Date Ideas

Pizza Party - Buy some pre-made pizza crusts, pizza or spaghetti sauce, and toppings (sausage, pepperoni, cheese, mushrooms, etc.) Pair people up and let each person create half of a pizza with whatever toppings they like. Cook the pizzas and then share them among the group. You can then all go to an ice cream place for dessert.

Pot luck dinner - The idea behind a pot luck dinner is that everyone brings something. As the host of a small party you would want to make the "main dish" and then have people bring other things like salads, side dishes, desserts, etc. You want to be sure to tell everyone exactly what to bring. If you don't then funny, strange things can happen.

Progressive dinner - If you and your friends live close together, then a progressive dinner can be lots of fun. The idea is to go from house to house for each phase of the dinner. At one house you have appetizers, at another the salad, at another the main dish, and so on. You might stop at four to six houses for the full meal. Organizing it can be half the fun.

Fondue party - Get a good fondue recipe and have a fondue dinner.

Sundae party - Buy several different flavors of ice cream, some toppings (hot fudge, sprinkles, etc.) and let people make their own sundaes. You might use this idea as the dessert for some of the other parties described here.

Cook out - Organize a cookout, either in your back yard or at a park. Cook hamburgers and hot dogs, serve chips and potato salad, and make ice cream for dessert if someone has a hand-cranked ice cream churn.

Video party - Pick up a video or two and invite some people over. Serve snacks and beverages. Or combine a pizza party or a sundae party with a video party.

Day trips - Pick a place an hour or two away and make a day of it. The place might be another city, a historic site, a mountain trail or a nice beach. Be sure you get home on time. My wife and I have made day trips to Washington DC, historic towns, beaches, etc. when we were dating. Planning the trip can be as much fun as the trip itself.

Shopping together - Let's say you are looking for a gift for someone like your mother or father. Take your date along with you to the mall and look for the gift together.

Picnic - Plan a picnic at a local park or natural area. Invite some friends along if you want a little less intimacy.

Ball game - Get a group together and go to a professional baseball/football/hockey/basketball game. Eat lunch or dinner at the game. This can be a little expensive if you aren't careful, so plan ahead. Or try going to a minor league game rather than a big league game. Not only is it cheaper, but you can get a lot closer to the players and the field.

Star gazing - Get a book on constellations (or invite a friend with a telescope) and watch the stars. This can be especially fun during a meteor shower.

Do something neither of you have done before - find an activity neither of you have tried but that you have both thought would be interesting. Figuring out the thing to do that you have in common can be as much fun as the thing itself.

Walk on the beach - If you live near the ocean or a large lake, taking a walk on the beach or the shoreline at sunset of in the moonlight can be very romantic. It can also be a lot more contemplative and peaceful.

Visit a park. You can swing together or ride down the slide. If you go in the evening it will be less crowded.

Cheer on a mutual friend - If the two of you have a mutual friend who is playing in a game or a concert at school, attend the performance together to cheer your friend on.

Go to church together - If you are both religious, take your date to your church and then go to your date's church the next week.

Go to a club event - If one of you is in a club, the other can tag along to see what it is like, make new friends and participate in club activities.

Try something spontaneous - Pick a nearby town neither of you have been to before and go explore it to see what you find. Or put a bunch of restaurant names in a hat and pick one. Spontaneous dates are probably not good for the first date, but can be fun if you have been going out for awhile.

Poetry reading, book reading - lots of time local authors will have poetry or book-reading sessions at local bookstores. If you like that sort of thing find one in your area.

Boat ride - Lots of municipal lakes have boat rentals (canoes, paddle boats, fishing boats, sail boats). Take a picnic lunch, rent a boat and see where you end up.
Take photographs together - Get a couple of disposable cameras and go some place to take pictures. Then once the pictures are developed compare how different they are!
Look up special events in the paper - The Saturday or Sunday paper in your area will have a list of special events for the weekend. You can find some really interesting things to try that way.

Have a dance - Usually you think of "going to the dance" at School, but what about having your own dance? Get a group of friends together, pick the music and dance.
Get a guide book for your city - Go to the library or a bookstore and get a tour book for your city. You will be amazed at all the attractions that are hidden nearby. A guide book may also contain self-guided walking tours that are fun. Or get a guide book for a nearby city and make a day trip there.

Berry picking - In the spring or summer go strawberry/blueberry/blackberry picking if available in your area. Apple picking in the fall is another option.

Flea market - Go explore a local flea market one Saturday.