Board and Card Games. Usually more of a group thing, board and card games are a fabulous way to have fun when the weather isn’t cooperating. If you are willing to spend a little money, start the night by picking and buying a new game from the store.

Bookworm Date. Visiting local book stores can be a perfect way to spend a cold day.  Browsing through different book titles can help you get to know each others interests while also providing amusement and enlightening on different subjects.   Finish the night by stopping at the Cocoa bean on your way home!

Do a Puzzle: Puzzles are a fun, low key and creative way to get to know a person. Be ready with things to talk about, sitting in silence can be rather awkward!

Go bowling. Bowling is a great way to get to know someone in a fun low pressure environment. There is no shame in putting up the bumpers if you are a little rusty!

Home Cooked Goodness!: Impress your date with your awesome cooking skills! Spend the night buying, cooking and eating dinner together at one of your apartments. Get creative with it for example try eating with no utensils, or spaghetti without plates. Post your own successes and ideas in the comment section.  Don’t forget desert!

Have an Indoor Picnic: Lay a blanket in the living room and have a basket full of fun picnic foods. Come up with different ideas on how to make the room appear like summer.

Craft Fair: Doing Crafts are an excellent way to stay entertained when you don’t want to be outside. Bust out the crayons, markers, finger paints, glue and paper and other critical supplies as you create your masterpieces.   As long as everyone involved is having a good time, it really doesn’t matter what you do or make.  A great site for unique craft ideas is Craftster.org. You might try visiting an art gallery to compare.

Visit a Museum or Art Gallery: Looking at art can be a fun yet relaxing date. This can be expecially good if one or both of you knows a little about art and the humanities. Spend the night teaching each other about the different things you see.

Have a Photo Shoot: Put on the most ridiculous clothes you can find, then take time taking pictures of it. This can be especially fun at Desseret Industries or Goodwill. After you take the pictures have fun enhancing them using Photoshop or similar software. Post your pictures on facebook or another blog.

Go to a play or other live performance: Almost everywhere you visit you can find live performing arts. A relaxing way to enjoy yourself as someone else provides the entertainment!

