Dating is an art form.  The perfect date requires equal amounts of knowledge about the person, creativity and time.  Putting some thought and effort into the date is usually just as affective at making the date perfect as the location and activities.  It really is the thought that counts.

Dates, hopefully, can be magical….

1.    Watch the moon rise.  Most people have done something with the sunset or the sunrise, but few have sat and watched a full moon rise over the lake or ocean.  It really is a spectacular experience and with a great picnic the moonrise can make for a perfect date.

Sunset? Pah - you want a moon rise you do!

2.    Go dancing.  Skip the bars and clubs and find a ballroom dance studio in your area.  Many of them offer free group classes where you can pick up a few new steps and also have a great time together.  You may also find out about some great dances held around the area during the month where you can take your lessons and put them to work.

A bit of dancing is always a joy!

3.    Take a behind the scenes tour of the zoo, aquarium or other local attraction.  There are hands on activities that you miss during the regular tours (this is one of those times when it pays to know the person you are planning for because if they don’t like to get their hands dirty this is NOT the date for you).

Go to an aquarium - but don’t tap on the glass!

4.    Cook dinner together.  Going out to dinner is nice, but there is something extra special about cooking together.  Do all of the work, from chopping to baking, together as a team.

Dinner’s always nicer when you cook it yourself. If you’re a good cook!

5.    Take a class together.  Do something that you both enjoy but want to know more about or need more practice doing.  Many hobby stores offer classes for different hobbies (from crocheting and scrapbooking to pottery and painting).

How about taking a class?

6.    Volunteer together.  Doing something for others brings out the best in all of us.  This may not be the ideal first date but it will definitely be a unique date that will keep every one talking for a long time.

Do some volunteer work!

7.    Take a hike.  Night hikes are a fun way to see the land in a different light (pun intended).  Choose an easy path and then enjoy each other’s company and the unique sites and sounds of the night.

Ever thought of night hiking? Me neither

8.    Play a few games.  Dating should not be a game but that doesn’t mean you can’t play a few along the way.  A night of pool, cards or even board games can be a fun way to spend time together and to get to know each other on a whole new level.  It’s amazing what a little competition can do to some people.

Play cards - who knows where it’ll lead!

9.    Go back in time.  Take a trip to Xanadu, lace up and experience the fast life around the rink together.

Ice skating makes close contact a given

10.    Visit a museum.  Stick to the arts or go straight for the child in you.  There are a number of different museums in your area that will provide plenty of enjoyment for interests of all types.

Ever thought about going to a museum for a date?
Take the time to learn about the person that you will be taking on the date.  Expend the energy to create an experience tailored to that one person and that person alone.  The more it varies from your own interests then the more brownie points you will get for the effort.

The perfect date is one that is focused on the other person, the two of you together, and the joy you bring to one another.  It can happen in a museum, park, boat or in your own home.  The only limit is your imagination.