The nights are drawing in and as it’s getting colder, it’s getting more and more appealing to find someone to cuddle up to.

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You’ve seen that person on Flirtify and keep going back to look at their profile, but for some reason you haven’t said anything yet. You haven’t quite found the right words. Well, we’re about to give them to you. Open a chat and offer up one of these irresistible autumn date ideas and they won’t be able to say no.

Brace yourselves and get outdoors

A walk in the countryside

The countryside is stunning at this time of year. Wrap up warm and go on a little walk to get to know each other somewhere pretty. You’ll most likely get bonus points if you bring your dog too.

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Fruit picking

Apples are perfect this time of year. Find yourself an orchard that’s open to the public and try this. It’s a bit different, it’s something to focus on so the date isn’t too intense. And you can go home and make an apple pie to warm up afterwards.

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Maize Maze

There’s a few of these around the country. It’s a fun activity where you go into a maize in hopes of finding the centre. It encourages teamwork or competition depending on which way you approach it. Both are fun ways to spend your date.

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Star gazing

Is there anything more romantic?! Bundle up, get in the car out to the country where there’s no street lights, lie down and look at the stars together. Make up names for the constellations. Or just name them if you actually know them. Take a flask and enjoy each other’s company.

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Or warm up instead with some food or drink

Cook dinner together

Granted, this might be a second or third date sort of thing, but it can work as a first date too. It’s not too intense if both of you are cooking rather than just one person. And with any luck you’ll have something you both like to eat by the end of it. Plus you learn A LOT about a person when you cook with them…

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Hot chocolates

Possibly one to follow on from an outdoor activity. There’s nothing more warming than a hot chocolate. Particularly one with a little splash of something alcoholic in there. Get a takeaway and head back out to the cold, or make one at home and snuggle up by the fire to warm up.

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Bake together

It’s cold. The Great British Bake Off is back on our televisions. There’s no better time to get in the kitchen and try your hand at baking. It’s something fun that you can work on together, and if it all goes well, you’ll have something delicious to enjoy in the end too.

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It’s cold outside. Best to stay in

Movie night

There’s not much better than movie night. Especially when you’ve got someone to cuddle and fight over the popcorn with. Why not go for a Halloween themed movie night? It’s the right time of year for it, and it gives you an excuse to smoosh up even closer during the scary bits.

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Make a fort

If someone says they don’t want to build a fort with you, they’re either lying, or not worth bothering with in the first place. Have dinner or watch films in there. You’ll have a lot of fun working together to build it, and it’s nice to have your own little den to get to know each other.

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Go for a drive

You have to go outside to get to the car, but get the heating on, drive down a little country lane and you’ll get the beautiful scenery as well as the warmth. And for some reason, it’s a lot easier to talk to someone in a car, right?

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Pumpkin carving

Do one together or make it into a competition, taking part in an activity like this on a first date means you’ve both got something to concentrate on aside from each other, making it less intense. It gives you something to talk about without even trying to think of anything. It will also get you into the Halloween-y spirit if you’re thinking about watching some spooky films afterwards.

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So what are you waiting for? We've done all the hard work for you. Pick one of these, ask the question and before you know it, you could be baking a pie with freshly picked apples with the person of your dreams. And maybe eating it in a fort.

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By Sam at Flirtify

If you’ve seen the new Heineken ad, you’ll know why it’s all over the internet at the moment: in a nutshell, their ‘social experiment’ puts two deeply incompatible people together with the challenge to build a bar. The big twist is that although they have completely opposing views, they get to know each other and talk through their differences. N’aw.

We’re sure you’ll have much more in common with any dates you get to know this Spring  (Flirtify is a great way of finding people who share the same interests as you!), but it still got us thinking… maybe going on more ‘challenging’ dates will separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak?

