50+ Insanely Fun Summer Date Ideas That Are Better Than Netflix

Looking for the popular and fun summer date ideas to try with your partner? With summer just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to get outside and try new things as a couple (without breaking the bank).

I know dating is not cheap at all, haha, but there are definitely ways that you can get creative and also budget-friendly with your dates!

Summer is the best time to really make fun, exciting memories with your partner, and I’m a firm believer in finding creative, fun ideas so that you can both have a great time on a budget.

Whether you’re in high school trying to find ways to save money while going on dates or a couple who wants to stay on a summer budget, this post is for you!

In this post, I’ll be sharing with you 50 Insanely Cheap, Fun Summer Date Ideas that you’ll want to try!

50+ Fun Summer Date Ideas You’ll Love

Fun Summer Date Ideas for Teens

1. Go on an Ice Cream Run

This is such a romantic, cheap summer date idea, and it’s literally perfect for the summer since it’ll be HOT. You could totally get some cute couple pics, too.

It’s a great way to bond and get to know your boyfriend or partner better while grabbing some yummy to eat. To save even more, you could totally share a cone or get two scoops in one cup!

2. Workout Together

If you both are looking to stay active this summer, why not workout together?! This is literally a PERFECT way to hang out and stay fit together. #accountabilitybuddies

You’ll have fun with your partner and motivate each other to exercise as well. I’d say it’s a win-win!

I’d say this is a great cheap date idea but I’d recommend this activity if you and your partner have gotten comfortable with each other enough to workout together.

3. Go to the Movies

Movie dates are the best, and I’d say they are pretty cheap summer date ideas to go on! Also a lot of movies tend to be released during the summer.

If you prefer not to go to the movies and instead have a home movie date, then I’d say go for it. It’s such a cheap, creative way to also spend quality time with your boyfriend.

4. Have a Picnic Together

Picnic dates are SOO cute and romantic. It might be a little warm over the summer, but if you can find an area that has plenty of shade, definitely try a picnic date!

You can get creative as you’d like, and it’s such an intimate way to spend time with each other.

You also may like: 14 Cute Picnic Date Ideas To Have The Best Time

5. Head to the Beach

What’s summer without going on a beach date?! Not to mention, beach dates are cheap and fun.

There might be a lot of people, but if you find the right time to go, then I’m sure you can avoid traffic.

Going on a sunset walk on the pier together or laying out in the sun and talking about life are such cute, romantic date ideas!

6. Go Bowling

If it’s too hot outside, a fun, cheap indoor activity is to go bowling with each other. I’d highly recommend checking out discounts or coupons on Groupon.com since they usually have great deals for activities!

Bowling is super interactive and a fun way to bond with your boyfriend!

7. Go on a Hike

If you like being active as a couple or you’re looking for a free summer date idea, this is it. Hikes are ideal for the summer because you’re basically multi-tasking – hanging out and staying active.

Hiking is also a more interactive and secluded activity compared to going to the gym or taking a workout class together, where there’s more people around you.

I LOVE going on hikes as a cheap summer date, so I highly recommend. There’s so many trails that you can find and discover together.

8. Window Shop

I used to do this so much when I would go on dates, lol. I would never buy anything because I actually don’t like shopping in-store.

But what I’ve found is that going to a really bougie shopping mall and window shopping is actually so fun, lol.

Maybe it’s because I know I can barely afford anything there, so I go in with the mindset of just walking around with my date and admiring how bougie everything is, HAHA.

9. Go Mini Golfing

I absolutely LOVE mini golfing. I’ve gone on several mini golf dates. Let me just say that it really brings out your competitive side, lol.

Mini golfing is a great summer date activity to do, and you’ll both have so much fun bringing out your competitiveness, haha.

10. Attend a Community Event

Why not attend a community event together? If your local neighborhood has a summer event coming up, I think it’d be a fun idea to do. Plus, it’s probably free or super cheap.

My city hosts an annual movies at the park event over the summer, which I think is such a creative way to bring everyone together and have a good time!

11. Have a Study Date

If you’re both studying for the SAT/ACT, why not head to the park, library, or a quiet place to study together? Dates don’t always have to be super interactive, but they also can be simple and intentional.

You’re still spending quality time together, and you could totally grab something to eat afterwards to relax!

12. Go Thrift Shopping

Check out any good thrift shopping stores in your area! This is such a fun, cheap summer date idea to have with your boyfriend.

You can pick out interesting clothes for each other to wear and laugh at how silly you both look. Don’t forget to capture the moment, haha.

13. Go Kayaking

Kayaking is great for the summer. Again, a beach date is always an ideal summer date, but so is an interactive water activity!

I love to kayak, but I’ve actually never gone on a kayaking date. This is definitely on my list.

