100 Great Date-Night Ideas From silly to sweet to flat-out scorching, we've got togetherness tips for your every moodby Amy Keyishian | Dinner and a Movie
1. Go out for pizza — ask them to cut the pie into the shape of a heart.
2. Try live entertainment, such as a band at a local bar, instead of a movie.
3. Pick a TV show, get a season's worth on DVD and make a running date to watch it together every night.
4. Head out to a midnight cult movie, like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Showgirls or Donnie Darko.
5. How about dinner and some stargazing at the planetarium's evening show?
6. Try brunch and a matinee; fancy restaurants are way more affordable in the a.m.
7. Pick up a bucket of fried chicken and head for the drive-in.
Seductive Secrets
8. Put on your sexiest stilettos; sip fancy cocktails at a hotel bar.
9. Bubble bath for two. Candles. Champagne. Need we say more?
10. Oysters are said to be an aphrodisiac, so head to a seafood place and slurp them right out of the shell.
11. Take a dinner cruise: The motion of the ocean sets off sensuous signals inside us (think water beds).
12. Gooey, sexy, delicious: Get a fondue pot and have a feast. Add a French movie and French-kiss all night.
13. The sultriest music? Jazz. Try a trip to a jazz club or a night at home with a CD by Cassandra Wilson.
14. Make a finger-foods-only dinner and feed each other.
15. Cleavage is nice: Bump it up a notch with a push-up bra, a scoop-neck top and a sparkly necklace.
At-Home Dates
16. Take turns singing cheesy out-of-tune ballads at karaoke.oddcast.com or free karaoke.com.
17. Have your own version of trick-or-treating: Put on a sexy outfit and knock on the den door. Don't forget the treats!
18. Enjoy a rousing game of Twister.
19. Dress up your backyard picnic table with a white tablecloth. Add candles, fancy cheese, chocolate and voilà: five-star fun.
20. Too cold or wet for an outdoor picnic? Spread a blanket on the floor and have a carpet picnic.
21. Make a mixed tape or CD.
22. Create a beer garden: Scour local stores for unusual beers.
23. Invest in an ice-cream maker or a bread maker; then invent your own homemade treats.
24. Curl up with the Sunday crossword puzzle.
25. Order live lobsters, plop them in a pot and have yourselves a shore thing. (Try livelob.com, which even has a cooking guide.)
26. Bring home your favorite fast food, but serve it on your best china.
Cheap Dates
27. Museums usually have one free night a week, so hit one then.
28. Find a happy hour with 10-cent wings and two-dollar draft beers.
29. Take a sketchpad to a scenic bluff and draw your own version of the vista.
30. Grab a basketball and hit the free courts at the park.
31. Sample international food at a street fair.
32. Hit the local video arcade.
33. Go to the library and page through the coffee-table art books.
34. Suit up and spend a late afternoon at the indoor pool of the Y.
35. Head to the highest point in town. Spend an early evening watching the twinkling lights turn on.
36. Find a bridge and walk across it; the view can't be beat.
37. Visit the hothouse at your local botanical garden.
38. Drive out to a country field, lie down and snuggle under the stars.
39. Make yourselves the biggest, craziest ice cream sundae ever.
Creative Dates
40. Take a tour of the house you'd (someday) love to own.
41. Paint coffee mugs at a paint-your-own-pottery place.
42. Get your palms read.
43. Fly a kite.
44. Sign up for a one-night class at your local college.
45. Hit a farmers' market and scavenge for your dinner.
46. Get an easy-to-operate remote-control plane, go to a park and take turns trying to avoid the trees.
47. Take a hayride.
48. Hit a flea market and find a beautiful blanket to snuggle in together.
49. Take a tour of garage sales in the ritziest neighborhoods.
50. Don't you just drive each other up the wall sometimes? Prove it — at an indoor climbing gym.
51. Head to an ice skating rink and strap on skates for some icy fun.
52. Poke around an antique shop.
53. Ride the Ferris wheel at a local carnival.
54. Give each other haircuts.
55. Pick out the perfect frame for your favorite photo of the two of you.
Mini Dates
56. Find a fountain and throw in 10 pennies, taking turns making wishes.
57. Write a poem together.
58. Stop at a fancy bakery and pick out a treat each — for each other.
59. Feed the ducks.
60. Hold a kiss for one elevator ride.
61. One word: Frisbee.
62. Ride a tandem bike.
63. Get up early or stay up all night (wink, wink) to watch the sunrise.
64. Try this kissing challenge: 100 kisses in three hours.
65. Climb a tree together.
Man-Friendly Outings
66. Pick up The Girl's Guide to Football, by Peaco Todd, for a mini tutorial. Then join your guy at his next big game.
67. Take a test-drive of a fun sports car, such as the Nissan Z.
68. Head to a batting cage and swing at some balls.
69. Trim your fingernails, wear thick socks and hit the bowling alley.
70. Get in the saddle for a horseback-riding lesson.
71. Hit a sports bar and cheer on the team.
72. Map out a long bike ride through a local park.
73. Fire up the grill for burgers and sticky s'mores.
74. Play paintball.
75. Check out the action at the nearest racetrack.
76. A bar, beers and darts. Anyone up for some healthy competition?
77. Hit the golf-ball driving range.
78. Work out your aggressions with some co-kickboxing.
79. Sniff out a cigar bar and loll around, acting like Tony Soprano.
80. Unleash your inner pool shark and hit a dive bar or a pool hall.
Mini Getaways
81. Book a double massage at a fancy-schmancy spa.
82. Take a balloon or helicopter ride over your town.
83. Rent a fancy car. Tool around as if you actually own it.
84. Find a nearby bed-and-breakfast. Spend the night someplace where someone else makes the bed and cooks breakfast.
Outdoor Adventures
85. Grab a pair of binoculars and spend an afternoon bird-watching.
86. Log on to learner.org/jnorth to find out how to become a pair of butterfly spies.
87. Hit a hiking trail near you.
88. Take a whale-watching cruise. (Landlubbers, hit the aquarium!)
89. First snow? Call your man, make him run home and build a snowman.
90. Take a walk on the beach.
Culture Vulture
91. Check out the talent at a small local art gallery.
92. Get up and move: Try swing dancing, tangoing or square dancing.
93. See if your local college has a pottery studio and sign up for an evening class.
94. Amateur theater is fun to see — and even more fun to try out for.
95. Find out if a nearby wine store throws free wine tastings. Or try wineries, which often open their doors to curious customers.
96. Same goes for cheese shops. Call and ask if they have regular tasting parties.
97. Get all dressed up and catch an orchestra or opera performance.
Nostalgia Trips
98. Dig out that concert T-shirt: You're never too old to catch your favorite classic rock band on its reunion tour.
99. Take a local walking history tour.
100. Make a time capsule about your dating days to open 10 years from now.
