The Penny Date
Go on your dream adventure date
for just a single penny!
The Penny Date Rules
Here’s how it works:
Find a penny. If you don’t have a penny handy, it’s just a matter of yanking the cushions off the couch, checking the cupholder of your car or sneaking one out of your kid’s piggy bank while they’re at school.
Have your date pick a number (without telling them what it’s for) or use an online random number generator. This number is the number of turns you’ll take throughout your date.
Hop in the car or, if you’re walking, pick a corner to start on.
To start the adventure, have your date flip the penny. If it lands heads up, turn right. If it lands tails up, turn left.
Start walking or driving in whichever direction the penny instructs. Stop and flip again each time you reach a stop sign, stop light or intersection.
Continue flipping the penny, turning left or right at each juncture, until you’ve reached the number you set at the beginning of the night.
Once you reach that number, stop the car (or, uh, your legs).
Wherever you are, that’s where your date will take place.
If you look up to find a library, go choose a fun book. If you find yourself at a gas station, go inside and see what adventure you discover.
The fun of the penny date is in the mystery, the confusion and the downright ridiculousness of your time together. It’s a way to do something different, something that you wouldn’t have done ordinarily, and to have fun doing it.