Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. AD #WhatInconvenience #CollectiveBias
Summer is here and it’s a great time to get outdoors! Grab your loved one and check out these awesome Outdoor Date Night Ideas for Summer! Get the fun started with a summer date night gift basket and bucket list printable!
When was the last time you went out on a date with your spouse? For many if you have kiddos in isn’t very often and even if you don’t currently have children, an official date night can sometimes seem like an after thought, because if you are like us we are always doing something it just may not be called a date.
But I think having an official date night, where you get out of the house, plan an evening or day of fun -distraction free- is super important and good for not only us as a couple, but for our individual souls! That’s why planning an official date night a few times a month is super important to us. Not only is going on the actual date fun, I LOVE actually planning the date. That’s why today I decided to share some of our favorite outdoor date night ideas that are PERFECT for summer! I’m also sharing a cute summer date night gift basket that has some summer fun necessities. Check it out below!
25 Outdoor Date Night Ideas for Summer:
1. Go to a baseball game – This is probably one of our top summer date night ideas, especially since for the past few years we have lived just down the street from the local minor league baseball field. It’s a great date night because there is entertainment from the game and since baseball is a more relaxed sport, you can also have a conversation. Plus, there are often buy one get one free nights; or other special promotions, like discount nights on food and drink, that make a baseball date really affordable.
2. Treat yo self to a frozen dessert – Who doesn’t love to cool off with a frozen treat in the hot summer months? Grab your spouse and head to a local frozen yogurt or ice cream shop and share a bowl as a spontaneous afternoon treat or after dinner dessert. Some of our favorite frozen treats:
ice cream
frozen yogurt
snow cone
iced coffee
milkshake
3. Take a sunset walk on the beach – Don’t live near the beach? No problem! We love taking evening walks together to not only stay active but discuss our day. Walk your neighborhood, or around a local park or lake!
4. Enjoy a drive in movie or movie in the park – Most cities offer free or cheap activities during the summer months (check your local city/subdivision’s website to see what they offer). We are lucky that our hometown offers a wide variety of free activities like movies in the park, but also has a local drive in movie theater that shows cult classics. So pack some movie snacks and pull up your lawn chair for some outdoor movie night fun.
5. Attend an outdoor concert – We live in the live music capital of the world, at there is always a concert or show going on. From a wildly popular rock band performing at the local outdoor amphitheater; to again, a free concert in the park put on by the local symphony; a night of music is always a winner in our books! Make it complete by taking advantage of happy hour specials at a near by restaurant or grabbing a light night treat after the show!
6. Cool off and make a splash and spend the day kayaking, paddle boarding, or floating the river!
7. Visit a dog park and then go grab hot dogs and milkshakes at a local drive in.
8. Watch a fireworks show – While you can guarantee several fireworks shows in most cities on or around Fourth of July weekend, some cites offer special fireworks shows the entire summer. In fact, the local baseball diamond does a fireworks show every weekend that you can see from a near by park without even attending the game.
9. Play miniature golf.
10. Have a picnic in the park and fly a kite.
11. Go star gazing – One of the best adventures we went on last year was taking a road trip out to an observatory and attending a special viewing of one of the large telescopes. While this was a very special trip, it did take some time and planning. Since going, I found out that the local university and a local state park offer star gazing parties for free a few times a month. Whether you make this a special weekend trip or a simple night of fun, attending a star gazing party is a fun and unique date night!
12. Go camping and make s’mores – Whether you head to your local state park or pitch a tent in your backyard, a night or weekend of camping is fun and a great way to disconnect from all of life’s responsibilities. Of course no camping trip would be complete without some yummy, gooey s’mores! And if you’re like me, a s’mores fanatic, simply fire up the grill or invest in a small backyard fire pit and enjoy s’mores all summer long!
