The Healthy Relationship Dating Program
If the date idea you select doesn't have a suggestion to strengthen
your relationship then click here and print out a topic from the Keys to Unlocking the Door to a Healthy and Happy Marriage Pamphlet Series.
Take the pamphlet along on your date and read it together.
Don't skip this step!!!! That would be like Tiger Woods saying he
no longer needed to learn anything about the game of golf. Even if you have the best relationship in the world
you can always learn something new to make it even better.
If you would like a weekly reminder to go on a date, suggestion of
a fun date to go on, and money saving coupons to restaurants, movie theatres and other fun activities in your area
than sign up for the free weekly date reminder service by sending an email to fundates@healthymarriage.org Type Subscribe in the subject line
and include your zip code in the body of the email. Our policy is we will never rent, sell, or give away your email
address.
Don't forget the ground rules for the healthy relationship dating
program.
1. NO FIGHTING
It is critical that you commit to making your dates a conflict free
time zone. The reason why you are going on the date is to strengthen your relationship and fighting will only damage
it. As soon as you feel a conflict coming on take a time out, commit to discussing the issue at a specific time
in the future and immediatly start a trip down memory lane by sharing some of your favorite memories you have had
together.
2. No talking about problems.
There is plenty of time in the week to discuss problems. While you
are on a date should never be one of those times. Dating is a time for having fun and strengthening your relationship.
3. HAVE FUN
Get out of your comfort zone so you can create memories that will
last a life time.
Fun
Dates You Can Go On Anywhere
Go on an appreciation dinner date. Before you take each bite of food
or each sip from your drink, tell your spouse something you appreciate about him or her or something you appreciate
that he or she has done recently or in the past.
Start a photo kissing album. Have your picture taken while kissing
in front of famous landmarks, in front of churches, restaurants, hotels, etc. We will soon be posting a list of
the names of the couples who have the most photos of them kissing. If you would like to be included in the list
send an email with the number of photos you have to info@healthymarriage.org
Help serve dinner together at a homeless shelter.
Get to know your neighbors by doing a service scavenger hunt. Do all of these activities together and as soon as
you reach 100 points then stop and reward yourself with some ice cream.
Vacuum a room 10 points
Wash a sink full of dishes 15 points
Wash a window 5 points
Sweep a porch 10 points
Sweep a walk way 10 points
Clean a toilet 30 points
Pull some weeds 10 points
Dust some furniture 10 points
Wash a car 30 points
Make dinner 40 points
Shake out some rugs 10 points
Walk their dog 20 points
If you come up with additional ideas for the Service Scavenger Hunt send them to info@healthymarriage.org and we will add them to the website.
Plant a tree together.
Ask your grandparents or parents what their favorite date was and
if possible recreate it with your spouse.
Make a date time capsule. Include items from some recent dates and
open it in 5 years.
Go on a massage date. Set aside an hour for each person and give each
other a full body massage.
Bake your favorite desserts together.
Buy two pocket remote control cars and race them at your local park.
If you don't own them you can buy them for around $15 per car at Amazon.com by clicking
here
Go to your local children's hospital and read books to the kids.
Go to a batting cage and hit baseballs and softballs.
Eat dinner in a canoe or rowboat.
Have a candle light dinner on top of a building and watch the movie Kate and Leopold. If you don't have it you
can order from Amazon.com by clicking here
Watch a movie at the movie theatre.
Choose one of the following videos on how to strengthen your marriage and watch it together. Call 866 818 5530
to order any of these videos.
The Seven Principles For Making Marriage Work with Dr. John Gottman $29.95
Considering Commitment with Dr. Scott Stanley $39.95
10 Great Dates Video Series with Dave and Claudia Arp $89.99
The Second Half of Marriage Video Series with Dave and Claudia Arp $79.99
The Marriage Breakthrough® Interactive Seminar on DVD $109.95 with Michele Wiener Davis
Go to the park and swing on the swings, slide down the slide, play on the teeter-totter. Basically leave your pride
in the car and just act like kids again.
Go to a school and play a game of tetherball. You may need to bring your own ball.
Go to a park and set up your own game of Frisbee golf. Chose objects to hit with the Frisbee and decide how many
throws you should get in order to make par.
Play a game of miniature golf in your house or neighborhood. Use large
plastic cups that you lay on their side for the "holes"
Play a regular game of miniature golf.
Watch the sunset together.
Pretend you are a fashion photographer and do a photo shoot of your
spouse at a scenic location.
Visit a video game arcade and play the games together.
Go to a driving range course and hit a bucket of golf balls together.
Visit a retirement home and read your favorite book to a resident
who no longer sees and never gets visitors.
Plant some flowers for an older neighbor in their yard.
Go to a basketball game.
Set up a lemonade stand and donate all the proceeds to www.alexslemonade.com to help fight pediatric cancer.
Design your dream tree house together.
Go to a hockey game.
