WE NEED TO FACE IT — THE TYPICAL COUPLE IS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS EVEN 20 YEARS AGO. THE TYPICAL “DINNER AND A MOVIE” DATE NIGHT ISN’T THE NORM ANYMORE. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE A LOT OF TECH-SAVVY INDIVIDUALS (ESPECIALLY MILLENNIALS), WHO MIGHT FIND DINNER AND A MOVIE QUITE BORING.

Are they downloading and playing games together? Are they Skyping online instead of meeting in person, due to their busy schedules? Let’s just stop guessing and find out.

So, dating is hard enough without trying to figure out what activities to do, especially if you are a new couple. I’m sure that a typical first date consists of meeting for drinks and dinner, having coffee, seeing a movie and so on. But what do people do once they have made it past that new stage and are married or have been dating for awhile? Here is a list of ideas for those couples…

• Stay In and Play Card Games Online – So, this might seem silly, but there are a lot of established couples who don’t have the money to go out for a variety of reasons — they could either be paying off debt or have little ones who, of course, cost money. Many couples will make a nice meal at home, enjoy some drinks and then play card games. To make it easier, they can play on their iPads or phones — this way, no scorekeeping is involved. To make it even more fun, they can wager on who will win and maybe even get a back massage out of it.
• Work Out Together – Many couples find it fun to work out together. To make it even easier and more fun, do your workout at home and then have a post-workout dinner/drink. For the tech-savvy individual, there are many workouts online. One of our favourites is the Beachbody on Demand.

• Photo Scavenger Hunt Date – This is a really fun and unique one. Take your phones with you. Create a fun-filled day of touring your local town and seeing things together that you’ve never seen before. Take pictures of all these places and then post them (hey, Instagram!). Take the pictures at high, low, or upside-down angles — anything goes. Once you are done, you can compile your photos and make a photo book online. Have fun with it, applying different filters, captions, etc.
• Skype – Are you in a long-distance relationship, or is your significant other away on a business trip? Don’t let this stop you from having your weekly date night. Open up Skype and use it to cook the same meal together or even watch the same movie together. You can still eat, drink, talk and laugh together from afar.
• Stargazing Date – No telescope required. Simply head to a hilltop with drinks, snacks and your smartphone or tablet. There are now apps you can download like Star Walk app. ($4.99, iTunes Store). Open your app, point it at the sky, and you and your date will have everything you need for a romantic stargazing evening.

We are eager for our readers to try some of these date ideas. Let us know if you do, and then come back and comment on how they were.

Main image courtesy of: Pexels