13. Have a food truck progressive dinner – Our hometown is crawling with so many amazing food trucks. While some move around the city, based on the day of the week or current local events, many stay put in one of our many local food truck parks. If you have a food truck park, a fun date night idea is to have a progressive dinner, by eating each course of your dinner at a different food truck in the park. Grab chips and salsa from the taco truck, get a lobster roll from the seafood guy and then finish off dinner with an ice cream cone from the ice cream truck… but really the possibilities are endless!
14. Visit an amusement park.
15. Shop the local farmer’s market and then cook dinner together with the fresh summer produce – This is one of my most favorite date night ideas, or actually, favorite things to do in general! I love visiting one of our many farmer’s markets without a shopping list or anything planned, and just grabbing what looks the best that day and trying to think up a delicious meal to cook. For a date night, we challenge ourselves to use just the fresh produce (or other ingredients from the market, like eggs or fresh bread) and basic spice rack staples to create a beautiful meal together (usually a vegetable soup, salad, potato/root vegetable hash or fresh pasta dish). Pro tip: If your not that creative or confident in the kitchen, ask the farmer for tips/suggestions on how to cook the produce or what spices/fresh herbs pair with it.
16. Go fishing.
17. Take a spontaneous road trip – If you have never done this, stop and do it NOW! Hopping in the car and just driving, with no destination in mind is absolutely freeing! To make it fun you can have your spouse (the passenger) close their eyes and when the driver gets to a stop say right, left, or straight and the person with their eyes closed chooses. When you get to a spot where you can’t go anymore, stop and get out and explore what’s there! Another option is just to get on the highway and drive a set amount of miles (5, 10, 15, 50!) and then exit the highway once you reach that number of miles and explore any shops, restaurants, etc. on that exit.
18. Go on a scavenger hunt – You can create your own scavenger hunt with clues/destinations in and around your city, a local museum or outdoor mall; or search online for additional ideas or free scavenger hunts.
19. Take a hike and then cool off in a swimming hole.
20. Be a tourist in your hometown and go on a guided walking/biking tour.
21. Visit the zoo.
22. Dine alfresco style and eat dinner at a roof top or lake front restaurant.
23. Take a sunset cruise.
24. Be a kid again and visit a local park/playground to toss a frisbee, swing, jump rope, etc. Bring a picnic packed with your favorite childhood foods (PB&J sandwiches, juice boxes, etc.) for added fun!
25. Visit a local nursery and plant a garden.
Summer Date Night Gift Basket:
Supplies:
Summer Date Night bucket list printable (above)
His and Her water bottles
His and Her beach towels
His and Her flip flops
His and Her sunglasses
Sunscreen
Bug repellent
Frisbee
Trail mix
Advil EZ Open
A large basket (or cooler, beach bag, picnic basket, etc.)
Other optional items:
S’mores ingredients (box of graham crackers, bag of marshmallows, chocolate candy bars)
Tickets to a local sporting event/concert
Restaurant gift certificates
Water guns/balloons
A map
Directions:
Print off the Summer Date Night bucket list printable and arrange with gift basket items in a large plastic basket, cooler, beach bag, etc. Gift basket to spouse and plan your date night.
All of these gift basket items will insure your outdoor summer date night is a smashing success! From the sunglasses to the beach towels to the trail mix, I’ve included everything one might need for some fun in the sun! Since my fiance and I met many (many!!) summers ago while working together, many of these date night ideas are very special to me as they were things we did that first summer together as a couple.
Because I have spent many years working in the hospitality industry as a chef and caterer, and continue to build a career in food and cooking, which requires many hours on my feet, I often get back and shoulder pains from years of hard, yet rewarding work. Since I don’t want these aches and pains to put a damper on any of our summer date night fun, I’ve included a bottle of Advil EZ Open in my summer date night gift basket, which I purchased when getting all the gift basket items at my local Walmart. Advil EZ open cap is perfect for people struggling with Arthritis (or any other joint pain). Arthritis is a common and painful problem affecting 53 million Americans. For more information and for a better living tool kit, click here.
Leave a Reply