Summer time means the kids are off school and “Mom, I’m bored!” is in full swing. Let’s take a break from the hustle and bustle of parenthood and talk a little about summer date ideas. Even if you’re only able to escape once a month, making time for your partner is oh-so important and it doesn’t need to be expensive.
Have fun with summer dates without breaking the bank!
Free outdoor concerts. If your town has these, take advantage! The line-up is usually posted well ahead of time, so there’s no excuse! Get a babysitter, put a cute dress on, and head out.
Attend a local art show. If you live in a small town, you might not have many of these locally – but a free art show is worth the drive. They’ll usually be serving complimentary wine (or at least samples!), and sometimes will have finger foods as well.
Visit the zoo. In St. Louis, the zoo is free. In Miami it can be crazy expensive. If your zoo is somewhere in between – or better yet, if they have free admission on certain nights – add this to your list of summer date ideas! Bonus: you’ll get some exercise in.
Make a summer bucket list together. Even if you don’t complete everything this summer, filling out a summer bucket list can be so much fun! Carry it over into the fall, or save some for next summer.
Go to the flea market. Try not to buy too many things you don’t need, but enjoy the day walking up and down the aisles, admiring the goods. Who knows, you might see something that inspires your next date!
Go camping! Depending on how you actually feel about camping, this may or may not be a great idea. It could be romantic, or could be a disaster – which do you think it’ll be?
Group dates. Plan a group date night and do something fun like The Amazing Race!
Have an ice cream date. Whether you’re making your own ice cream or heading to the local ice cream shop, the key here is sitting down and spending time together.
Watch fireworks. Obviously this one works best in July, but grab a blanket and head to the nearest beach (or field!) to watch fireworks.
Go bowling together! Sometimes you can snag games for just a buck, and even cheaper if you already have your own shoes. Eat at home, before you go, so you aren’t tempted to binge on crappy food.
Rent a boat. Some parks have little lakes where you can rent paddle boats for $5-$15 for a few hours. Not only is this an awesome workout, it’s fun – and funny – especially if you almost fall in. Be careful, now!
Volunteer together. This is usually something to do during the day, so not so much a date “night”, but day dates are fun too, right?
What’s your best free or cheap summer date idea? Let me know in the comments!
