Big Free · 275 ideas · nothing to sign up for
Date night jar ideas, ready to cut up
Every idea the cup draw ships with, laid out as slips you can print, cut and drop into a jar. 275 of them, sorted by which cup they belong to. Print it, save it as a PDF, or just read it here and steal the good ones.
A paper jar and the online draw solve the same problem in two different rooms. The jar wins when you want something to hold; the cup draw wins when one of you is at work and the decision still has to get made. Both run on this same list.
🍴 Where we're eating · 62 slips
your place
my place
your mom's house
that restaurant we always pass
that new spot downtown
the taco truck
the park
a picnic somewhere green
breakfast for dinner
pizza on the living-room floor
sushi night
taco night
diner breakfast at midnight
the fanciest happy hour we can find
dumplings
ramen night
pho night
korean bbq
hot pot
the hibachi counter
oyster happy hour
tapas and sangria
a food hall, one dish each
a food truck rally
the 24-hour diner
pancakes for dinner
build-your-own pizza night
homemade pasta from scratch
one-pot challenge
cook the first recipe we scroll to
grandma's recipe night
backyard bbq for two
a rooftop restaurant
somewhere we can't pronounce
the oldest restaurant in town
somewhere with white tablecloths
wings and a game
sports-bar nachos
sunday brunch
bottomless brunch
a farm-to-table splurge
all-you-can-eat buffet
conveyor-belt sushi
the indian buffet
ethiopian — eat with our hands
greek gyros
a bakery lunch
charcuterie on the floor
a cheese-board masterpiece
fondue night
breakfast in bed
a drive-thru tasting tour
gas-station snack dinner
county-fair food
boardwalk fries
ice cream for dinner (why not)
soup night in mugs
grilled cheese + tomato soup
taco tuesday anywhere
the dollar-slice spot
the first place with an open table
wherever the coin flip says
🎲 What we're doing · 62 slips
mini golf
bookstore wander
sunset walk
arcade hour
drive with no destination
thrift-store challenge
board game showdown
stargazing on a blanket
farmers market run
museum wander
bowling
cook-off: one basket, two chefs
a pottery class
paint-and-sip
a cooking class
a drop-in dance class
the climbing gym
the roller rink
ice skating
batting cages
the driving range
axe throwing
an escape room
laser tag
go-karts
the trampoline park
trivia night
a karaoke room
an open mic night
a comedy show
a jazz bar
a record-store dig
library date: pick each other's book
the museum's free day
the planetarium
the aquarium
a zoo morning
the botanical garden
a pumpkin or sunflower patch
apple picking
berry picking
hike a new trail
a sunrise hike
a bike ride to nowhere
kayak or paddleboat
fishing off the dock
picnic + people watching
geocaching
a scavenger hunt we write ourselves
yard-sale treasure hunt
flea-market haggling
an antique-mall wander
test-drive a car we can't afford
open houses for fun
a ferry ride
the drive-in movie
a dollar-theater double feature
home spa night
puzzle + podcast night
build a blanket fort
a volunteer shift together
stargaze till we find a satellite
🍨 The sweet treat · 12 slips
ice cream drive
milkshakes
fancy dessert aisle run
bake something together
hot chocolate walk
donut stop
churros
that bakery we keep passing
s'mores in the yard
cheesecake to-go
fruit + chocolate fondue
gas-station candy haul
✦ The wildcard · 61 slips
no phones allowed
dress up for no reason
$10 budget max
photo at every stop
talk in accents for 10 minutes
let the coin flip decide
swap phones for the playlist
compliment battle
hold hands the whole time
recreate our first date
loser plans the next one
loser cooks dinner
winner picks the playlist
speak only in questions
no saying each other's names
order for each other
let the server decide
close your eyes and point at the menu
$5 gift challenge
thrifted outfit swap
fancy on top, comfy below
talk in movie quotes only
invent a secret handshake
fake names all night
pretend it's a first date
pretend we're tourists
only left turns allowed
flip a coin at every corner
follow the next dog we see
take the third exit, see what's there
bus roulette: ride 5 stops
photo scavenger list
one photo every hour
film a tiny documentary of the night
interview each other on camera
write postcards to future us
hide a love note for later
compliment every dog we pass
learn a dance from the internet
car karaoke only
whisper night
accents until someone laughs
no phones till dessert
swap phones for one hour
one veto each on the playlist
slow dance wherever we are
race each other somewhere
piggyback across every crosswalk
matching hats required
buy each other's snacks blind
mystery-ingredient night
draw each other in 5 minutes
arm wrestle for dessert
rock-paper-scissors every decision
speak in rhymes till dessert
copy each other's order exactly
the next song decides the vibe
trade sunglasses for the night
narrate the night like a nature documentary
high-five after every decision
end the night with a toast to something tiny
🗓️ When are we going? · 16 slips
tonight
this weekend
friday night
saturday morning
sunday afternoon
a weekday evening
a daytime date
lunch break
right after work
after the kids are asleep
sunrise
golden hour
midnight
the next rainy day
the next full moon
payday
🧭 How are we getting there? · 12 slips
walk
drive
public transit
surprise route
biking
skipping
on a horse
scooters
rollerblades
piggyback ride
a canoe if we can find one
the scenic route
✨ What's the vibe · 50 slips
romantic
cozy
giggly
fancy for no reason
main-character energy
rom-com montage
first-date butterflies
old married couple
teenage sneak-out
golden retriever energy
soft villain era
black tie in the living room
pajamas only
candlelit everything
spontaneous
slow and lazy
competitive — winner gloats
dramatic like a telenovela
cottagecore
big city lights
small-town charm
beach bum
mysterious strangers who just met
secret agents on a mission
treasure hunt
karaoke confidence
zero phones, full eye contact
love-letter energy
prom night do-over
honeymoon phase
midnight snack run
sunrise optimism
rainy day cuddles
art-gallery pretentious (lovingly)
farmers-market wholesome
road-trip radio loud
dive-bar cool
five-star fancy
picnic-blanket philosophy
deep talks only
no talking, just vibes
dance-in-the-kitchen
dress like each other
matching outfits, no shame
tourists in our own town
we'll figure it out
celebrating literally nothing
chaos gremlins
grandma's-house comfy
fairy-tale ending
How to make the jar
Print this, cut along the dashed boxes, and use a separate jar per cup rather than one big one. That is the part most jars get wrong: a single jar of 275 slips gives you a random activity with no dinner attached. Four small jars give you a night. Draw one slip from each and do not renegotiate.
If you would rather have the night built for you, with real venues and timing, that is what we do every month.