8 not boring Valentine’s date night ideas

It’s that time of year again: Valentine’s Day is fast-approaching, and chances are, your field of vision is starting to swim with little red hearts, hokey cards in pink and red, and sweet-looking teddy bears…many of them holding out stuffed hearts between their cute little paws. Oh—and chocolate! Even if you’re not exactly a card-carrying member of the V-Day fan club, what better excuse is there to celebrate the one you love? Life is busy, so why not take advantage of the “excuses” as they come?

Whether you’re in a committed longterm relationship, a polycule of lusty lovin’, a brand-new fling, a Galentine’s day romance for the ages, or hell, a daily self-love-story that just might put the rest of us to shame, date nights can be whatever you want them to be. One thing’s for certain: they shouldn’t be boring.

Peruse, if you will, the following 8 date night ideas for Valentine’s Day. They’re anything-but-boring.

1. Volunteer your time…together.

Times are tough,  so why not show your love this V-Day by committing some time to fellow community members in need? Whether you decide on walking shelter dogs, delivering meals to homebound residents, ladling out hot soup at a homeless shelter, conversing with elders who could use some company, or cleaning up a neighborhood park, you're sure to deepen your bond having done it together. Doing good feels good, but when you share the experience, your relationship benefits too. It might even become something you end up doing regularly. Bonus: you get to debrief after, over a delicious meal. Up the ante by lighting a candle or two. Not sure where to start? Check out Volunteer Match to find local opportunities in your neck of the woods.

2. Recreate your first date.

Where did you have your first date? A quaint cafe? A fancy restaurant? A crowded bar? A park bench? Go back and relive the memories, why don’t you? It could be incredibly romantic—be forewarned that you could get really emotional. And if your first date was terrible, or awkward AF, or otherwise less-than-ideal, recreating those moments with the person you nonetheless ended up with just might be a whole lotta fun. Why? Because laughing is the absolute best foreplay there is.

3. Pretend you’re strangers.

Maybe you’ve heard of other people doing this, or have watched TV couples try it out. What you want to do is stage an “unplanned” meeting: you both happen to be out at the same swanky hotel bar (or dive bar, or really, anywhere with good lighting!). Maybe you play single versions of yourselves, or maybe you take it one further and get into some even kinkier roleplay by pretending to be different people altogether. An off-duty flight attendant, and a retired Marine, perhaps. Or a cop and a protester—whatever floats your boat. In the realm of sexual imagination, none of the same rules apply. Have fun with it, and try to stay in your role. At the end of the night, you might give your new love interest a key to your hotel room, hightail it home together, or give them your phone number and eagerly await their call.

4. Agree to make each other DIY gifts.

If you or your SO are crafty, and/or have an epic sense of humor, and/or are on a tight budget, you have at least 3 fantastic reasons to take the DIY V-Day challenge, baby. The idea is to challenge one another to actually make (gasp!) Valentine's Day gifts for one another. You might agree in advance on eligible materials (i.e., stuff you already have—like white glue, popsicle sticks, feathers ’n old pompoms) or else you can set a small budget and go shopping. How is this a date night idea? Glad you asked. See, once you have your materials, you set a timer, and get to it—simultaneously. Want the element of surprise? Create your masterpieces from separate rooms. What you’re sure to get: super unique presents, memories, and a lot of laughs.

5. Do a boudoir photo shoot.

While a regular photoshoot is a lot of fun, why not take the more sensual route with a DIY boudoir shoot? All you need is some good lighting and a little patience. There’s hardly a better way for you and your partner to get vulnerable and intimate with each other. If you like taking orders, you might have your partner choose your lingerie, or any other outfit they deem sexy. On the flip side, you could tell them what to wear too, and you could take turns shooting one another. You could (should) also try and set up your device of choice to take at least a couple of sexy photos of both of you together (y’know, doing something unspeakable). Bonus: By the end, you'll have enough photos for a delicious private album.

6. Get lost together.

In our hustle-bustle hyper convenient tech era, spontaneous acts are sorta kinda going extinct. Why not show a little resistance by (not) planning a little aimless roaming. In other words—no itinerary. Simply pack a bag with your major essentials and head out without a set destination in mind. There’s no better way to strengthen your creative thinking and problem-solving skills as a couple. You might drive onto a highway or just start walking, and let your combined curiosity guide you. See a town name you've never been to? Check it out, have a cup of tea and some pie at the local diner while you’re at it. See a cluster of beautiful trees you’ve never noticed? Stop and gaze skyward, together.

7. Try something new in the bedroom.

…or the kitchen, or the bathroom—as you desire. It’s easier than ever to get into a rut and lose all motivation to try new things. Valentine's Day is as good a time as any to experiment sexually or to try something you’ve both expressed interest in trying—whether it’s giving sexy (yoni) massages, exploring kink with hand cuffs or temperature play, trying a new position on for size, exploring the intricacies of power play, or giving anal sex a go for the very first time. As long as you’re both enthused, it’s mutually consensual, and your communication is strong, you can’t go wrong.

8. Buy sex toys for each other...and then try them out.

Shop for new vibes, dildos, butt plugs, or mind-shattering couples sex toys. Why? Because your relationship will thank you. And then, of course, make a night of trying them out together. Best case scenario? You'll learn something new about yourself amid multiple orgasms. At the very least, you’ll be adding novelty, spice and spontaneity to your relationship recipe, and that is always a positive. Perhaps best of all, you’ll have to tell each other how each toy makes you feel, and which vibe setting works best—and as we all know, open and honest communication is a serious boon to any romantic or sexual union.

<3 Happy V-Day to all! <3