14. Do a Double Date

Are any of your friends or his friends dating? If so, I’d highly encourage you to set up a double date!! This is so fun and such a great way to get to see how you both interact in a group setting.

You might learn more about your boyfriend on this double date! Oh, and if you decide to grab food altogether, it’ll be cheaper to split the cost. #winwin

15. Visit the Zoo

Taking a trip to the zoo is always SO fun! I actually haven’t been to the zoo in a while, but I feel like the summer is the perfect time to go.

It might be warm, so make sure to grab some sunscreen and a hat! While you’re at it, don’t forget to take some fun animal selfies!

16. Go Ice Skating

Ice skating is SO romantic and such a great way to laugh over falling and slipping on the ice.

It can be a little costly, so I’d recommend looking up discounts and coupons for any ice skating deals to save some money.

Fun Summer Date Ideas for Couples

Running out of summer date ideas for you and your partner? When you’ve been together for a while, sometimes, it’s hard to find date ideas that you want to do together or even make time for dates.

These ideas will help you keep that spark going and spend some really good quality time together!

17. Go Camping Together

If you haven’t been on a summer camping trip together or in a while, THIS IS A SIGN TO GO. You learn so much from each other when you spend hours with them, lol.

It’s such a fun, interactive summer date idea and who knows, you might be falling for each other even more after the trip.

18. Watch the Sunset

Whether it’s at the beach, on a hike, in your backyard, or the park, watching the sunset together is a memory that you’ll both remember.

I always feel like the most simple, mundane dates are the most special ones because you don’t have to be ‘fancy schmancy’ to have great quality time with your partner.

19. Cook Dinner

I don’t know why but I feel like cooking together is such an intimate, romantic way to spice up your relationship.

Maybe it’s cause you’re in the kitchen together, and the atmosphere just makes for such a romantic vibe. So if you’re looking for a cheap way to spend some really intimate, cutesy time together, whip out that dinner recipe!

20. Have an Outdoor Movie Night

Movie dates are one of many great cheap summer date ideas, but what if you took it up a notch and made it outdoors?! I’m not talking about a drive-in movie date, but setting up a backyard movie date.

I think this is SO cute, and putting in the effort together to set up a backyard movie date shows that you want to get creative!

21. Play a Couples Card Game

Want to spice up your relationship? Try this couple conversation starter game that will really have you and your partner deeply connecting and learning so much about each other.

22. Take a Spontaneous Road Trip

Just for funsies, why not go on a spontaneous road trip together! Create a list with your partner of places you’ve both been wanting to go to, cover your eyes, and randomly choose a place you want to go that day.

I love spontaneous trips because they honestly make for some of the best dates!

23. Grocery Shop

I feel like grocery shopping is also one of those intimate, really simple dates that you really only do as a couple. It’s like taking the next step in your relationship from going to friends to actually dating.

Again, something as simple as grocery shopping is actually such a good way to have quality time with your partner.

24. Try a New Restaurant

Yes, this post is all about cheap summer date ideas, so I’m not talking about a bougie, luxurious restaurant, lol. I’m talking about restaurants in your area that you’ve been wanting to try, but never got around to.

Go with your significant other and try out a new restaurant together! You might just love it there.

25. Go Indoor Go-Kart Racing

Go-Kart racing is such a fun, cheap way to have fun with your partner! Honestly, I’ve never been, but my friends and their boyfriends have, and they say it’s always fun.

Get your competitive side out and have fun together!

26. Host a Potluck Gathering

I think potluck parties are such cheap ways to have a good time. You barely have to spend time prepping food, and you also save a ton since everyone else will be bringing a dish.

It could definitely be a small potluck gathering – nothing fancy!

27. Go on a Winery Tour

There’s a lot of winery tours that have discounts and deals going on over the summer! If you and your partner like wine, this is a perfect summer date for you.

28. Take a Pottery Class

Taking classes together is so fun, but what about a pottery class?

I only see these in movies and k-dramas, lol, but I think a pottery class with your partner would be such a romantic, unique date.

29. Dance Together

Blast some music in your house and dance together! This is such a simple, yet ROMANTIC way to spend time together.

Don’t even think too hard about this, just do it. I promise you’ll have a good time with your partner.

30. Go to a Free Festival

Over the summer, there’s bound to be a lot of summer events and festivals. See one coming up that’s free? Go together!

Even if the festival is a total flop because not gonna lie, sometimes they can be, at least you’re trying something different with your partner and making new memories!

31. Have A Water Balloon Fight

Let your inner child run wild and have a water balloon fight together! I really want to try this one as a summer date because I love summer activities like this when I get to just have fun and feel like a little kid again.

32. Wash Your Cars

I think washing your cars together is a SUCH a creative, cute way to spend time together. You might even get a little flirty with each other cause I mean, who wouldn’t?!

I can’t let this one down because you definitely need to try this summer date idea out!

