15 Things To Do With Him Besides Netflix And Chill

Dating is difficult enough without the added pressure of trying to come up with interesting ideas for date night. Due to a total lack of inspiration, most couples end up settling for the famous Netflix and chill, which usually involves nothing but a couch, some bad Netflix and a whole bunch of awkward mixed messages. If you've just started seeing someone, Netflix and chill won't provide you with the opportunity to really get to know them better outside the bedroom. If you've been together for a while, boring date nights that always involve the same effortless motions could well cause things to fizzle out. So next time you're planning a date, it's worth it to go the extra mile, and plan something awesome! Your partner will thank you, and hopefully, you can get the ball rolling for their turn to plan. Here are 15 date ideas that don't involve Netflix and chill.

15 A Picnic

Picnics involve food, therefore everyone is happy! Going on a picnic with your significant other can turn up the romance, and the best part is you can tailor it to suit the two of you. Depending on where you live and the season, you could try a beach picnic where you'll have the added bonus of some quality scenery to reignite the sparks. Indoor picnics are becoming more of a thing nowadays too, and that way they can carry on until late. The classic picnic in the park with a rustic basket full of homemade treats will never go out of style, and every couple should try that out at least once. You get to spend the whole date eating and talking and just learning to be yourselves around each other without hiding behind a phone or computer screen, so we seriously can't speak highly enough of a good picnic!

14 The Arcade

There should be at least one arcade in your town, even if it's a bit worse for wear, but hey, it's retro and fun. Bring the inner kid out in both of you and head to the arcade together, for a night of fun and a bit of harmless competition. You want to make sure that you aren't just playing solo games completely separated from each other the whole time since that would kind of defeat the purpose. Play a few games together to boost a bit of a healthy rivalry. For this, we thoroughly recommend air hockey, but racing games are always good to prove once and for all who the better driver is! Play a few solo games too, but watch each other and joke about how the other person is doing everything wrong and you could so do it better. Try and win each other prizes in the skill-tester games, and just go all out! You'll definitely have a good time.

13 Play Board Games

In the event that you don't have an arcade in your town, you could always spend a night playing board games (and you might even have a board game cafe in your city). Most people have a favorite board game, so it can be fun to introduce each other to your old childhood traditions. As we've mentioned, a little rivalry is always good for adding some spice, so it can't hurt to slightly raise the stakes with the prizes and penalties. You can also try games where you have to work together and subconsciously build up your relationship skills. This is the type of date that is just as fun with more people, so turn it into a double or triple date and get some teams organized. Monopoly is always a good option, especially if there are a few more people involved. If it's just you two, card games like Go Fish can be fun or there's always the trusty Twister.

12 Take A Class Together

This might sound like the most boring idea in the world, especially if you are already at college. You might feel like the last thing you want to do on your treasured date night is take another class. But education is entirely different when you're learning about something you enjoy, and you're doing it with the person you love. Take our word for it! You don't have to enroll in a totally stressful class that comes with homework and assessments and makes you want to pull your hair out. Try something that requires you to interact with each other but is also fun and chill, like salsa or a language class. What's more romantic than being able to speak to each other in a language that none of your family and friends can understand? If you're learning a new skill, it's kind of like hitting two birds with one stone!

11 Try Karaoke

If you're going to make a fool out of yourself in front of anyone, who better than bae? Karaoke can produce some of the funniest memories you'll ever make, particularly if you're both tone deaf. If you happen to both be above-average singers, to begin with, you get the satisfaction of having a little competition and showing off your skills. Singing in front of an audience might be one of the most daunting things a person can do, so if you find that the whole idea is stressing you out more than it's getting you excited, there are other kinds of karaoke you can try! Some establishments will let you hire karaoke booths (and don't worry, they're usually soundproof) so you and your partner can pretend you're Jay-Z and Beyoncé and have your own private concert. If not, there's always Singstar, which you can play from the comfort of your own house!

10 Go For A Country Drive

Taking a drive for no other reason but to drive is something that not many of us make time for. If you don't suffer from car sickness, going on a long drive together through some stunning scenery can be really romantic. You'll get a chance to talk about whatever you like, but sometimes it's also nice to just blast some tunes and let the wind blow through your hair as you pass a few pretty sights. You don't have to be driving past the Eiffel Tower or anything. Just plain old nature that borders most big cities is usually a good enough setting! Combining this idea with the picnic definitely makes for a super date, and the perfect way to spend a long and lazy Sunday. To make things run more smoothly, don't drive during peak-hour traffic or on public holidays because long lines definitely destroy any romance in the air!

9 A Concert

This is probably one of the more expensive date-night ideas, but every now and then, why not just go for it? You know it's a guaranteed good time. If an artist you both enjoy is coming to town, get yourselves some tickets, do dinner beforehand and make a whole night out of it. Having great seats to a show is an awesome experience to share together, but don't fret if you can't get any. You might have sworn that you'd never put yourself through a night in a mosh pit again, but standing up can be a whole different thing when you're there with bae! Rather than lining up all day (unless you guys are really hardcore fans), stroll in without stress just before the lights go out, and stand at the back where you've got space to move. It won't matter about the crappy view, because you've got each other, and you can even squeeze in a dance!

