Depending on who you ask, the nerd and geek population still occasionally gets some bad reputation – mostly from folks who are its polar opposites and not really interested in the first place. We all know that these charming quirksters have a whole unique world to offer (or a set of worlds!) and are definitely worth the effort.
If fishing at a tabletop event is not really your thing, nowadays you can browse a whole bunch of dating sites for nerds, and once you find an interesting fellow brainy, you can let your dating creativity run uniquely wild. Here is a little compilation of date ideas that you may want to try out. We included stuff both for the indoorsy and outdoorsy folks, so whatever the weather, whatever the mood, you can have a game plan to fall back on!
A Battlecards Picnic
Are you a fan of trading card games and building dueling decks? Why not take your favorite weapons outside on a sunny day and battle it out with your date in a comfy little patch of shade? Bring a picnic basket (or a portable fridge) filled up with your favorite goodies – sandwiches, fruits, snacks, and drinks – and use the blanket as the arena!
Maybe Magic cards are all the rage lately, but this can work for anything, really. So if you are an old-timer still in love with Yu-Gi-Oh! or if you would prefer one of the classic card activities, like Call My Bluff or a gambling game, go for it! You can even bring a portable device or two and play a round of Hearthstone (just keep an eye on your battery level).
Visit or Hold a Trivia Night Event
Seriously, who would not love some good ol’ competitive quizzing every once in a while? If you and your date have a shared love of any fandom, or any other field of life, go match your knowledge against other aficionados and see if you might win a prize for it! From Star Wars to popular astronomy, anything goes. Or, if you would rather avoid the hustle and bustle of a bar space, host your own. Check out this link for a crash course on how to do it right.
If you visit a publicly hosted trivia night, expect to be set up into pairs or groups for the contest. Sometimes, to ensure fair play, the hosts may purposefully break you up and have you teamed up with other visitors. This would usually not be a problem for established or long-standing couples, but if this is your first date, or you just started going out recently, make sure the person can take it without any butthurt in the event that you end up going up against each other.
Go For a Rollerblading Session
To be perfectly honest, we are not quite sure how rollerblading got to be considered such a heavily dorky form of pastime. Really, it is getting to be right up there with bowling. Maybe it happened because the Disco Stu Era is over, but whatever the reason, now it makes a fun and fitness-rich way for geeky couples to have some fun!
Most parks will have blades ready for rent. If you are not able to find a dedicated rollerblading place in your area, you may want to give your local skateboarding park a shot – some of them are blader-friendly, and who knows: maybe while you are there, you will want to give the boards a try, too! Just make sure you have the proper safety gear on. Cracked skulls can really be a unique kind of buzzkill.
Host a Board Game Tournament
A list of geeky date ideas without something including board games would probably be completely off the mark, right? So, why not take the usual fun favorite and kick it up a few notches? You can try out Pictionary, Parcheesi, or something of that sort if you would like to make a double date hangout with a couple of your nerdy friends.
You can also brave a larger game and invites several people over – not all of whom need to be part of the gang! Board games are an awesome way to meet new folks, and since there typically tends to be a whole lot of banter along the way, you can get to know each other rather well, rather quickly.
In addition to classics like Scrabble, Monopoly, or (the inevitable) Dungeons and Dragons, you can also have a shot at stuff like The Twister, Risk, or Battle Boats. Why not team up and have a competition between couples? You can even have a reward for the winners or a penalty for the losers, like whoever gets the lowest score has to treat everybody to a round of takeout.
Awaken Your Inner Chef
And since we seem to be mentioning food a lot here, we might as well end it on a tasty note. All of these activities can leave you starving, so why not have a quiet date night at home and take the chance to make something yummy together? Homemade pizza beats store-bought most days.
In fact, why not take it a step further? Instead of any standard dish, opt for one from your favorite geeky universe! There are recipes online detailing perfectly possible, perfectly delicious dishes from the worlds of Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, The Elder Scrolls, and many others. And if you are feeling particularly creative with your culinary escapade, take a recette with completely fictional ingredients, like Hackle-Lo leaves, marshmarrow, jazbay grapes, or scathecraw, and find their counterparts in the real world!
Just like nerdiness and geekdom itself, dating in these circles is all about individual interests. Find a thing you are passionate about, incorporate it into a standard date frame, and you got yourself a nerdily romantic experience custom tailored for yourself and your significant other. What are your own favorites?
