Adventures in Dating By Gigi Flores and Helen Obispo

Here is this week’s list of dating activities… indoor ones, although soon Gigi will be able to post the outdoor ones, once all that pesky snow goes away…and stays away!! These dating activities come from Coolest Dates

Make up a calendar together with photos, birthdays, anniversaries, and important occasions. Take your pages to a copy center to make copies and to have the pages spiral bound. If you create pages on the computer, you can print the calendar pages on the back of the pictures.

Spend an evening putting together a puzzle. Put snacks in a bowl for munching.

Have a relay ping pong tournament. Form two lines on opposite ends of the table, run to the back of the opposite line after hitting the ball. If you miss, you are out. The last two players get to play to 7. Then start again.

Build a house of cards with a deck of cards. Afterwards, play a game of fish or hearts.

Cut pictures from old magazines and Christmas cards and put them in a book made of folded construction paper. Arrange them so they tell a story, complete with captions.

Have a family sing-a-long. Top off the evening with vanilla ice cream covered with whole strawberries.

Visit someone in your neighborhood who isn’t able to get out (elderly, handicapped, sick, etc.). Bring a treat and offer simply to visit, read, or listen, talk about current events, etc.

Explain the rules and finer aspects of playing pool. After playing a couple of games, agree on a wager, then let your date win.

Watch Monday Night Football together. Buy some drinks and candy, make popcorn or a vegetable tray with dip. Choose your teams and cheer them on. And to make things even more exciting, make a wager between couples/groups (the losing team has to wash the cars of the winners).

Create your own “Thank You” cards to send to servicemen.

Do a craft — modge-podge, fingerpaint, tole painting, etc.

Create clay or play-dough figures and allow them to harden. Then give your creations to each other! And don’t forget to take pictures.

Make candles. Wax, molds, and instructions can be purchased at a hobby store. Use the finished products for gifts or for a centerpiece on your dinner table.

Spend the evening showing your coin or stamp collection. Point out the particularly valuable or interesting items. If you have something more to put in the album, have your date help you mount and record them.

Go to a “pick and paint your own pottery” place or take a pottery painting class. Expect to pay about $30-$40.

Play computer games (if you don’t have fun games on your computer, there are numerous sites on the internet). The winner gets to designate the next date (to be planned by his/her date).

Design your own dream house! Start by sketching floor plans and then build miniature furniture and rooms from cardboard boxes. Incorporate way-out ideas like spiral slippery slides from one floor to another.

Make homemade bread. Knead the dough together, then relax with a good book or watch a video while the dough rises, and while the bread is baking. Let the bread cool just enough, then enjoy hot bread with butter and jam or honey.

Conduct a cake decorating contest. Everyone brings decorating supplies. Each couple draws a different theme from a hat. After the cakes are judged, raffle off the cakes to raise money for a worthy cause or organization.

Go shopping without money or cards. Show your date 5 things you want to get someday, but aren’t ready to get right now. Afterwards, go home and make milkshakes.