Sure, the chances of having people walk out on you may significantly increase, but the chances of a lukewarm date are dramatically decreased too. Think of it as a form of quality control.
If you’re bored of the coffee/cinema status-quo, here are 10 more testing date ideas that you could try (use at your own risk):

1.    Rock Climbing

  
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You know those office trust exercises where you fall back and expect people to catch you? Rock climbing is basically one of those, especially if your date is expected to belay for you (essentially anchor you to the ground).

This idea will test your date on a multitude of levels; you can monitor their strength, and their reaction to your consistent sweating. You can also watch their crisis management skills kick into gear as you have a panic attack 10 feet off the ground.

2.    Quirky Restaurants…

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If you’re looking for more than the usual meat and two veg, why not go for a more bizarre dining experience? There are plenty of weird choices out there - micro courses, insect bars, dining in the dark – you name it.

Though the menu might not be to your appetite, at least you’ll always have something to talk about. And who knows: maybe a bowl of charcoal–infused carrots will bring you closer together.

3.    …or maybe even Cooking Together

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Once you’ve found your way around their gas oven (who has one of those anymore?!) you’re all ready to create a candlelit masterpiece for two; why not make it a bit more interesting?

Whether you turn it into a ‘Come Dine With Me’-style competition, or try cooking together, there’s only one golden rule – no food poisoning (especially if you’re planning on staying the night).

4.    Gool ol’ DIY

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Whether you’re building a bar or a BILLY bookcase, we all know the IKEA experience can come with its unique set of arguments, folded right into the flat-pack. However, if your date can withstand home improvements from day one, you know you have a keeper.

If there are any quick fixes you need around the house, this idea is a win-win: although the relationship might not, a good paint job lasts forever.

5.    Escape Games

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Stockholm syndrome aside, the wave of escape game experiences flooding the UK are the closest things you can get date-wise to a psychometric test. Feel exhilarated as you are literally chained into a room with someone you may not know anything about.

This is a great opportunity to get anything awkward you haven’t mentioned yet out into the open. It’s also a great date idea for people with the mutual interest of dystopian nightmares.

6.    Life Drawing

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What could ease the romantic tension better than sitting in a room and staring at someone else’s naked body? It’s an opportunity to show off your artistic prowess/appreciation for the human form, and it’s also really really funny.

If you’re ready to increase the risk, why not suggest taking turns modelling?

7.    Karaoke

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Friends of 500 Days of Summer rejoice; Karaoke is a great date idea for extroverts nationwide. What’s more, it’s very future-focused: a test of the quality of shower-singing and road trip playlists to come.

This way, even if the relationship doesn’t work out, you can at least be the next Fleetwood Mac.

8.    Horror film marathon

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Today’s streaming services boast a vibrant, diverse choice of cinematic experiences; instead of the The Notebook this Friday night, why not watch something that tests your reflexes? Our suggestions include The Shining, Carrie, The Blair Witch Project and The Human Centipede.

Challenge your better half to Netflix and Thrill (see what we did there?) and wait to see who cracks first.

9.    Unplug for the day

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It might not seem like much of a challenge in theory, but give this one a go: no phones, no tablets, no distractions from awkward silences. Your granddad would be proud.

Who knows, your time together may benefit from relying on good, old-fashioned face-to-face communication - as long as they’re into strict rule-enforcement.

10.    Meeting the inlaws

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Basically the biggest challenge of all, meeting their parents is like a triathlon: if you’ve managed to dodge the awkward hug/handshake mix-ups and avoid politics at the dinner table, you might fall at the last hurdle by forgetting their names… Remember it’s all about endurance.

For the big thrill-seekers, wear something subtly inappropriate and unexpectedly declare you’re a vegan at the last minute.

Better quality dates built right in

Though some of these date ideas may be a bit far-fetched, at Flirtify, we’re all about getting the most out of your love life.

Whether you’re a fan of the conventional or the quirky, there’s nothing better than feeling a real connection to someone: find thousands of single people searching for that spark on Flirtify.

Join Flirtify for free >>

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