Buy a home design program like Better Homes and Gardens Home Designer and design the home of your dreams together.
Click here to buy it from Amazon.com
Test drive your dream car together.
Name a star after your spouse and visit a planetarium to see if you can find it. The International Star Registry
can register the name and send you a certificate for around $60. Click here to order.
Go to the zoo.
Take a video camera to a public place and interview people about what
they view as the most pressing problem the city has.
Go to a baseball game.
Rent a watercraft and spend the day on the water.
Go bowling together.
Play a game of tennis.
Play raquetball together.
Go to a water park.
Go on a carousel.
Go to a roller skating rink.
Go to an indoor climbing wall.
Shoot some pool.
Play darts together.
Go to a drive in movie. If you can't find one drive to a romatic location
and watch a movie on your portable DVD player in your car.
Go on a memory dinner date. Both of you should take 10 minutes before
the date starts to write down a keyword that reminds you of fun memories you have had together. Cut out each keyword
and place it in your pocket or purse. During dinner take turns pulling out a keyword and sharing that memory.
Play a game of HORSE basketball either outside on a real basketball hoop or inside using a garbage can and a ball
of paper.
Make a lot of paper airplanes and fly them outside.
Go kite flying together.
Play a game of paintball together.
Listen to some live jazz.
Attend a student concert at your local college.
Rent a 4 wheeler for the day.
Visit art galleries.
Go to a bagel shop and brainstorm with each other on how to solve
world hunger.
Take a ceramics class together.
Visit a crafts store and sign up for one of the craft class projects to do together.
Race go carts together.
Visit a remote control car track and race the cars.
Take a tour of your local fire station.
Make a video documentary about life as a cab driver, police officer,
hot dog vendor etc. Come up with a list of questions together and then make the video.
Go to a shooting range.
Take a tour of a local factory.
Rent an RV and go camping.
Visit an antique shop and make up stories about the first owners of the items.
Visit a used bookstore and see who can find the oldest book. Then buy a book about your spouses favorite hobby.
Take a scuba diving class together.
Visit a romantic spot together and write a poem about your spouse.
Even if you have no artistic skills buy some crayons and take turns
modeling and drawing a picture of each other in a scenic spot.
Rent a snowmobile for the day.
Go on a complete physical date. Make an appointment for both of you at your doctors and have a complete physical
done.
Rent your dream car and go on a road trip.
Take voice lessons together.
Go out for pastries and brainstorm how to help strengthen marriages in your community.
Go on a hot air balloon ride
Go to a spa together.
Rent bikes and go on a bike tour.
Spend the night at a bed and breakfast.
Donate blood together.
Make a music video together and shoot it on location.
Rent a limousine for the night.
Buy a tent and go camping.
Go to a hallmark store together and find the perfect card for each other.
Go to a chocolate store and buy samples.
Plan a picnic that you can turn into a food fight.
Take a cooking class together.
Go to Home Depot and buy shelving to help you organize your closet together.
Go to a thrift shop and buy the most outrageous outfits you can find and go on a date in them.
Dress up as clowns and entertain people in a public area.
Go to a comedy club.
Take a video camera to a public place and ask people to share with you their favorite jokes.
Go on a music date by taking all of your old music cd's to a CD exchange store and trade them in for new music.
Go on a date to a cookie shop. Brainstorm how you might fix the tax system
Go to a local play
Go for a dental cleaning and exam together.
Go to a donut shop and brainstorm how to help inner-city kids go to college.
Make plans for your 50th wedding anniversay. Even if it's 49 years
away.
Go on a retirement date by talking about your dream retirement, your
realistic retirement and how you are going to make it happen,
Take a CPR class together.
Send her flowers with instructions on where to meet you for your date.
Go on a Cinderella date. Get a new dress, rent a tuxedo, limo, and go to a fancy restaurant.
Ask your spouse out on a "High School Senior Prom" date.
Go on a home maintenance date. Replace your furnace filter. Buy new hoses for your washing machine. Replace the
batteries in your smoke detectors.
Play 9 or 18 holes of golf.
Go on a hay ride.
Join a health club.
Build a model rocket and shoot it off together.
Take horseback riding lessons.
Make homemade ice-cream together.
Go to an ice cream shop and brainstorm how to make your city a safer place to live.
Build a webpage together.
Visit a nursery and make landscaping plans.
If you would like a weekly reminder to go on a date, suggestion of a fun date to go on, and money
saving coupons to restaurants, movie theatres and other fun activities in your area than sign up for the free weekly
date reminder service by sending an email to fundates@healthymarriage.org Type Subscribe in the subject line and include
your zip code in the body of the email. Our policy is we will never rent, sell, or give away your email address.
Please send in your ideas for fun dates so we can add them to the
website and share them with the Healthy Relationship Dating e-list.. Our goal is to eventually have over 1000 dates
that you can choose from. Send in your ideas to info@healthymarriage.org
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