8 Horseback Riding

So this idea might leave you with a sore backside and a slight limp, but it's totally worth it! Not everybody is game enough to get on a horse, but if you are, horseback riding together is one of the best dates you'll ever go on. Most places will send you out with an instructor and a few other people on your trail ride, so you don't have to worry about it being unsafe. Having said that, if you know what you're doing and get assigned to some well-trained horses, it's also possible to go out with just the two of you, which is probably more romantic! Whether you're looking for a fun, adventurous type of date or an intimate kind of thing, you can find what you're looking for with horseback riding. Trotting through the green countryside or cantering along the beach are both preferable to chilling in front of Netflix.

7 A Sports Game

Going to a sports game together makes for a pretty fun date night, even if you're not sporty. The whole ambiance is what makes the date, though sometimes the game itself can make things sweeter if your team wins! The idea is that you have a few drinks, munch on a hot dog and get involved in the cheering, and even if you have no idea what's going on in the game, you'll usually have a great time regardless. If you are both heavily passionate, things are even more exciting! The only thing better than your team winning, is your team winning and then being able to kiss bae in celebration. You can squeeze each other's hands to ease the nerves if it's a close, stressful game, and you can comfort each other if your team gets beaten. As long as everybody's mature, it's also super fun when you're fans of opposing teams.

6 Cook

Even when you loathe cooking by yourself, getting creative in the kitchen with your significant other is another matter entirely. Whether it's light baking or preparing a full-blown three-course dinner, cooking together can be lots of fun. The date starts with shopping for ingredients, and then you follow the steps of the recipe together, and then the best part: you enjoy devouring what you've made. You can cook your all-time fave meal that you know you're going to love, or you can try something new and hope it's not a complete disaster. Unless you're both entertaining pros, it's probably not the best idea to use up your date time preparing for a huge dinner party or cooking for anybody but yourselves, because then things can go from steamy to stressful faster than you can sizzle a sausage! Take all the pressure off yourselves, and make sure that the date stays about you.

5 The Drive-In

Going to the movies can almost be as totally boring as doing the Netflix thing, but the drive-in is another story. You might not have one in your town or city, but if you do, then go for it. The sound might not be as clear and the view might not be as good, but what the drive-in lacks in aesthetics it makes up for in fun and intimacy! You can bring all the snacks you want (which actually won't cost you a fortune), and wear the comfiest pajamas you have, and get as cozy with bae as you wish! It's kind of similar to Netflix, but better because you're seeing a new movie which isn't available anywhere else yet, and you still get the thrill of going out but don't need to go to the effort of dressing up! Win-win-win. If you have a convertible or a truck, when the movie is over you can lie together and watch the stars, if that doesn't make you cringe.

4 Go To An Art Gallery/Museum

The last time you went to an art gallery or museum may have been on a field trip, but we promise going there on a date won't be the same thing! You don't have to be a history buff to enjoy a good cultural enrichment experience every now and then, and you'd often be surprised to learn how interesting all that stuff can be if you actually forced yourself to go in the first place! Even if you've lived in your city all your life, there's always something more to learn. If you do find the experience super boring, it's all good because you have your date there to make things more entertaining! Guided tours are great if you're really determined to get the most out of the experience, but if you're just looking for something to do, roaming around together at your own pace is just what you need, and you will definitely have fun.

3 Visit An Animal Shelter

An animal shelter might seem like the last place you'd go on a date, but if you and your partner like animals even a little bit, you should definitely think about it! Find an animal shelter nearby and ring ahead to see if they're okay with a few extra volunteers (some places have too many volunteers already, believe it or not!). If you're given permission, head down there with bae to spend some time with those fury friends in need. It will definitely bring a softer side out of both of you, and you never know… you might end up falling in love with an unwanted dog and bringing him home to live with you! Most people won't get to that stage, but in any case, spending an afternoon cuddling animals with your partner is an afternoon spent correctly. The animals themselves, not to mention the staff, will probably appreciate your presence too!

2 The Fair

You might only be able to go to the fair if there's one in town, so it's definitely worth making the effort to go when the opportunity arises. You know that you had fun when you were a kid so you might as well embrace that and go now. Fairs are fun all by yourself, so it makes sense that going there on a date would be even more fun. There definitely won't be a shortage of things to do, in between all the rides you can go on, sideshows you can see and games you can play. Not to mention all the incredibly unhealthy fair food you can indulge in together! A huge plush toy is always better when the one you love wins it for you, and you could try your hand at winning one for them too. This date tends to be more fast-paced and exciting than some of the others, so if you're looking for an intimate moment, you could always hop on the Ferris wheel beneath the fireworks.

1 A Tour Of Your Childhood Neighborhood

If the place where you grew up isn't on the other side of the country and isn't the same place where your partner grew up, then taking them back there for a tour will be one of the sweetest dates ever. Just strolling through the streets and pointing things out is not only incredibly nostalgic for you, but will teach them a lot about you that words could never get across in the same way! You'll be all buttered up as you show them where you went to school, the park where you used to play as a child and where you had your first kiss, and things will get very cute very quickly. The next time they can take you to where they grew up and do the same thing! This date is super chill and charming, slower paced and interesting, and is so much better than Netflix and chill will ever be. Yes, really. If you don't believe us, just give it a try.