How would you like to come home one evening and find a note from your partner asking you to meet him or her at your favorite restaurant?

A scavenger hunt is one of the few romantic ideas that make a really good surprise.  It begins with a simple clue delivered in a text message or note and ends with the big surprise. You can include as many clues and smaller surprises in between as you want to make the treasure hunt more fun.

Plan a romantic scavenger hunt

• The Hook – The first clue will set the mood for the entire hunt. Therefore, it needs to be interesting enough to “hook” your partner and get them excited about the big surprise.

• The Puzzle – This is the most interesting part of the surprise. It includes a series of exciting clues and gifts to keep your loved one engaged until they find the final surprise.  Some sample scavenger hunt clues that you can use are “check your email for the next clue”, “Call our favorite restaurant and ask for me” or “look in your sock drawer for the next clue.”

If the surprise will take place within your home, create a trail using flower petals. Make sure the trail is ready before your partner gets home from work so that it is the first thing they see as soon as they walk into the door. From the door, the trail should lead to other rooms in the house where other smaller gifts are.

If you want to make the clues a bit more interesting, use songs and photos. For instance, you can use the song you danced to on your first date to tell your spouse to meet you at the restaurant where you had your first date. You can also make a mix tape of songs with a different message in each song. Alternatively, use a photo of the restaurant where you want your spouse to meet you. Don’t make the puzzle so complex that it becomes too much of a hassle to complete.

• Surprise!

This is the big payoff for all the “work” your spouse has done. Use different flowers for this surprise to set it apart from the rest. The surprise can include a number of romantic ideas such as a massage, romantic dinner, movie or night at the hotel. It can also be tickets to a concert or vacation.

If you don’t have any romantic ideas for your next date night, try a scavenger hunt. You just might like it.