33. Build a Puzzle

Want to stay indoors and do something interactive, yet relaxing? Build a puzzle together!

There’s plenty to choose from online. You could totally sip some wine and have a great time piecing a puzzle with each other.

34. Go to a Bookstore and Read Together

I’ve done this as a date before and it was actually so fun. We went to Barnes and Noble, and tried to find our favorite childhood books.

I learned so much about my date, and you really can learn a lot about someone from the books they read, haha.

35. Go to an Amusement Park

Okay, this might be the only exception for our budget-friendly summer date ideas. If you’ve been wanting to go to an amusement park like Disneyland or Universal Studios with your partner, then just do it!

Find ways you both can save up to splurge a little bit on a date. This may be something you’d have to talk about how to save up for, but I’d say it’s worth it if it’s a whole day thing.

Fun Summer Date Ideas for New Couples

Have you recently made things official with someone new? If so, congrats! Dating someone new is so exciting, and I’m sure as a new couple, you probably are looking for date ideas to get creative and get to know each other even more. I got you!

Here are my favorite cheap summer date ideas for new couples!

36. Finger Paint Together

This is actually so fun and creative! You’re really letting your inner child roam free with this activity.

Find the closest art store and buy some paint if you don’t have any, and just paint away with your fingers! You might just end up laughing at how badly both of your finger paintings turned out, haha.

37. Go on an Early Morning Hike

I LOVE early morning hikes because usually no one’s up around this time. I’m talking like 6 am when it’s during sunrise. But I think peaceful, quiet hikes are so nice to spend with just the two of you.

38. Play Ping Pong

I had to add this one in cause it’s so fun, and I also have a ping pong table at home.

You definitely get a sweat in, but you also have so much fun laughing with your partner.

There’s actually some arcades that now have ping pongs that you can use, so I highly recommend trying this date idea out!

39. Make Pizza Together

Ugh, this one is sooo freaking cute to do as a new couple or even just for couples in general!

Get creative and pile on those toppings. You’ll have so much fun together!

40. Buy a Painting Kit and Paint Each Other’s Faces

This will make for such good laughs. Not to mention, this is kind of a romantic activity since you’ll have to touch each other’s faces, lol.

Physical touch is definitely up there for me in terms of love languages, so I love this idea.

41. Pick Each Other’s Outfits to Try On

Whether that’s going thrift shopping or trying clothes on at a mall, this is so fun! You can pick out stylish, silly, and interesting outfits for each other to wear.

Hey, you might even get to see different styles on each other that you never got to see before!

42. Have Fun at a Playground

If you couldn’t tell already, I’m all about letting your inner child roam free. Sometimes, as adults, we don’t know how to let our inner child out.

But doing something as simple as going to a playground and having fun is a cute date idea.

Push each other on the swings, go on the slides, and chase each other around the park!

43. Make Cupcakes with Each Other

Time to whip out some frosting and flour, and bake desserts together!

This is super romantic to do! Just anything baking or cooking, I find that these activities really set the mood. You both will have so much fun doing this!

44. Visit an Art Museum

Art museums are usually free for admission. And if not, they are rarely ever more than twenty-dollars.

Have fun admiring some artwork pieces together and spend some good quality time with each other there.

45. Play a Board Game

I love board games, and I feel like it’s such a great, interactive way to have fun with your partner.

This is such a great, cheap way to set up a date together.

46. Grab Coffee Together

If you both are coffee lovers, go to a coffee shop and just talk away. I love coffee shop dates because they’re so simple, yet intentional.

I feel like one of the best one-on-one dates to me is chatting about life and laughing about silly things.

47. Walk Your Dog

Do either of you have a dog? Then, go for a walk with your dog! This is a great multi-tasking date activity.

Your dog is doing its business, while you and your partner get to spend quality time with each other.

48. Have a 2-person Chef Competition

This is SO freaking fun. The challenge is to only use ingredients in your home, so you can’t buy anything!

Get creative and I promise, this will be a date to remember!

49. Build A Blanket Fort

Whip out those blankets and build a fort together! This is soo fun and I remember doing this a lot as a kid.

You could watch a movie, play card games, or just talk about life together!

50. Rent A Tandem Bike

We can’t forget about a tandem bike date at the beach! You’ll see so many couples using tandem bikes over the summer and it’s for a good reason.

It’s a cheap, fun way to have a romantic date together!

51. Attend A July 4th Event

Don’t forget that July 4th is just around the corner. A great summer date is spending July 4th together by watching the fireworks and celebrating together – so fun!

Even better, you could totally paint each other’s faces to celebrate and get creative. 🙂

Frequently Asked Questions

This post was all about fun summer date ideas.

Let me know: What are your plans for this summer? Do you have more awesome ideas to add to this list? Comment down below!