1. Picnic in the park.
2. Free concerts.
3. Make paper airplanes (good ones) and fly them off a bridge or tall building.  (Pick up your trash when you’re done mister!)
4. Homemade ice cream…..Bucket, large empty can, ice, rock salt, spoon…..Shallow layer of ice and salt in bucket.  Place the can in the bucket and surround with ice and salt.  Cream in the can (no lid necessary) and use the spoon to stir…..Stir and scrape the sides as the cream freezes. (~ 20 minutes.)
5. Google for recipes
6. Roller blade and park talk!
7. Hiking (with picnic)
8. Make kites
9. Glow-in-the-dark croquet….Put glow-in-the-dark tape on each ball, stick, and bridge. Play after dark…..Or play using flashlights.
10. Rock climbing
11. Sledding and hot chocolate
12. Snowman and hot chocolate
13. Backpacker’s dinner
14. Murder mystery dinner (Borrow a game and make dinner.  Requires 4 couples. )
15. Star gazing and star talk!
16. Bon fire, s’mores, hot dogs, and fire talk!
17. Dollar movie and ice cream
18. Scenic drive and car talk!
19. Lectures (not classroom lectures, but interesting and special campus or community lectures)
20. Fireside with private refreshments and mingle (but not that private.)
21. Homemade dinner and table talk! (Make it all together or wow the lucky lady with your culinary skills.)
22. Go for a wall … to an ice cream store… while your dinner is in the oven… to the park… around
23. the neighborhood
24. Running
25. Biking
26. Canoeing
27. Game night with other couples.
28. Rent a movie (Shouldn’t happen more than once a month and never on one of the first three dates.)
29. “Chutes and Ladders” bowling. # of pins you knock down = # of spaces moved along the board.
30. Make cookies and deliver anonymously to perfect strangers, ward members needing a boost, or your neighbors and hers.
31. Chinese checkers or chess in the park.
32. Service date at welfare square (Bishop Warehouse or cannery)
33. Games with elderly at a rest home.
34. National Enquirer read-a-thon.
35. Buy 2 pints of ice cream (one for each of you) and 2 National Enquirers.
36. Go to a park.
37. Look for crazy stories to read to each other.
38. Visit a ghost town.
39. Visit a farm.
40. Homespun movie
41. Write a 5-10 minute movie script…..Film it…..Watch it with popcorn.
42. Farm and fruit pie
43. Visit a local farm (or a neighbor’s tree) where you can pick the fruit yourself. (Farm’s usually charge per bushel or ½ bushel)….Pick the fruit…..Make a fruit pie or smoothie.
44. Bigger and Better…Each couple gets $5 to shop at a garage sale or dollar store….Go to the houses of complete strangers and try to trade your treasure for something bigger and better.
45. Dancing
46. Pay for it and go early for the free lessons.
47. Free swing lessons every Thursday evening in the Union Ballroom at the U of U.
48. Homemade pizza
49. Gingerbread houses (during Christmas, of course.)
50. Tour an art museum.
51. Scavenger / treasure hunt.
52. Picture scavenger hunt with digital cameras.
53. Road Rally (clues at each location that lead you to a token item and a new location)
54. Frisbee golf
55. Make your own course if there isn’t one.
56. Build a golf course.
57. Make your own golf course…..Play golf on your course!
58. Claymation Movie
59. Make play-dough….Make a 30 second film out of your play-dough creations.
60. Swimming.
61. Night swimming at a lake.
62. Marshmallow assassination in the park.
63. Backwards date night…..Kiss at the door when you pick her up…..Do your activity….Eat dessert….Eat dinner.
64. Walk in the rain, then puddle jump.
65. Indoor campfire
66. Set out camp chairs, turn out the lights and gather around a lamp with the shade removed.
67. Roast hot dogs and s’mores on the kitchen stove.
68. Play the guitar and sing.
69. Candlelight dinner at the park.
70. Cow tipping.
71. Finger painting with pudding.
72. Theme night (everything has to do with a single idea)….”J” everything you eat or do has to start with the letter J…..”Red” everything you eat has to be red, everything you use in your activities has to be red…..“Gym” night, do everything at a local sports complex
73. Gardening for an elderly neighbor.
74. Build or fix something for a needy neighbor.
75. Trick or Can and deliver the goods to a local food bank.
76. Serve food at a soup kitchen.
77. Random acts of kindness…Rake someone’s yard….Wash windows at someone’s house…Shovel the snow on their drive way…Clean off the snow from their cars….
78. Walk down a busy road with M&M’s and wave at the cars of the same color as the M&M you just ate.
79. Go to a thrift shop and purchase an outfit.  Go somewhere in your new threads.
80. Check out your favorite childhood books from the library and read them to each other. (Or read them to the children at the homeless day care center.)
81. Eat a picnic lunch and read one of Shakespeare’s plays (Have several couples and assign parts.)
82. Make spaghetti.  Tie everyone’s right hand to the left hand of the person at his or her right.  Give ‘em forks and go for it!
83. Deserted Island: eat dinner on the island in the middle of a road.
84. Make dinner for the missionaries.
85. Go to the family history library (or stake office) and do extractions or family history research.
86. Make visits to those who don’t get out very often.
87. Early morning breakfast and watch the sun rise!
88. Go caroling… even if it isn’t around Christmas.
89. Go to a baseball game late (then you’ll get in free).
90. Nintendo play-offs.  Find an old style Nintendo and all the games you used to play.
91. Dress up for Halloween and go Trick or Treating.  (Only to your friends, of course.)
92. Cowboy poetry.  Write the piece and the music together on a guitar.  (Even if neither of you play.)
93. Pumpkin Carving
94. Kindergarten themed night:   finger painting, play with blocks, nap time, coloring, story time…
95. Tin foil dinners
96. 5 $ dinner cooking for other couples
97. 5 $ dinner for each other

1. Snow shoeing
2. Go Sledding or Tubing
3. Build an Igloo
4. Sleigh rides
5. Cross Country Skiing
6. Ski or Snowboard
7. Snow Angels
8. Put Out Bird Seed for the Winter Birds
9. Haunted Houses or a Corn Maze (more of a Halloween thing)
10. Snowmobiling
11. Back Country Skiing
12. Snow Camping (Try it in a Cave)
13. Have a winter picnic. Bring a warm sandwich and cookies in an insulated bag , cocoa and hot soup in a soup thermos. Take blankets or sleeping bags to sit on.
14. Go Look at Christmas Lights
15. Snowball fight
16. Polarbear Swim (BRRRRR)
17. YellowStone National Park (Most parts you will probably need Snowmobiles)
18. Cut Out Paper Snowflakes
19. Ice Skating
20. Billards
21. Bowling

Overview

The Civil Defense caves are large tubes formed from lava that snake underground for thousands of feet. Because of the insulating qualities of Lava, the interior of caves are cold, even on the hottest days of the summer.

It’s really fun to explore. The caves vary from 50 feet high to areas that you need to crawl through.

Direction

The first right off North Salem Road (which is is about 16.8 miles this is also the North Rexburg exit, from the I-20 interstate at N 44°06.273′ W 111°48.285′.

The next turn, a left turn, is about 3.7 miles from the first turn off and is located at N 44°08.656′ W 111°45.803′.

Go one more mile or 4.7 miles from the main road and you will arrive at the cave. N 44°09.326′ W 111°46.551′.

