If spring is when a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of love, summer is the time when he’s left trying to come up with some exciting new date ideas. There are lots of great things out there – many of them free or low cost! – that can turn into fantastic dates that will be remembered for years to come. The possibilities are quite literally endless.
Spice up your dating repertoire with these fun-filled and inspiring summer date ideas:
- Relive the joy and innocence of youth and cool off by heading to an outdoor pool, splash park, fountain (unless it will violate any local laws to dip your toes in!), or the beach.
- Take a nature walk on some local trails or go hiking, but be mindful that you don’t choose any hiking spots that will be more advanced than your date will be comfortable with.
- Put together a romantic picnic, maybe even to have at the halfway point of the previous suggestion. Bonus romance points if you can keep the picnic a surprise.
- Plan a fun and casual backyard barbecue with some light party games available so you can meet and mingle with each other’s friends.
- Find an historic site or interesting part of your city and take a tour through it. If you’re not sure where to start, look up some local ghost stories and create your own spooky tour.
- If you’re both the athletic type, head to the park with a Frisbee or football and get some fresh air and exercise while showing off your skills (or a good-humored and endearing lack of skill, as the case may be).
- Rent a kayak, a canoe, or a couple inner tubes and spend a lazy, relaxing afternoon on the river or lake.
- Enjoy a leisurely lunch or cool beverages on the patio of your favorite watering hole.
- If you’re both early birds, get out there on a weekend morning and take in the local farmer’s market, then do a cruise of some neighborhood garage sales for some hidden treasures.
- Are there any outdoor festivals or events happening? Concerts, sidewalk art shows, food festivals, carnivals, and Shakespeare in the Park are all great ways to spend a weekend.
If none of these ideas fit your taste, don’t stress out about it. Focus on being yourself and having a good time, whatever that good time may be for both of you. If the heat is driving you indoors or you get rained out, there’s nothing wrong with the classic dinner and movie followed by dessert. Even something as simple as staying home to watch a movie or play video games can be a memorable evening. A winning date idea doesn’t have to be outside the box to be a great time!
Also, a hint for the future to help you plan ahead: When you’re out on any of your dates or outings, consider saving ticket stubs, programs, bar coasters, or even a leaf or flower that you press in a book. If things work out well between you and the object of your affection, those simple little mementos that most people don’t think twice about discarding can turn into an unbeatable anniversary gift in the form of a collage or scrapbook that will bring back all those exciting memories of your amazing first summer together.