Thought it might be a good idea to get a blog up with some outdoor date ideas. They’re either dates I’ve been on that I’ve absolutely loved or dates I really wanna try out this year. Yeah, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, but these are dates you can try any time of year. Afterall, you can have more than one date in the year!
Date ideas
- organise a secret adventure meal/picnic — last winter I decided to surprise my hubby by decking out our camper van with fairy lights, candles and sparkly Christmas decorations and taking our yummy dinner (cooked in our flat upstairs) down to munch in our cosy van. It doesn’t take much, but makes for some great catch up time!
- star gazing from the top of a mountain — am yet to do this one, but it’s top of my list.
- go wild camping — this one’s generally a good idea if you know you’re going to get on for two whole days alone together. Not only a great opportunity to talk about absolutely everything, but a fab way to escape the world and all its pressures.
- borrow bikes and cycle somewhere nice with a picnic/pub — this was one of our first dates. Admittedly it was a lovely warm summer’s day, but would be just as nice on a blustery winter’s day. Makes the pub at the end of it all the better.
- climbing a crag — climbing is a really social sport and while it’s great with a bunch of mates, a date with just the two of you will give you loads of time to get to know each other better. Great for building trust too!
- skinny dipping (if you dare!) — again, yet to do this one… Just make sure it’s somewhere secluded and preferably when the weather warms up!
- rollerblading/skating — this one’s bound to bring back some great (hopefully not traumatic!) childhood memories. What better way to get to know each other?
- fly a kite on the beach and go for coffee — there’ve been loads of windy days recently and I can’t think of a better way to spend a winter’s day getting blown about on the beach and then warming up with a lovely cuppa looking out at the crashing waves.
- campfire, s’mores and hot chocolate with baileys — another one I really wanna do before it starts warming up again.
- take a shelter dog for a walk — if you’re a dog lover, but for one reason or another can’t have one, take a shelter dog for a walk. You’ll be making a massive difference to the dog’s life and have a great time bonding with your date! In America they’ve already got an app (called Walkzee) to make finding a shelter dog to walk a whole lot easier — would be great if we had something similar here.
- go gear shopping — if the weather’s a bit naff, take a trip to your local outdoor store and spend a couple of hours looking for your next bit of outdoor gear. There’s something nice about helping your partner find a piece of kit they’ve been wanting for ages. A couple of years ago my hubby (then boyfriend) bought me my first pair of climbing shoes for Valentine’s Day, took me climbing and then rounded it off with a trip to McDonald’s — classy!
- book a last minute adventure holiday — I mean you could book a three night trip to Bergen in Norway to kayak around the fjords for as little as £137/pp (including flights). I might just do it right now!
- do an outdoor course together — whether it’s willow basket weaving that tickles your creative buds or making your own wooden bench, there are loads of creative woodland courses out there. Plus you get to come home with something you’ve made with your own bare hands.
- cosy up with some outdoor films — sometimes the weather really is just too horrid, and pulling on some thick woollen socks, sticking the kettle on and putting on a good adventure film is the way forward. There’ve been some really good outdoor programmes on the telly recently, like Channel Four’s Walking the Himalayas or BBC’s How Earth Made Us. The Banff Mountain Film Festival is also currently touring the country and would make for a great date night!
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