7 Romantic Date Ideas for Valentine’s Day

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Valentine’s Day tends to sneak up on us.

The 14^th day of February, coming in suddenly after the post-holiday lull, can leave us scrambling for ideas about what to give to and do for our significant other. At its best, Valentine’s Day is a time for couples to remind one another how much they love and cherish one another. At its most stressful, it’s a last-minute rush to the jewelry shop to spend the last of your paycheck.

It’s time to relax and read on. You’re about to learn how to make Valentine’s Day its best.

First of all, forget the expensive gifts. Experiences are what make us happy.

Eschewing the material for the experiential is a sure way to make this Valentine’s Day a memorable one for you and your loved one. But what does this mean, exactly?

It means, quite simply, going on a date!

Taking your significant other by the hand and leading him or her through a beautiful, heartfelt, and memorable experience is the surest path to a perfect Valentine’s Day. So to help you craft that perfect day and evening, let’s take a look at 7 great date ideas to get you started.

Enjoy Nature

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Nature provides the ultimate backdrop for romance. If your loved one enjoys the great outdoors, it may be time to take them outside this Valentine’s Day.

There are unlimited choices when it comes to nature dates, but one of the best is to simply go stargazing. As a surprise, throw down a tarp, and then some pillows and blankets to make a comfy stargazing nest. Light a lantern and bring a book to read aloud and brew some tea. Lead your significant other outside, and let him or her experience the ethereal wonder of lying down amongst the stars, where the world is quiet and the electric buzz of everyday life is silenced for a while.

If the two of you are more action-oriented, camping, hiking, kayaking, or horseback riding may be in order! Plan out a day of outdoor fun that includes just the two of you so that you can focus on one another, leaving the busy, distracting world far behind..

You can make any outdoor activity romantic with a little preparation—just make sure that this is something that your date is interested in, and you’ll do just fine.

Experience Art

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Art is sublime. It reflects both the artist and the audience, engaging our hearts, minds, and souls in a continuing conversation with truth and beauty.

And it can also be the playground of love.

If your date is moved by art, it may just be time bring him or her into the world of beauty this Valentine’s Day.

There are multitudes of options, but one of the best is a simple museum date. Especially on Valentine’s Day, museums are quiet places of contemplation where you and your loved one can slowly make your way amongst the images and sculptures. Consider writing small notes or bringing flowers that you can give to your date each time you stop in order to mark the occasion as memorable. Talk to your loved one about each of the displays, and use this as a chance to open up—to display your full range of feelings.

And then there is performance art, which also makes for a perfect date! Dress up and head out to the opera, to go see King Lear, to a poetry reading. The arts are mysterious and romantic, and most of us simply don’t engage with them often enough.

Be sure to read up on what you’ll be attending, though, so that you can have a fruitful, romantic discussion with your date afterward. You’ll be sure to give your date butterflies.

Go Play

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Go to the toy store. Buy Nerf guns. Attach paper hearts to the darts. Shoot each other.

Valentine’s Day can be as simple as that, no matter your age.

If you and your date want something more playful than weighty, it might be time to do just that—go play.

This can mean going to an amusement park, an old-school arcade, or even a go-kart track.

Often, you can make a play date most impactful if it hearkens back to something the two of you did early in the relationship. Did you throw leaves all over each other on your first date? It might be time to rake up a few piles and hide small Valentine’s Day gifts within each! Did you play video games? It might be time to bring that game back out.

Whatever you do, whatever way you choose to play, be it paintball, kite-flying, or a tickling match, make it meaningful. Focus on your partner, exclusively. When we’re adults, we tend to only play when we’re absolutely comfortable. Let your partner know deeply happy and comfortable you are just being yourself around him or her.

Get Therapeutic

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If your partner’s love language is touch or acts of service, it may be time for a therapeutic Valentine’s date.

Begin by setting the scene. What relaxes your partner? Is it candles, blankets, and Enya playing softly in the background? Is it epic orchestral music combined with a strobe light? Perhaps soft R&B and dimmed electric lighting?

Set up your partner’s ultimate environment, paying attention to every detail. You’re about to embark on a therapeutic date.

Spoil your loved one. Present a small note that lists all of the wonderful things you’re about to do for them—you can include a massage, music of their choice, their favorite foods, and a perfect location for it all.

Focus on making this a complete experience, from the time your partner awakes to the time he or she goes to sleep, giving them the ultimate relaxing, therapeutic day.

You can’t really go wrong with this one—give your date the most relaxing and happy Valentine’s Day of their life, and you’ve got a sure hit.

Place the Ordinary in the Extraordinary

You can make just about any mundane activity into something extraordinary with a simple change of setting.

Have a laptop? Take it to the beach and watch a movie on the sands. Does your partner have a favorite book? Go hang a lantern in the woods and read it aloud atop a blanket. Do the two of you enjoy cooking? Rent a cabin with a beautiful kitchen and whip up your creations amongst the mountains!

This presents infinite, exciting possibilities as you make something familiar into something new—the more unusual the setting, the better.

This makes for a great surprise date. You can let your partner know that you’ll be watching their, but they will be thrilled when they find out that it’s going to be on a tablet on the roof of a tall building, looking out over the city lights!

Take something ordinary that you both enjoy and place it into an extraordinary situation, and you have a recipe for a truly memorable date.

Embark on a Road Trip

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Driving for even an hour in any direction will get you both out of your comfort zones and into new experiences. If this sounds good to you, it may be time for a road trip this Valentine’s Day!

One option is to simply get in the car and drive. Point yourself in a direction that interests you, and set sail. Explore the city. Walk the sidewalks and discover new restaurants and stores and attractions. Hand in hand, embark on a Valentine’s Day adventure.

If that sort of spontaneity doesn’t suit you or your partner, plan out a day. Pick out some attraction, monument, state part, city, or town that you’d both like to explore, and simply go. Become tourists in a neighboring city, and visit the most beautiful sights and places

You can make the best of this by staying overnight somewhere—after all, new places and new experiences make for great romantic memories.

So don’t be afraid to get out on the road this Valentine’s Day!

Begin Something New

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One of the most romantic things you can do this Valentine’s Day is to establish a new tradition.

Take your first dancing class together. Begin learning that musical instrument that both of you have always wanted to play. Take an acting course.

Traditions are threads that weave our life experiences together, and beginning one with your partner will make your relationship all the stronger. Choose something that you know the two of you will stick with, and let this Valentine’s Day be just the beginning of something wonderful that keeps going all year round.

Alternatively, you can choose to continue a tradition. Go back to the place of your first date and recreate those happy memories. Order the same foods and play the same songs—see how many details you can remember. This is a sure way to pull on the heart strings and rekindle old passions.

Don’t be afraid of the new on this Valentine’s Day. It just might be the key to a memorable experience.

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