15 Summer Date Ideas | #marriagesmatter
With the arrival of summer, I thought it might be a good idea to update my list of inexpensive ideas for dating my spouse. The warmer weather brings lots of new opportunities to enjoy time together without breaking the budget!
Related: Perfect Date Ideas for Busy Parents
1. Play tennis
A few years ago, we purchased a few inexpensive rackets and a bag of balls at Menards. We’re not very good, but we enjoy spending a few hours at the local park hitting balls back and forth. It’s a great way to get some exercise together, and we’re often the only ones taking advantage of the free court time which provides ample opportunity for talking.
2. Go for a run/walk
Maybe you’re not into tennis, but you enjoy running/walking. Schedule a time where the two of you can get outside and tackle a few miles. We’ve been talking about possibly running together in the mornings before J leaves for work, but we’ll see if we actually do or not since we’re neither one morning people.
3. Go get ice cream
We have an ice cream shop just around the corner, and I’m looking forward to taking a walk down the road together one night to get a special treat!
4. Go out for pizza
Our favorite pizza place is less than five minutes down the road, and although we could easily get carry-out (which we do often), we also enjoy leaving the kids with grandma and grandpa and spending an hour or two eating at the pizzeria.
5. Play a board/card game
Do you have shelves full of games collecting dust like we do? Grab one or two and enjoy a night of friendly competition together!
6. Do a puzzle
We recently picked up a 1000 piece puzzle while vacationing at Mackinac Island. I’m looking forward to a puzzle date night in the very near future!
7. Driving range
Jason and I both love to golf, but often it’s difficult to find time to go out and play a round due to having young kids at home, so we head to a local driving range instead.
8. Video games
Is it raining tonight? No worries. Just turn on your video gaming system and spend a few hours on a magical quest or racing through a pretend world of giant mushrooms and sewer pipes!
9. Read together
We’ve recently enjoyed several quiet evenings together with a good book in hand. Whether you read aloud to one another, take turns reading the same book and then discussing it, or simple enjoy the comfort of companionship while reading books on your own, reading together can be a great date night idea.
10. Cook/bake together
There is something fun about spending time together in the kitchen preparing a meal or a favorite treat. Cook up a little romance in the kitchen this week!
11. Sunset picnic
We have been enjoying some gorgeous sunsets lately, and they would make a beautiful setting for a romantic picnic after the kids are in bed. Just grab a blanket and some yummy snacks, and head out to the backyard for a sunset picnic together.
12. Bike together
There are several great biking trails in our area, and it would be a lot of fun to grab our bikes and head out to the trails for an afternoon of bike riding together (if we had bikes). For the less adventurous, take a leisurely bike ride through your neighborhood.
13. Backyard movie night
Grab your portable movie player and a favorite movie, a blanket and some throw pillows, a snack and drink, and take it all to the backyard for a movie night under the stars!
14. Sidewalk chalk contest
Whether you enter a local contest or just have your own, pick up a bucket of sidewalk chalk for less than $5 and enjoy an afternoon of creativity. Draw a picture of a dream vacation or simply doodle your initial in heart bubbles!
15. Visit a local park/attraction
We have several beautiful parks in our town, even one with a man-made water fall display. Taking a stroll through one of these local parks would be a great way to enjoy one another without breaking the bank.
How do you date your spouse in the summer?
original image credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/neo-now/18330573518/
