11 Creative Outdoor Date Ideas to Use This Summer

iStock/Arie Mastenbroek

Do a color run

Work toward a common goal while you train for a 5K or 10K together. Picking a fun event like a color run—where you’ll dash through clouds of colorful powder—will make race time even better when the big day rolls around.

iStock/gilaxia

Plan your own restaurant crawl

Instead of sitting down for a three-course meal, find an area with a few restaurants within walking distance and have one dish at each spot. Start with tapas in one place, move on to another for curry, and then finish with a scoop from an ice cream parlor. You’ll get to fill a few different cuisine cravings in the same meal.

iStock/BraunS

Visit a farmers’ market

Strolling through an outdoor market is a fun, date-worthy replacement to your usual grocery run. Plus, the fresh produce you pick up in the afternoon can turn into a tasty romantic dinner to cook together later. Here are tricks to getting a good deal at your farmers’ market.

iStock/Juhasz Peter

Ride a tandem bike

Riding bikes through back roads is always a fun, energizing way to spend time with your partner, but sharing a tandem bike will make it even sweeter as you work together to move forward.

iStock/AscentXmedia

Watch a sunrise

Sunsets get all the attention, but sunrises are just as beautiful. Pull yourselves out of bed early, drive to a scenic spot, and enjoy the view. Spending the whole morning together will start your day off right, and you can reward yourselves with breakfast when the sun’s up.

iStock/Yuri_Arcurs

Take a trip to the zoo

Leave the kids at home and take an adults-only trip to the zoo. You’ll be able to stop and read as many plaques as you want—or move on past the animals that don’t interest you—without kids begging to move on to their favorite exhibit.

iStock/simspix

Ride a hot air balloon

Have an exhilarating afternoon in the sky by taking a ride on a hot air balloon. You’ll get to enjoy a great view and experience something that’s probably unlike anything you’ve done before.

iStock/ollo

Take movie night outside

Have a 1950s-style date night by taking your car to a local drive-in. If you can’t find one near your town, many communities and college campuses offer free outdoor movie screenings. Don’t forget a blanket and popcorn!

iStock/g-stockstudio

Try boating

Take your date to a lake, river, or ocean for some quiet time away from crowds. Rent a boat—kayak, canoe, paddleboat, sailboat, you name it—for an alternative to your usual long walk.

iStock/Pamela Moore

Go berry picking

Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are in season in the summer. The fresher they are, the better they taste. Many farms let you pick as many as you want and then pay for them by the pound. Use them to bake a pie or make a fruity salsa back at home. Here’s how to properly freeze berries.

iStock/flySnow

Go yard sale shopping

Garage sales are a great place to find home décor for cheap. Set on a budget and then compete to see who can find the coolest or quirkiest new addition for your home. Here are items to never buy at a garage sale.

Sources: POPSUGAR, Glamour.com, Her Campus, Greatist