Nerds of the world, rejoice! We know you aren’t necessarily interested in the cliche date ideas that get tossed around ad nauseam — you want to surprise your date with something smart, something interesting, something geared towards the nerdy interests that bonded you in the first place. So here are a few ideas for how to woo your geeky love in the ways that only a geek will really understand, and they are not restricted to declared geeky cities.
Trivia night will capitalize on your greatest assets
Want to impress your date with all those factoids that you somehow remember? Head to your nearest trivia night, team up, and trounce the competition. Nothing will bond you quite like the sweet victory of watching the other teams scratch their heads about how you two remember such random things about math. Brainy couples only.
Problem-solve together at an Escape Room
Increasingly popular and proliferating around the country, you can choose your themed Escape Room experience to be endearingly nerdy to your tastes. Horror movies, historic events, check out what your nearby location has on offer and see just how clever you two really are. Can you get out of a locked room? Or… do you even want to?
Marathon Watch Mystery Science Theater 3000
Sci-fi fans, this is the date night for you. Part comedy (robot commentary) and part actual obscure sci-fi movies, you’ll laugh and get to nerd out about how that particular chemical compound just wouldn’t actually be possible. You can find MST3K on Netflix these days and, if your love isn’t up to date on the show’s premise, prepare a little primer along with the evening’s snacks. An easy impromptu date when you both suddenly have the night free.
Go Geocaching
This is a daytime date! A real-life treasure hunt set up by other people. Look up Geocaching in your area to find out what type of adventures are available and choose one at the scale that you and your date are ready for. Some require driving and some are totally walkable. No surprise: there’s an app for that. Download and start searching for your treasure!
Tip: This is a great option for couples who share a home office to get out of the house and go somewhere new.
Go to a lecture you can talk about for days
If you live anywhere near a college or university, chances are you have an abundance of new nerdy things to learn at your fingertips. Professors are often giving public lectures about their new research or book publications, and universities are often hosting visiting lecturers or experts that are on the cutting edge of their field. No matter what you like to geek out about, you can learn something new — and the two of you will have something to talk about for a long time to come. Looking for love after a move? You just might meet someone like-minded here.
Stay in and cook something geeky
Geeky date night ideas don’t have to mean going out: get your sweetie a copy of Cooking for Geeks by Jeff Potter and you’ll learn not only some great new recipes but also the nerdy science behind why medium-rare steaks taste so darn good. Pair your dish with an interesting bottle of wine or craft beer and you can bond over the cooking experience and enjoy your full meal.
Dates went well and it’s time to move to accommodate your growing family? We’ve got some tips to help with that!
