An everyday issue that couples face is figuring out what to do for dates and what to do while hanging out. Lucky for those who are struggling, some individuals have spoken out about their favorite ways to make a date night amazing.
Only Morning or Afternoon:
Many people wonder “how are we supposed to go on a date if we only have a few hours in the morning or the afternoon?” Short dates are actually way easier than they may seem. It can be as simple as going to a “pretty place with pretty trees and taking pictures together,” said junior Natalie Thuerauf.
Shopping is a very popular and well-loved date idea. Many agree that it is always fun to walk around the mall for a short, or even all-day date because “it’s so many ideas rolled into one,” senior Lillian Bishop. A shopping date that might be more unique could be going to a thrift store and making an outfit for each other. This outfit could be worn on another date night to show them off. Others brought up a popular TikTok trend that has shown to be very fun for date nights. It is a trend where you get your dater something they need, their favorite drink, their favorite snack, or something in their favorite color. The ideas are endless.
By far the most popular idea was getting something to eat like dinner, brunch, and even picnics. “Picnics are the best because everyone loves food and why not eat it with someone that cares,” said senior Emily Patten. If picnics sound like fun, you could elevate it even more and have a picnic while watching the sunset. Patten’s favorite spot to do this is Irish Lane.
According to senior Sierra Synder, the most important thing is to use your short period of time to “be creative and do something heartfelt. When it comes from the heart it makes everything better if you do something you both enjoy doing.”
Something easy to do if the two of you would like to stay in would be a movie night. “To spice it up you could even use a number generator to help you pick which movie or show to watch,” suggests Patten. Even spontaneous random dates are something many girls and guys would love.
All day
If you are on a date and you have all day the ideas are endless. Here in Mount Vernon, we don’t have many huge adventures to explore, but when you have all day that means you could do some traveling. Couples love going to places like Adventureland, Valley Fair, and even Lost Island Water Park or Adventure Park. Go-karting is Junior Lilly Moffit’s favorite activity “It is expensive, but it is extremely worth it.”
Patten agrees with Moffit’s go-karting idea. She says “It’s a perfect mix of competition and high-speed chasing, making it perfect for everyone.”
Some dates that may be closer to home are just as fun as the traveling ones. Thuerauf loves to go bowling for a date, “It can get super competitive and goofy, which brings out the best of each other.”
If you and your significant other want to do something more laid back stay home, and some of these ideas will be amazing for you. You could have a game night! These games could be video games, board games, or even card games. It gives something competitive and fun to bring out each other’s personalities. Instead of playing common games that you both know how to do, there are many games out there to try. By doing this, you can build up the relationship and get plenty of laughs out of it.
Another staying-in-date activity for all-day enjoyment is movie day. As mentioned, you could use a number generator to pick movies for you, or you could watch a movie/TV series that the two of you want to watch. Before the movie date, there could be a stop at Target or Walmart to get snacks and drinks.
If just watching movies isn’t exciting enough for an all-day date, you could add another unique activity. “Turn on a sport that you know nothing about, then try to do the commentary with no sound,” suggested Patten, “doing this helps us problem-solve together and laugh together. It just makes it a fun activity.”
Restaurants
For many couples, one of the hardest parts about going out to eat is picking a place to go. Some nights you may not want to spend very much, but maybe some nights you want to splurge a little. A date staple is going out for a meal, and for couples who have been together surprise dinner dates are always loved. Lucky for you, couples have spoken out about some of their favorite restaurants within their relationship.
Cheddars
Olive Garden
Taco Bell
Natalie Thuerauf
Fast food (McDonald’s)
Sushi in Solon
Lillian Bishop
Biagis
Texas Roadhouse
Lilly Moffit
Uncle Sam’s in Solon
Bluebird
Big Grove
Emily Patten
Chef Wong Chinese restaurant
Boba tea
Sierra Snyder
Low budget
Many couples agree that you really don’t need to spend money on dates to have fun. They are truly beneficial to relationships, especially ones that are only on their second or third date and aren’t spending a lot of money on each other yet, and “always finding ways to bring costs down makes everyone feel better,” Thuerauf said.
One of the most popular low-budget dates is getting some sort of fast food or candy and then going home to watch a movie. “Microwave popcorn and watching a movie sounds like the perfect date to me,” Bishop said. Fast food restaurants like Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell, Raising Canes, and more are just some examples of some favorites.
Here in Iowa, there are gorgeous sunsets so why not make those sunsets into a date idea? It’s cute and costs nothing to do, you can just drive around until you find the perfect spot and watch the sun go down together. Or even just driving around sometimes can make for a fun-filled adventure. You can “walk around and see what there is,” Snyder said.
Making things competitive can always add some fun to a date night. If you have plenty of food or leftovers at one of your homes you could have a chef night, “a cooking showdown where each of us cook a dish then judge each other,” Patten said. Some other ways of adding competition to your date night could be a game night with the games that you have lying around the house.
There are many cheap holiday dates that are also very fun. You can make Christmas cookies and decorate them and in the Halloween season, you can go get a cheap pumpkin from Walmart to carve together.
Money to spend
When there is money to spend, many couples go on a very fancy date night. They go to dinner at a fancy restaurant and “Always fun to get dressed up,” says Bishop. Bishop also suggests “a fancy smoothie or even a shopping spree,” as another option when there is money to spend.
Couples who are looking for some super fun adventure could go to an amusement park, go-karting, laser tag, paintball, during fall visiting a pumpkin patch, and other “touristy things,” Patten said.
As every girl likes to hear her man say “Wherever she wants to go” smartly states junior Erik Lamb. This is when significant others can take the other on a shopping spree together.
For couples who are more serious and have been together for a while, Synder suggests to “plan a day trip goes somewhere a couple of hours away explore the area explore hiking spots”
What are the ups and downs of Staying in or going out?
Some people have shared how they feel about staying in or going out on dates. The most popular choice was staying in. Thuerauf feels that staying “feels a lot less pressured. I can stay in my pajamas, make cookies, and relax.”
Lamb also agrees on staying in because “if we are out it’s hard to stay focused and get distracted from the date.”
On the other hand, going out is a very fun and common date opportunity. Some people love going out because it gets them away from the craziness of their homes or school life. There is also a lot of adventure involved in going out, and it can open people to new ideas along with getting to know each other better.
