Summer date ideas: 34 plans for long days and warm nights

• Budgetfree to low
• Best forany stage
• Timehalf day

A whole day of lying on towels can feel long on an early date. Give it a mission: build the best sandcastle, find the most beautiful shell or learn to skim stones. Then reward yourselves with something cold.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forcouples, friends
• Timehalf day

Some rivers have outfitters that rent inner tubes and shuttle you upstream. You float, talk, splash and do absolutely nothing for hours. Bring water shoes, sunscreen and a dry bag.

• Budgetmedium
• Best foractive couples
• Time2 hours

Rent two boards on calm water. Someone will fall in, probably both of you. Try kneeling first, then standing, then race to a buoy. It's hard to stay serious on a paddleboard.

• Budgetfree
• Best forromantic, any stage
• Time1 hour

The water is warmest at the end of the day and the beach is emptier. Swim as the sun goes down, then dry off with a picnic dinner on the sand. Only swim where it's safe and lifeguarded if you're not confident in open water.

• Budgetmedium to splurge
• Best forspecial occasions
• Time2 to 3 hours

Many sailing schools offer short taster sessions, and harbor towns often have evening cruises. Either way, you're on the water with the wind in your face. A good one for anniversaries.

• Budgetlow
• Best foradventurous couples
• Time2 hours

Rocky beaches and reefs near the shore can be full of fish. Borrow or rent masks, swim slowly and point things out to each other. Check local safety info about currents first.

• Budgetmedium
• Best forplayful couples
• Timehalf day

Water slides make everyone scream, laugh and act like a teenager again. Go on a weekday to avoid lines and finish on the lazy river with a frozen drink.

• Budgetsplurge
• Best forcouples, weekend trips
• Time1 to 2 days

Rent a cabin, swim off the dock, cook on the grill and sit by the fire at night. No screens needed. Book early, since summer weekends go fast.

• Budgetfree to low
• Best forfirst date, any stage
• Timeevening

Many parks and rooftops show films on summer nights, some for free. Bring a blanket, snacks and bug spray. Pick a spot near the back so you can whisper without annoying anyone.

• Budgetfree to low
• Best forromantic, cultured couples
• Timeevening

Lots of cities run free or cheap outdoor theater in summer. Bring a picnic, sit on the grass and watch the stage light up as it gets dark. Brush up on the plot first if it's a play you don't know.

• Budgetfree
• Best forromantic, any stage
• Time1 hour

In much of the eastern US, fireflies light up meadows and backyards in June and July. Walk slowly at dusk through a field or park with tall grass. It's one of the most magical things you can see for free.

• Budgetfree
• Best forromantic, night owls
• Time2 hours

The Perseid meteor shower peaks around mid-August, when the nights are still warm enough to lie outside for hours. Drive away from the city, bring a blanket and snacks and count shooting stars.

• Budgetfree
• Best forany stage
• Timeevening

Fourth of July in the US, Canada Day on July 1 or a local summer festival: find a good spot early, bring a blanket and a cold drink and watch the sky together.

• Budgetfree
• Best forfirst or second date
• Timeevening

Many towns host free summer concert series in parks or on waterfronts. Grab takeout, find a spot on the lawn and dance badly if the band is good.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forplayful couples
• Timeevening

Rides, fried food, prize-winning pigs and games you can never win. Try to win each other a stuffed animal, ride the Ferris wheel at sunset and share something deep-fried.

• Budgetlow
• Best forplayful couples
• Time1 to 2 hours

Some public pools host late-night swim sessions in summer. Lights under the water, music and the pool almost to yourselves. Check your city's pool schedule.

• Budgetlow
• Best forfirst date, any stage
• Time2 hours

Three ice cream shops, one scoop at each. Try flavors you wouldn't normally pick and rate them on a scale you invent together. Walk between shops to make room for the next one.

• Budgetlow
• Best forcouples, with friends
• Timeafternoon

You each grill your signature dish: burgers, veggie skewers, fish in foil. Invite a few friends to taste and vote. Loser cleans the grill.

• Budgetlow
• Best forcute dates
• Time1 hour plus freezing

Fruit, juice, yogurt and a little imagination. Make a few flavors each, freeze them overnight and have a tasting on the porch the next day. A sweet excuse for a second date.

• Budgetlow
• Best forany stage
• Timehalf day

Summer fruit picking is sweet, sticky and fun. Eat as you go, fill a basket and bake a cobbler or crumble afterward. Check the farm's picking schedule first, seasons are short.

• Budgetmedium
• Best forcouples
• Time2 hours

Lobster rolls, fish tacos or fish and chips eaten on a picnic table near the water. Casual, messy and perfect for a long summer evening.

• Budgetlow
• Best forcouples at home
• Time1 to 2 hours

A blender, ice, fruit and a few recipes. Make frozen margaritas, daiquiris or alcohol-free smoothies and give each one a silly name. Drink them on the balcony while the sun sets.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forfoodies
• Timehalf day

Each of you picks three ingredients at the farmers market without telling the other. At home, you cook a dinner with all six. Summer tomatoes make almost anything taste good.

• Budgetfree
• Best foractive couples
• Timehalf day

Pick a lake, river or beach you can reach by bike. Pack swimsuits and lunch, ride there, swim, eat and ride back slowly. Exercise, adventure and a picnic in one.

• Budgetfree
• Best forearly birds
• Time3 hours

In summer, the morning is the coolest part of the day. Start in the dark with headlamps and reach a viewpoint for sunrise. Bring breakfast for the top. Our tips for a hiking date help you choose a trail.

• Budgetlow
• Best forcouples, second date on
• Time1 night

No need for a big trip. One night at a campsite nearby is enough: a tent, a fire, marshmallows and the sound of nature. Borrow gear if you don't have it.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forspontaneous couples
• Timeday

Pick a direction, drive two hours and stop wherever looks interesting: a small town, a diner, a viewpoint. Take turns choosing the next turn.

• Budgetfree
• Best forplayful couples
• Time1 to 2 hours

Grab a ball or a badminton set and play in a park or on the sand. Make up your own rules and keep score with sticks. End with a swim.

• Budgetfree to low
• Best forcalm couples
• Time1 hour

Many parks host free or cheap yoga classes on summer mornings. Bring your mats, stretch in the sun and grab a juice afterward.

• Budgetfree
• Best forrelaxed couples
• Time1 to 2 hours

On windy beaches, kite surfers make for great entertainment. Sit in the dunes with snacks and cheer for the best jump. Want more? Book a beginner lesson together.

• Budgetmedium
• Best forfirst date
• Time2 hours

Dark, cool rooms and the soothing blue of water: an aquarium is perfect on a hot afternoon. Pick a favorite fish each and give them names.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forany stage
• Time2 to 3 hours

The cinema is the coldest room in town in July. Go to an afternoon showing, share a giant drink and talk about the film over dinner when it's cooled down outside.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forfirst or second date
• Time1 to 2 hours

Dark, air-conditioned and reclined: a planetarium show is the most comfortable hour of a heatwave. Afterward, compare which star or planet you'd visit first, then step out into the evening when it's finally cooler.

• Budgetfree to low
• Best forcurious couples
• Time2 to 3 hours

Museums are cool, quiet and full of things to talk about. Choose one neither of you has visited and pick a favorite piece each to show the other.