Skip to main content

7 Summer Date Ideas that Are More Creative than Just Grabbing Drinks

Whether it’s your first or 14th date, getting creative with your outing keeps things fresh and fun. Not every date has to be a grand event, sometimes it’s the more thoughtful and intimate occasion that makes the best memories and strongest connections. Plus, putting in a little more effort is 1,000% guaranteed to make the experience more meaningful for you both.

So, without further ado, allow us to share some of our favorite summer date ideas with you. They range from the simple and free to the playful and whimsical and should provide plenty of fodder for your own romantic adventures.

Recommended Videos

Scenic Bike Ride

Break a sweat and catch a breeze on a fun, free, and mood-boosting bike ride. Take an unseen tour of your city, make a scavenger hunt, find a route with beautiful scenery or just hop on and let your date lead the way! For more adventure (and a test of your teamwork skills) give a tandem bike a try or even a  sidecar ride if you can find one.

Trip to the Beach

If you are lucky enough to live by the beach, you’ve already got the perfect built-in date! A long walk on the sand, the sound of waves, and the heat from the sun are a great mix of romance and relaxation. Make it extra special with a charcuterie board or make it simple with just some wine and cheese on a blanket then wait for the sun to set over the sea and you’ve got an instant effortless date situation.

Food Truck Crawl

Image used with permission by copyright holder

You can’t go wrong with some good grub and good company. As opposed to a sit-down meal food trucks are a casual way to try some new tasty and trendy snacks around your town. Grab a scooter, bike or just walk your way through a taco, pizza, and ice cream tour de food. Take turns ordering your favorites dishes or try something new together and get to know more about your date’s tastes along the way!

Outdoor Concert

Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images

Summer is a fantastic time for outdoor concerts, so peruse local newspapers or blogs for concert listings. Most cities and towns have some sort of outdoor festival during the season, which you can usually show up to loaded down with your own food and beverages. And the great thing is no matter what music is playing, it’s a great way to groove together and enjoy some good tunes.

Museum Tour

Maria Teneva/Unsplash

Whether you are an art connoisseur or just creatively curious, an airy and air-conditioned museum can be a wonderful spot for a summer date. Taking a trip to a small gallery is a great way to support local artists or a larger museum is a great opportunity to learn together about the classics with an audio or guided tour. If you notice there’s a piece your date seems to like, stop by the gift shop and see if you can pick up a print to really make an impression.

Arcade Day

Element5 Digital/Unsplash

A little friendly competition never hurt anyone and an arcade is a great way to some playful flirting. Get a bucket of coins and spend the day exploring your favorite games, then divvy up the raffle tickets and pick stuffed animals for one another. Get a group together and give an escape room a try, build trust and learn how to support each other buy putting your minds together to find the key to a puzzle and maybe the key to unlocking your date’s heart.

Volunteer

Daniel Chekalov/Unsplash

Get closer to your partner by working together to give back to someone else. Acts of service can really bring people together, which is why a volunteer outing could be a great activity for a one on one date or a group. There are a plethora of different ways to volunteer during the summer (from outdoor beautification to tutoring and sports programs), so pick one that seems right for y’all and spread a little charity. Maybe not the most outwardly romantic date idea, but one that could teach you a lot about your potential mate.

Cody Gohl
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Cody Gohl is a Brooklyn-based writer who enjoys covering a wide range of topics, including travel, fashion, literature, LGBT…
The first trailer for the final season of Squid Game is here
The show will return for its third and final season on June 27
The cast of season 3 of Squid Game.

After a long delay between the show's third and second seasons, the third season of Squid Game is coming less than a year after the second. Now, we've got our first trailer for the new season, and it follows up on the major cliffhanger that ended the show's second season. The second and third seasons were filmed at the same time and written as a single long arc.

The first teaser for season 3 suggests that Player 456 and the Front Man will meet one last time. It also reminds us that the show has more twists and turns to come, and promises to bring the story it started all those years ago to a satisfying conclusion.

Read more
Nina Dobrev talks love for F1 & the ‘electric’ feeling of race day
From Netflix to the paddock: Nina Dobrev on her passion for Formula One
Nina Dobrev holds a Peroni and smiles.

When Nina Dobrev first attended an F1 event over a decade ago, she went as a casual observer. Similar to many recent Formula One fans, she streamed Netflix's Drive to Survive and immediately fell in love with the sport. Fast-forward to now, and Dobrev is all-in with F1 thanks to her greater appreciation for the world-class drivers and their sensational teams.

This past weekend, Dobrev attended the 2025 Miami Grand Prix on behalf of Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% to support their iconic partner, Scuderia Ferrari HP. The Vampire Diaries star is also friends with Lewis Hamilton, one of the greatest drivers in F1 history, who competes for Ferrari.

Read more
8 intense and gripping movies like Sinners to watch next
These movies are just like Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler's hit
Michael B Jordan in Sinners

Sinners is the biggest original movie of 2025 so far. With an overabundance of franchises and retreads, fans have fervently crowded theaters to see Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan's next collaboration. The movie follows twin brothers who must fight back against evil spirits in a Mississippi town after returning to civilian life following World War I. The mix of racial commentary, social analysis, and beautiful set pieces has transfixed viewers to the big screen so far.

Going to a movie two or three times is always a good antidote for your movie craving, but if you've already exhausted your Sinners allotment for the time being, it might be best to look for similar films. Vampires, period pieces, racial implications, and so much more feature in this wide array of movies like Sinners. We've got you covered right here.

Read more