Dinner. Roses. Chocolates. A romantic card. It seems like Valentine’s Day is always the same old thing and if you want to top last year’s celebration, you have to do something ridiculously creative. That takes a lot of work (and most often money) for a broke college student. Here are some alternative things to do with your loved one (romantic or friends) on Valentine’s Day:

Dinner in the Dark

Do you hate the way your loved one eats rice one tiny piece at a time? Or how about how they get food on their face and leave it there the whole meal? If you eat dinner in the dark, you won’t have to see their annoying food habits. Oh, and apparently that’s romantic too? You be the judge. Note: Eat the dinner in the dark, but take caution with cooking in the dark.

Scavenger hunt

Remember when you were a little kid and you would go to a birthday party and have a scavenger hunt? Who doesn’t love to reminisce about their childhood? And now that you’re older you can make all of Fort Collins your hunting ground. Take your date to romantic places like where you first met, where you went on your first date, your favorite place to go together or somewhere new you want to try out. Add some adventure to your Valentine’s Day.

Bowling

Why not skip the fancy shoes and tie and slip on some shoes with the delicious smell of someone else’s feet. Instead of being competitive (competition can bring out the worst in some people), you could try some new tricks, like bowling through the legs or spin moves.

Geocaching

Geocaching is like going on a scavenger hunt using compass coordinates. People all over will hide objects and put their coordinates online for others to come and find them. You can find cool stuff like CDs or just a scroll of paper hidden in a tree. You sign to prove you were there and then leave it for someone else to find.

Have a progressive dinner

Go back in time and eat a fancy meal the way they did way back when. Eat your meal in courses and slowly fill your belly with deliciousness. Note: a workout the next morning would make a great follow-up date.

Have a photo shoot

Who doesn’t enjoy documenting a fun time with a significant other? You can dress in nice clothes, funny costumes or whatever you want. If you want to get really precious, you can practice making duck faces together.

It doesn’t really matter what you do for Valentine’s Day as long as you enjoy the ones you love.

Collegian Entertainment Assistant Editor Amber Johnson can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com.