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Good for singles and old married folks alike, use these ideas to add some spice to your weekends, without taking a bite out of your wallet.
99¢ Date
Each person gets 99¢ and you brainstorm what could be done for that amount.
Air Hockey
If you can find a table, this can provide for hour of fun. Just watch the fingertips!
Baking
Bake a cake, cookies, or bread. Either eat fruits of your labors together, or deliver it to someone who could use a friendly gesture.
Balloon Basketball
Same rules as regular basketball, but use a balloon (no helium!) instead of a ball. Take extras for use after the slam-dunk.
Ballroom Dance Class
Check local universities, community colleges, community education programs, or dance schools. Wear good dancing shoes, not gym shoes! Some dance halls offer classes before the ballroom is open to the general public.
Barbecue
You can even do this in the dead of winte! In fact, that can actually add to the fun, especially if you are one of the people inside watching the chef through the window.
Basketball
You know what this is, right?
Bike Riding
Rent a tandem bike for extra fun. Adventure stores like BYU's Outdoors Unlimited have everything you need.
Breakfast/Brunch
Go to a restaurant or make it together. An early morning date can get you out of a rut.
Broom Hockey
Get brooms and a ball, disk, or puck. Go to a gym (or street). Play.
Bowling
If you or your date are really bad, use bumpers to reduce embarrassing gutter balls.
Charades
Pictionary cards work great for this.
Christmas Carolling
Door-to-door or strolling up and down public streets. Follow up with hot chocolate. Unless you're quite a ham, this might work better in a group.
Christmas Lights Tour
Temple Square can't be beat between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve. Look in the newspaper or ask long-time residents for the best neighborhoods to cruise.
City Tour
Many Chambers of Commerce provide information about walking or riding tours of their cities. Others provide info on neat places to visit.
Classes
Community education or special one-afternoon or one-night courses abound. Try photography, gardening, cooking, or just about any craft or hobby that interests you.
Comedy Club
If there is a Comedy Sportz Club near you, they are famous for clean, family hilarity! Keep your eyes open for other venues with appropriate content.
Concert
Choral, symphony, dance. So many choices.
Croquet After Dark
Set it up as usual, but each player gets a flashlight. Use headlamps for even more amusement. Bring the camera (with a good flash) to memorialize the event.
Dance
Go and dance. Yes, you can. Take a group of couples so that the old people can congregate together to protect each other from body slams and the like.
Fireside
See if a good one is coming to your area. The First Presidency Christmas Fireside is broadcast every year. Get tickets if you're going to be near Salt Lake City.
Fishing
A great date for early-birds. Bring sunblock.
Fruit Picking
Blueberries, cherries, apples. Any will do as long as you use them to top ice cream afterwards.
Garden Tour
Ask local garden clubs for recommendations. Thanksgiving Point Gardens are goreous, especially for the Tulip Festival each spring.
Hayride/Sleighride
Hitch up the horses and climb aboard. Many venues offer these year round.
Hiking
Make sure you know your date's skill level before embarking. The goal is always to come back alive.
Historical Sites
Your state historical society will have a list of great sites to visit in your area.
Horseback Riding
Sans the luxury of your own horse, look for a local stable that takes groups on nature trails. You won't be galloping through a meadow with the wind in your hair, but hopefully your steed will have a bit of life left in him.
Ice Blocking
Get a block of ice from any grocery store. (Note: Block, not a bag of crushed ice.) Take it out of the bag. Put it down on the top of a hill. Put a towel on it (do not forget this step unless you want to appear incontinent for the remainer of the afternoon). Sit down on the towel. Slide down the hill while riding the ice. Requires some dexterity!
Ice Skating
Fun even for beginners. Be patient. Bring ankle wraps.
Kite Flying
Who can resist a good kite on a windy day? Scope out open space ahead of time.
Miniature Golf
An easy-going, low-stress activity, unless you're Danny from Sons of Provo.
Movie
Butter up the popcorn. Fun as long as you leave some open time for conversation.
Movie Making
Grab a video camera and a topic and assign parts. Make sure your date is a bit on the extroverted side.
Museum
Art, science, history; many to choose from.
Night games
Steal-the-flag, kick-the-can, sardines, red rover, mother may I?, three-legged tag, steal the bacon, etc. Best played at dusk on a cool summer night. Oh, and best with more than one couple.
Nintendo Tournament
Just make sure you don't end up looking like a 12-year-old! On second thought, in the Nintendo genre, that's probably a good thing.
Parades
Grab some lawn chairs and some cold soda and practice your wave: elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist, wrist.
Picnic
A blanket and simple finger foods always combine with great conversation for a winner.
Ping Pong
Play doubles, around-the-world (hit the ball, put down the paddle and run to the next side (gotta have at least four players)), spinning (spin around after each hit), or just have a tournament.
Pizza Party
Homemade is best! Or Papa Johns.
Planetarium
Fun and educational, not to mention dark.
Poetry Reading
Check your local library, bookstore, or literary club. Be prepared for high drama.
Progressive Dinner
Start at one person's house for hors devours and rotate around each participant until the last house serves dessert.
Restaurant
The old stand-by is still good, especially if the food and ambiance are, too. I recommend anything with artichokes.
Roller Skating
If your date is a beginner, you'll have to hold hands.
Sibling Date
Everyone brings a sibling to introduce around. Best if you weren't raised in a barn.
Skiing
Inexperienced? No problem. Sign up for a lesson and hang around on the bunny slopes. They are identified by embarrassing names like “Sesame Street” and “Chickadee.” Avoid any ski runs with words like “terminator” or “deathwatch.”
Sledding
Bundle up and you're in for an afternoon of fun. Follow up with hot chili and chocolate.
Snow Golf
Set up a golf course in a snow-filled park. Use trees or anything else available for “holes.” Knock a tennis ball around with various household objects (broom, dustpan, bat, etc.) toward each hole. [This was the first date my husband and I had (February 9, 1985). Six months later to the day we were married. It must have worked!]
Snow Play
Build a snowman, make snow angels, build a snow fort, have a snowball fight, etc. Best when wearing moon boots.
Sporting Event
Of course, BYU football is preferred, but if that is not available in your area, something else will have to do. Minor league baseball is quite fun.
Star Gazing
A decent telescope and a cloudless night can do wonders for a relationship.
Sundae Party
Start at the grocery store with each couple choosing a couple of toppings of their choice. Then head home to create-your-own-sundae and pig out.
Swimming
Fun as long as your date isn't too self-conscious in a swimming suit. OK, then, maybe scuba?
Taffy Pull
Find a great, old-fashioned recipe and stretch your imagination.
Tennis
Just remember that not everyone is equally adept at hitting the speeding yellow target!
Walk
In the woods, on the beach, through a park, around the city. Nothing beats walking for talking and getting to know someone.
Water Fight
Some buckets, a hose, and you might even throw in a tub of filled balloons for good measure. Teams are good, too. Just don't make my mascara run.
Zoo
Talk to the animals while talking to your date.
Alison Moore Smith is a 61-year-old entrepreneur who graduated from BYU in 1987. She has been (very happily) married to Samuel M. Smith for 40 years. They are parents of six incredible children and grandparents to two astounding grandsons. She is the author of The 7 Success Habits of Homeschoolers.