Thinking up new and unique date ideas can definitely be tricky sometimes. It’s easy to get a little lazy and go with the usual pizza and a movie on a Friday night. There’s nothing wrong with this every now and then, but on Valentine’s Day it can be fun to go the extra mile and do something you and your significant other haven’t done before. To help you out we’ve put together a list of some interesting date ideas to try out in the London area.

SKATING, SKIING AND SLEDDING

If you’re an outdoorsy couple, there’s a number of fun winter activities that make for a memorable night out. Bundle up and head to one of London’s free, outdoor ice rinks such as that at Covent Garden Market or Victoria Park. If you don’t own a set of skates, Victoria Park skating rink offers ice skates at a very affordable price.

If you have a bigger budget, head to Boler Mountain for a number of outdoor activities on the slopes including skiing, snowboarding and tubing. More information can be found at BolerMountain.com.

On the other hand, should you have a low dating budget, head to one of London’s many public parks, find a nice hill to go sledding on, build a snowman, then follow it up with some hot chocolate at a local coffee shop.

APPRECIATING THE ARTS

If you’re into music there’s bound to be a concert in town to fit your style and your budget. Check out BudweiserGardens.com, LondonMusicHall.com or go to LondonTourism.ca/Events/Music for a list of upcoming big name and indie acts.

If you or your significant other are more into the theatrical arts, London has a great community and professional theatre scene. The Grand Theatre is London’s premiere theatre company and can be found at grandtheatre.com. However, there’s a number of other theatre companies that are worth checking out as well including the (palacetheatre.ca) and (mtplondon.ca). More detailed info on the London theatre scene can be found at theatreinlondon.ca.

Finally, if you’re looking to take in some visual art, hit up one of London’s many art galleries to check out some amazing pieces by local and national artists. The biggest gallery in town is Museum London which can be found online at museumlondon.ca. Other Galleries worth checking out include TAP (artsproject.ca) and the Michael Gibson Gallery (gibsongallery.com).

ESCAPE ROOMS

London has plenty of escape rooms scattered across the city and can make for a unique and adventurous date. But be warned that this type of activity may only be suitable for certain couple dynamics. Some love the challenge, co-operation and team building that’s involved in solving one of these puzzles, while for others, being locked in a room with your significant other and trying to solve next to impossible puzzles with them is just an argument waiting to happen. Whatever the case may be, it certainly provides an unforgettable night out and is a great way to build a stronger relationship. Some popular spots that are worth checking out include Exodus Escape Rooms (exoduslondon.com), Mystery Escape Rooms (mysteryescaperooms.com), Escape Canada (escape-canada.com/london) and Trap Door Escape Rooms (trapdoorlondon.ca).

TRAMPOLINE PARKS

London’s had a number of trampoline parks pop up across the city in the past year and although they can be a little bit on the expensive side, they’re worth the money and provide a fun date idea that’s quite literally off the wall. Some fun parks that are popular in the Londone area are Sky Zone (skyzone.com/london) and Flying Squirrel (flyingsquirrelsports.ca/london-ontario).

If you’re looking to do a little more than what’s offered at a regular trampoline park, check out The Factory. In addition to the trampoline floor, it offers a number of other attractions including high ropes, virtual reality, arcades, a warrior course, escape rooms and dining options. More information on this location can be found at thefactorylondon.ca.