Plan a date night surprise. “Research shows that many satisfied couples report appreciation when their significant others take the time to surprise them,” Limongello says.
Don’t tell your partner you have something planned, and create a fun night. It can be having a simple candlelit dinner waiting when they get home, but the fact that it’s a surprise will make it special.
1. Set up a projector in your yard on a roof and have an outdoor movie night.
2. Get up crazy-early and see the sunrise from the hot air balloon for an extra-special treat.
3. Hit up a pick-your-own farm and grab some fresh produce together.
4. Set up a scavenger hunt of your favorite places around town.
5. Do yoga together in a park or wooded area.
6. Play paintball together, or a DIY Nerf Gun war.
7. Build a campfire or have a fire in a pit and make s’mores.
8. Stroll through a farmer’s market or another outdoor market together.
9. Have a day or night at the beach, and soak up the sun and the sand.
10. Rent a kayak or canoe and paddle your way around a body of water.
11. Take a walking tour of lesser-known outdoor attractions in your town or city.
12. See new heights in a ropes course or on a zip line.
13. Find a rooftop with a view and look out at the stars and skyline.
14. Go for a bike ride you’ve never been to.
15. Take a last-minute road trip to a national park or monestry.
16. Plant a garden together. Whether it’s an herb garden, cacti or mini fruit trees, this is a fun, sweet activity that can be as labor intensive or simple as you want it to be.
17. Have a lunch hour date. Whether you have conflicting schedules or just need to switch things up a bit, it will be fun to rendezvous in the middle of the day for a change.
18. Cook something you’ve never tried before. Pick a cuisine you’re not very familiar with or make something from scratch—such as fresh pasta, charcuterie, candy or beer— together.
19. Open houses are so much fun to go look at as a couple.You may be too poor to afford a house, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t go looking at them.
