Firstly, I recommend you and your husband sit down and write out a bucket list of all the fun things you desire to do this summer. You can even use this list to inspire your ideas. Every Saturday is our day to check off one of our bucket list desires! See some of our adventures HERE.
Putting together an intentional list to go on adventures, explore, and play with your spouse and then doing those things is one of the best ways to strengthen your marriage relationship!
My friend Chrys compiled a buck list of date ideas with her husband, including things both of them have fun doing. She wrote out each date idea on a piece of paper and then folded each one up and threw them into a jar. Every week her and her husband took turns pulling from the jar. Whatever they pulled out, they did!
I went ahead and got a mason jar and stuffed it full of these date ideas listed so that my husband and I can do them this summer.
Below is my friend’s list of some of the fun summer date ideas they came up with…and the good news is these are all inexpensive, yet awesome experiences!
20 Summer Date Ideas From A Mason Jar
- Cook an ethnic meal together. First pick a recipe, make a shopping list, then go to store for all the ingredients you need. Bring everything home and get to cooking. Remember this is a task you do together. Stay off the phones and focus on the experience. Turn the music up and maybe even dance a little in the kitchen while you bake or boil.
- