Top 10 Date Ideas of 2018
/Goodbye 2018, hello 2019.
It has been a big year for Make a Date of It. We got started in March and launched officially in July, diving headfirst into a world of instagram hashtags and mediocre blogger advice. Since then we have crafted countless date ideas (okay, not quite countless but enough that I don’t feel like counting), quizzed you on various essential subjects (like what your couple’s resolution should be), and taken you on trips where you don’t have to plan a thing (the best kind).
Now it’s time to celebrate.
We went through our analytics and discovered which date ideas made your heartstrings sing. From working out to chilling on the couch with a movie to hitting the ice rink, it turns out our readers like to mix things up. And that’s exactly what we like to see. We are about creating different experiences than your average evening so that you can make fond memories and grow closer together.
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Now that the suspense is killing you (hopefully not literally), here’s our Top 10 Dates of 2018 COUNTDOWN.
10. Friends TV Workout Date
You can download this workout sheet for FREE through the “Make a date of it” button below. Print it, or just download it to your tablet, so you can have it handy as you complete the workout.
Could this BE a better date? Not only do you get to binge watch one of the best-loved shows of all time, but you also don’t have to feel bad about it. Complete the exercises according to what is going on in the show as you watch. Between episodes, complete one of our “We Were on a Break” challenges with your date. Working out has never been more fun. Never.
9. Wanderlust Date: DesTination Paris
Did you know you can do a virtual tour of the Museé D’Orsay on Google ARts & Culture for Free? You can also catch the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower. It’s about as close as you can get to actually being there. Click the “Make a Date of It” button below to transport to Paris now.
If travel is your forte, you probably know the feeling of wanderlust well. Wanderlust is the strong desire or impulse to travel. Sometimes the feeling is overwhelming but you don’t have the time or means to satisfy it. Say hello to the Wanderlust Date. We’ve taken your favorite aspects of discovering a new place and found ways for you to explore them from home. Our first destination is Paris, the city of love. Enjoy the food, music, and incredible sights of this great city so that one day visiting it will be even better.
8. Comedy Night Date
Between comedy specials, try your hand at getting some laughs yourself. Collect points and give bragging rights to the winner. Download, print, and play our games with your date by clicking “Make a Date of It” below. Soon you will be LOL-ing, ROFL-ING, and LMAO-ing.
In this day and age (in fact, in any day and age), we could all use some laughs. We’re talking real, deep belly laughs. The kind where you make sounds you never knew could come out of you. Well, this date is dedicated entirely to letting loose and laughing freely. Watch your favorite comedy spots (we have a list of recommendations, too) and play our hilarious games until your sides hurt.
7. Clue: The Date Night
Dinner and a Movie has never been less of a mystery. Get the recipes-made-easy for the meal they eat in Clue: the movie, play our two person version of the game (yes, it does exist), and finish the night off trying to remember whodunit. download all of it to your tablet or to print by clicking “make A Date of It” below.
Dinner, a movie, and a game? If that sounds like the perfect combination to you, you have found your next date night. Sure, it might be a bit hokey, but that’s the point of Clue: The Movie. Unexpected arrivals, ridiculous twists, and an odd but satisfying meal… all leading up to a final reveal that, truly, could be anybody.
6. Casino Night Date
Turn your own living room into a casino with our printable roulette board and wheel, as well as instructions to a handful of the best two-person casino games. You can get the printables for free below by clicking “make a date of it”.
Who needs to go to Vegas to have a good time? I find real casinos to be depressing and loud. But the casino in my living room during our Casino Date has all the charm of Monte Carlo without any of the money-loss. On this date you can risk it all.
5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Date
play the game “Through the Trap Door” on our Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone date. The premise? Make your way though the trap door and capture the sorcerer’s stone before Voldemort, just like our lovable trio. The twist? You must complete a list of hilarious challenges as you go. Download it below.
“You’re a wizard, Harry.” These words will echo in your head as you go on our Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone date night. Much like the story, your date will start with a certain letter arriving and end with a certain stone being saved. This date is perfect for fans who want to sink into the nostalgia of the Wizarding World.
4. Ice Skating and Cocoa DAte
We have an amazing choose-your-own-adventure style recipe for the cocoa. Click “Make a Date of It” below to make your hot chocolate go from '“Meh” to “Muah”.
Get up and get out this winter. Just because it is winter doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy being outside together. Take your date to the ice rink with a thermos of “Fancy Pants Hot Chocolate” and do your best to stay standing as you glide along the ice hand-in-hand.
3. Drive-In Movie Date
Did you know that the first drive-In only cost $___ to attend? Whoops. Looks Like you’ll have to Download our drive-in trivia for the answer. You can Test your date at the drive-in as you sneakily hold hand their hand. Click the button below for the original post.
A trip to the drive-in can be a truly impressive date night. As opposed to going to the movie theatre, you have your own private space to enjoy the movie away from home. My favorite aspect of the drive-in may be that they play oldies we already love. Check the schedule in advance before loading up on snacks and printing out our Drive-In Trivia. Then, recline your seat and enjoy the show.
2. Classic Movie Date
Classic movies may not be in your line of expertise, so we made a list of ones we think you should definitely see. We paired them with some classic cocktails to help you time-travel to that place in the past. You can download the recipes through the link below.
Classic movies are often overlooked for a movie night, but there are plenty of amazing ones that you need to add to your queue. (And I mean now.) Make it a date night with some classy cocktails (recipes provided) so you can feel like you are actually there, hobnobbing with the stars.
1. Fantastic Beasts - a Magical Date Night
Learn more about the creatures in the movie with our printable (and colorable) Magical Creature trivia. We’ve also included a simplified strudel recipe a la Queenie. Get it below.
Finally, at number one on our list—a date night celebrating Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Let your imagination run wild with this movie date as you channel your inner kid (coloring in the lines was always overrated, right?) and even create a creature of your own.
BONUS!
Top Mini Date - Invent a Secret Handshake
Don’t know where to start with your secret handshake? We created a guide for inspiration. Download it through the link below.
Finding time for date night is not always easy. Have you ever thought that dates don’t have to always be a big ordeal of going out and spending money? Take fifteen minutes today to connect with your date, even if it is just being goofy together. With this mini-date, you will create a secret handshake that only you two know. Talk about intrigue.
Top Travel Post - 3 Days in County Wicklow, Ireland
You can download our free interactive itinerary on Google Maps. access the post through the button below.
Our most visited travel post of 2018 was our three-day itinerary to County Wicklow, Ireland. County Wicklow is just outside of Dublin, making it an ideal add-on to your first trip to the emerald isle. See all that it has to offer (and take a peek at our own trip) in our travel section.
Top Gift Post - Gifts for the Food Lover
Food gifts are great at any time of year for anyone on your list. Check out our suggestions and support our website.
Let’s face it—you can’t go wrong with food. Between cookbooks, gadgets, and kitchen essentials, you are sure to find something on our list that will get your stomach growling.
Happy New Year! Here’s to a 2019 full of memorable date nights.
What was your favorite date night of 2018? Share your photos with us on Instagram @makeadateofit
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