- by Elliott Bailey
- Filed under Cheap dates, Love language: Gifts, Love language: Time, Outdoor Fun, Top 10.
Fun date ideas aged in manliness | Date Night Wingman
Mystery chalk chase adventure
This date activity gets you outdoors and is a total surprise!
How it works
$2 is for the present. $1 is for the packet of chalk that makes it a magic date night!
Prep
Head to the store and get the nicest chocolate bar you can for $2 as well as a $1 packet of chalk
Use the chalk to make a trail of arrows and hide the present at the end
On The Day
She thinks you’re just going for a walk/jog – in reality she’s following the clues you’ve left until she finds the little something you’ve left her at the end!
The Magic
Along the way she’s going to see her name and some nice notes on the pavement – and she will know that everyone else saw them too
Makes her feel one in a million!
Before The Bell
Dash to the shop
You only need 2 things for this date idea – chalk and a nice block of chocolate. This inexpensive date list should come in at about $3 all up
It’s nice to wrap a present so if you don’t have anything at home like white printer paper you could also buy a piece of wrapping paper – you’re still less than $4 in total!
The list
- Chocolate block
- Chalk
Wrap the Present
Making it look nice is one of the things that turns a cheap present into a nice one. Here’s two alternatives:
Easy As
Normal wrapping paper, white printer paper or brown paper turn chocolate into a present! The brown paper is handy in your Date Stash too
Add a romantic note on the inside of the wrapper for some easy flare – cheap can still be awesome!
Totally awesome
Cut a 1/3 inch (1cm) fabric strip and wrap it around the gift for extra uniqueness. Check out my Gift Wrapping Guide for more details
For that finishing touch you can grab a Wax Seal Kit! I bought a set years ago and have used it ever since! Totally worth the $$ since they make any present look totally unique!
1 Hour Before
Next up you want to head out and leave her a chalk trail on the sidewalk to follow!
There’s no hard and fast rules but you probably want to leave an arrow or mark very 30 or so steps so they’re easy to find
Just dropping an arrow on the pavement is the easiest way but you can make it more special by:
- Including her name a few times so she knows this is all just for her. She’s likely to feel even better because in her mind she’s now more special than the other women going for a jog!
- Add a picture or two even if they’re not amazing
- Chain a message by writing one word every 10 meters. For example You’re beautiful never goes astray
Pay it forward
This is a fun idea which add another layer to the date
When you’ve eventually chalked clues all the way to where you want to end up draw a circle and leave any extra chalk in it. Then write a note saying Continue The Love… or something similar
Someone else might see your clues, follow them to the end, and then keep going with their own trail
If they do you can both follow theirs when you return for some more fun
Hide the Present
Stash the present near the end where someone wont randomly walk past and find it
Think of a clue that hints where it is like I’m hidden among all the bushes if there’s a garden nearby. When you get to the goal just drop the hint and she gets to have some fun searching for it
It Begins
Whatever you do don’t tell her…
Make it a surprise! If there’s no surprise then she’s just following chalk and finding a block of chocolate. There has to be that moment where she stops in her tracks trying to work out what’s going on
Here’s some creative ways of getting her out of the house without letting the cat out of the bag:
- Ask if she’d like to go for a walk or jog (even though Amanda loves fitness said she didn’t feel like it when I asked her after work so I had to come back with lets go anyway)
- Take her out for a coffee/drink and park the car near the trail – then skip coffee!
- If she’s already got a plan in mind like lets go down the street on Saturday just hijack her plan – makes it an even bigger surprise!
Here’s another adventure date:
This real life treasure hunt is an Arrgh-venture they’ll never forget! The guide includes step by step instructions for crafting an authentic map, stashing the loot and having a blast together!
There’s even a printable map template to make it easy to prep!
On the Trail
When you get to the start of the trail she may not see it straight away. This is ok as when she does it’s an even bigger How did I miss the giant chalk message! and a lot of fun for both of you. Just make sure there’s a pretty noticeable chalk mark with her name in it close to the beginning
When she finds the trail let her take charge and find the way to the end. When you get there someone may have continued the sidewalk trail for you but before you keep going give her the clue for where the present is
Lastly there’s no time like now so chill out somewhere and enjoy the present!
The Magic
$3 is enough to show you care
Even though this is a cheap date idea it’s still fun and romantic because:
- You spent time to make it happen. Particularly when you’re working 50 hour weeks spending time can show you care more than spending $$ on a flashy dinner
- There’s surprise everywhere she looks! She goes from not knowing it’s a date at all to realizing it’s all for her!
Conversation Starters
The chalk all over the sidewalk it likely to get some great chit chat going but here’s a few rounds to keep the action going:
- In your chalk trail leave the some notes about past dates you’ve been on together like I loved the theater last week. These are great cues that get the date conversation going!
- Would you like to do a surprise holiday where we just rock up to the airport and work out the rest after that?
- What do you think’s at the end of the chalk trail?
Go the extra mile
You could obviously spend a lot more $$ on this date, by adding a nice breakfast or an expensive present, however some of the best things in life are (almost) free. Why not try out some of these cheap ideas to add some more magic to this date:
- Small picnic or Subway in a park. Just end the trail somewhere nice and bust out your picnic before eating the present
- End the trail at a cafe and have the waiter bring out the present when they bring over the coffee’s. This is easy to arrange beforehand by asking them to help out with a date you’re planning. I’ve never had someone knock me back when I’ve asked
- End the chalk trail at a free public event or busker. Chilling out listening to music or checking out a fete is a fun way to enjoy a date
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