You will need…

• A jacket
• good footwear
• flashlights or head lamps (with extra batteries)
• To be mindful and remember the path you take in so you can backtrack and get out (which isn’t hard, but it’s worth pointing out…)

You may want…

• A snow hat or beanie
• Gloves – the rock can be rough
• Glow sticks (for fun and for back up)
• A camera

Overview:

This is a “get to know ya game” that is ideal for group settings.  It is very creative and only requires other people to play. (It’s also fun with friends and family)

Places to Play

This is normally an indoor game, but a creative group could try it outside, camping, even in a car.

How to Play:

It’s REALLY easy to learn…

1.) Begin with everyone sitting in a circle and putting all ten fingers on the floor.

2.) Then, one by one each person in the group says something that they have never done. For example, the first person would start out by saying something like “Never have I ever been to Idaho Falls.”

3.) At that point anyone who has been to Idaho Falls would remove a finger from the circle.

4.) The next person in the circle continues with their own “Never have I Ever” and so on.

The object of the game is to be the last one in the circle.

Remember that the idea is to stay in the game the longest (good strategy is to say things that you’ve never done but that most other people maybe have). This makes for a fun and humerous way to get to know other people…

Played before? What did you think? Leave a comment below…

If you haven’t played before,  try it! Come back and let us know what you think… or share other games that are fun to play.

Bridge jumping right by monkey rock!

Overview

Have you have ever wanted to play in a waterfall? If so,  Monkey rock is the place. It’s not a large cascade, but this little lagoon style location is perfect for a summer swim and hang out. You can swim around in the lagoon or up explore up behind the waterfall. In the summer the water temperature is just right. Just get in and get used to it!

When you go, make sure you walk under and behind the falls. It’s a rush to have that much water rush over you… Depending on the water level the falls might be bigger or smaller.

CAUTION: Be careful around the little concrete “water slide” up top where the canal feed the waterfall. At the bottom of the slide is little rapid or “hydraulic” which is unassuming, but is surprisingly powerful. It’s been known to give quite a few people a scare. What it will do is sweep our feet out from underneath you and roll you.

SAFETY TIPS:

1. Don’t be scared of it, just take a second to understand it and you’ll have nothing to fear… And don’t be the idiot that thinks he’s stronger than it.
2. Know your ability level
3. Always have some else up there with you, and
4. Have a good time!

If you get tired of playing around the falls, you can walk down the street and jump off of the bridge. It’s high enough to give a thrill, but not so high that it is very dangerous. Be careful and wise at both spots and you will have an enjoyable time.

Directions

You Will Need…

• Sandals / water shoes: The lagoon floor is pretty rocky
• Towels
• Sunscreen

You May Want…

• Snorkel mask
• Camera
• Lunch: It’s a great place to picnic…
• Nun-chucks,  naturally… right?

Overview

Not to be mistaken with the Civil Defense Caves (which are near by) , the Ice Caves are about 45 minutes outside of Rexburg. The Ice Caves (also known as the Lava Tube Caves) were originally formed as lava tubes. Over the years they have maintained fairly cold temperatures and as moisture and water seeped in it froze. The ice now remains frozen year round and makes for a wonderful adventure. There are two different sets of caves, fairly close to each other in the middle of the desert.  Both sets of caves are a few hundred yards deep and require good footwear, warm clothes and a flashlight to navigate.

Directions

The turn off is just about 25 miles past walmart or 14.5 miles past the sand dunes RV camp place. You will drive over a metal cattle guard. (A big grated metal thing that crosses the road.)

Immediately after the third cattle guard there is a dirt road turnoff to the right. This turnoff goes diagonally northeast. There is another turn-off that connects with the first one about 200 yards down the road that is pretty much parallel to the main road (There is a 3rd dirt road past the first two….it doesn’t lead to the ice caves).

Continue on the dirt road (for which a not going faster than 10-15 mph for about 30 minutes. You will feel like you have probably passed the caves, but just when you are about to turn around the road forks completely.

Take the right fork, but drive slowly… you could very well drive right into the gigantic hole in the ground. Climb down into the hole and you should see the cave entrance.
Special thanks to Alyson for these directions. (www.rexburgic.com)

You will need…

• Flashlight
• Good hiking/tennis shoes
• Warm clothes: Sweatshirt, long underwear, jacket, gloves, beanie/snow cap.

You may want…

• Glow Sticks: It’s fun to brake them open and sprinkle the glow goo around and play “hide and go seek”. Please remember to bring a bag and pack your trash out.
• Energy Food: It’s a fun place to have a snack… and you’ll probably need one.
• Camera: (Hint- for need photos, increase your shutter speed to 1 second or more. Then email SpiffyList your photos! We’ll post ‘em.)