I received a text message the other day from my friend Michael, asking; “What’s a good cheap, alcohol-free thing I could do with _____ tonight?” Ah, young love! Firstly, an ‘alcohol-free’ date is highly recommended, because while drinking can lower our inhibitions, it’s hard to properly get to know each other when you’re in a unnatural state of mind. Cheap? There are plenty of things you can do with your date that won’t cost you a dime! I’ve made a list of 50 creative, inexpensive (or free!) and fun date ideas that are sure to make it a memorable one.

1. Go to your local park and fly a kite together. And if you don’t have a kite, maybe you could make one together, then fly it!

2. Cook together. In my experience, most people say they’re great chefs, but you’ll never know until you test the goods! But if the results aren’t very tasty, you could always have a food fight.

3. Skate - Whether that’s ice-skating or roller-skating, you’re sure to have a laugh together and work on your buns at the same time - bonus.

4. Rent out some old b-grade horror movies (that would be my choice) and there will be a great excuse to snuggle.

5. Go on a bush walk or to a park and take some photos.

6. Visit your local planetarium and gaze up at the stars. If you don’t have a planetarium, a telescope will do, or even a drive to a look-out where there’s an open sky.

7. Get a map, close your eyes, and point to a place on the map. Take a drive, train or bus ride there and explore!

8. Paint balling - It’ll get your adrenaline pumping and heart racing.

9. Go-karting.

10. Visit a jazz nightclub. Dress up like Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis, and watch the people stare at you in awe.

11. Take a dance class together. There are a lot of places which offer their first class for free, so take up the opportunity!

12. Volunteer at a homeless shelter. The warm fuzzy feeling you’ll get in your heart won’t just be from the attraction you have between each other.

13. Your local council has its own website. So go online and check out the recreation section to see what’s on in your area.

14. Apple or berry picking is a cute way to get your hands dirty while sharing some yummy fruits!

15. Go to the zoo and monkey around - bad joke, I know…

16. Make a trip to the thrift store a fun challenge - set a limit of $3, buy the most ridiculous items of clothing, then wear them for the rest of the day.

17. Watch a movie at a drive-in theatre - it’s the typical 50’s date but oh-so fun and snuggle-icious!

18. Watch a dress rehearsal for a play - it’s a free show!

19. Go to an arcade - In my opinion, skill-tester machines and air hockey kick arse.

20. Walk along the beach - clichéd, I know - but spruce it up by building sand castles, collecting seashells and wearing seaweed as jewellery. Or depending on your climate, make a snow man together. Or a scarecrow!

21. Go to a cemetery and read the headstones - spooky and fascinating!

22. Go to a supermarket, buy party poppers and sparklers, wheel each other in shopping trolleys and then play hopscotch in the car-park.

23. Test drive a luxury car that neither of you can afford.

24. Make a bonfire and roast marshmallows.

25. Go to your local library, explore books on astrology, then check out your compatibility with each other.

26. Have your palms read or get a tarot reading!

27. Go to an art gallery, museum or science centre.

28. Visit a bonsai nursery and learn how to trim a bonsai. Then buy one for your date as a remembrance of the fun time you had together.

29. Take a trip to the bowling alley and let your date win. Just this once.

30. If you both have dogs, take them for a long walk. Poop bag included.

31. Create a theme night - If your date loves butterflies, watch movies like ‘The Butterfly Effect’ or if their favourite colour is red, bake them red cupcakes, with red wine while watching ‘The Hunt For Red October’.

32. Tell your date to reserve a certain day and time, then leave them a trail of notes and clues to get your date from point A. to B. At the end they could find you on a picnic rug with their favourite dessert.

33. Swing on a swing set and see who can go the highest!

34. Visit a restaurant with a difference - You could go to a vegan or vegetarian place, or something like Dracula’s - a theatre cabaret restaurant!

35. Go bike riding together. Or hire a two person bike and let him do most of the peddling.

36. Take the ferry at dusk - romantic!

37. Play board games, 20 questions, truth or dare or poker! Use M&M’s instead of money. Or if you’re feeling up for it, play strip poker! Kinky.

38. Go to a baseball or football match and pretend you’re huge fan by chanting at the top of your lungs and wearing face paint in your teams colours. Make sure your date does the same, otherwise you may just seem loopy.

39. Go fishing and paddle your feet in the water.

40. Buy the biggest canvas in the art supply store, lay it on the grass in a park or your yard, and create a collaborative painting together. It could be something as basic as a Jackson Pollock piece or even a finger painting!

41. Shop at a flea market.

42. Karaoke - Listening to the reject Idol contestants will be hilarious!

43. Take a row boat out on the lake at sunset and feed the ducks.

44. Go to a comedy club.

45. Play bingo together and try and beat the old ladies!

46. Visit a haunted house.

47. Have a shaving cream fight.

48. Go to a park or forrest and pick the prettiest leaves or flowers you can find.

49. Get you faces painted at a kid’s festival. No festival? Paint your faces at home! Then take photos of them.

50. And my favourite thing to do on a date - go to a amusement park! Try the merry-go-round and share cotton candy.

Ah, all these things have me in a romantic mood! But of course, these ideas don’t just apply to dates, you can do most of these with your friends, children and family, too! So get crackin’ lovelies! Enjoy yourselves!

Do you have any more dating ideas? Sharing is caring!

Big love & smooches,