Date night ideas can be a pain. It can be difficult to make time for your significant other during college when you’re both studying, working, or involved in school activities. Add not having a lot of money to your busy schedules and you get a lot of late Netflix date nights. Now don’t get me wrong, sometimes there’s nothing better than cuddling up with your person after a long, hard day, but don’t be afraid to shake things up once in a while! Here’s a complete list of date night ideas that range from free to cheap to a little more expensive. Enjoy!
Play a board game:
And you thought your partner was competitive before…
Play a card game:
Go fish gets a little saucy.
Take turns reading aloud to each other:
It may sound a little lame but choosing a book together and then reading it out loud to one another is actually really fun and romantic. Plus your parents will love it!
Play trivia:
You can either look up trivia questions online or ask each other questions you know off the top of your heads. Trivia gets dangerous real quickly though so play at your own discretion.
Volunteer somewhere:
Choose an organization that you’re both interested in and then apply to volunteer. You and your partner will have so much fun working together and will feel so proud of what you have accomplished.
Play ‘would you rather’:
This is another one that gets a little saucy so play at your risk.
Play video games:
Playing video games is a cheap and easy way to bond over some fun challenges.
Play strip Jenga:
(Keep scrolling Mom!!)
Dance together:
Put on your favorite music from slow jams to country to pop, anything that will get you and your partner moving and laughing the night away.
Play catch:
Head outside with a ball for a quick game of catch. You’ll laugh at your bad catching skills while getting some much needed fresh air.
Take a bubble bath:
WHAT?! Who said that?!… Moving on.
Plant something:
Whether it’s a tree or a little herb plant, you’ll have so much fun digging in the dirt and nurturing something together.
Walk around your school campus:
Grab a drink and head out for a romantic walk around your campus in the evening.
Go swimming:
Head to one of the apartment buildings with a cool pool or to your school’s pool for a romantic dip.
Watch a sports game:
Whether it’s your school team or a team from one of your hometowns, grab some face paint and turn your television volume on to max.
Write a love letter:
One of my prized possessions is a love letter from my partner. There’s nothing sweeter or more romantic than a hand-written letter from your significant other describing how much you mean to them.
At home spa night:
Buy some face masks, cucumbers, and a bottle of wine for a relaxing spa night at home. Give each other some nice massages and facials to spice things up!
Candlelit dinner at home:
Cook you favorite meal together and instead of watching on the couch in front of some Netflix, lay out a nice table cloth and a few candles. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your living room can turn into such a romantic atmosphere.
Bake a dessert together:
What’s better than planning a beautiful cake only for it to turn out like a little clump of melted frosting.
Bowling:
Where you actually want to strike out.
Go to the zoo:
Grab a snow cone and walk hand-in-hand while looking at all of the cute animals your local zoo has to offer. Usually admission fees into a small zoo aren’t that expensive as opposed to popular zoos. Go a little deeper during your date by exploring a special animal encounter.
Laser tag:
Flashback to when you were a kid chasing your crush around in the dimly lit laser tag room.
Go to a museum:
Another activity that is not too expensive and will teach you things you maybe didn’t know before.
Go to a yoga class:
Relax and stretch with another at your local yoga studio.
Make sushi:
I personally haven’t done this one, but I have been dying to for long.
Make pizza:
Can’t stand your partner’s pizza order? Make your own individual pizzas for a fun and messy evening.
Paint pottery:
Either paint something together or make your own masterpieces to keep in your rooms to remind each other of one another.
Go for a late-night drive:
Throw some gas in the car and go for a midnight adventure. (Don’t drive drowsy obviously!)
Paint:
Get some paint and a canvas for another fun, easy, and messy date. You’ll see who the real artist of the couple is with this one.
Get something matching:
Doesn’t necessarily have to be tattoos by any means, but getting matching t-shirts or pajamas are a sweet way to always keep your bae close to you. (Yes, me and my partner have Khal and Khaleesi t-shirts. It’s okay to hate us.)
Go to the mall:
treat yourselves to a modest shopping spree.
Go on a day trip:
Do the two of you have somewhere you’ve been dying to go that isn’t too far away? Now is your chance! Take the day off for a 30 minute-1 hour drive to a neighboring city.
Dance lessons:
Take a few dance lessons to ensure that the two of you will wow at the next family gathering. (I’ve been dying to take dance lessons with my partner! I mean how cute is that?!)
Go out to a nice bar:
You’ll be surprised at how many cool bars and restaurants there are in your city when you actually go to them. Save up some extra cash for a romantic evening over some mojitos or whatever you two are into.
Cook a fancy dinner:
You don’t always need to go out to an expensive restaurant for date night. Simply, buy some steak, potatoes, and whatever else for a 5-star meal of your own. You’ll not only have so much fun cooking together, but you may attain a new recipe for future references.
Just because we may be far away from our partner, we shouldn’t forget about date night. Here are a few simple ideas for long distance evenings:
Plan on watching the same movie before your Facetime date.
Eat the same dinner during your Facetime date.
Look at old pictures together over Facetime.
Send each other hand-written love letters.
Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have come up with a few new ideas for date night. Always remember to cherish your partner and show them just how much you love them!
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