be something smaller and close to home.

• Meet your date in a neighborhood neither of you has visited before. Have dinner in a restaurant you've never heard of.
• Take an evening stroll around your own neighborhood or your date's. If you usually drive, you'll find that you notice details you never saw before. If you've been dating a while, you can even talk about what sort of house you'd like to have together.
• Visit the grocery store together and pick out foods you've never tried. You might find exotic fruits and vegetables, ethnic items, or other specialties that are new to you. Cook dinner together, using only these new foods.

More Unique Date Ideas

The more you plan unique dates, the more you'll find that unique date ideas occur to you. If you and your date are a good match, no idea is too crazy — as long as it's safe and doesn't go beyond your budget. Do it right, and you'll soon find that your unique dates are the envy of all your friends. Don't be surprised if they start asking you for suggestions!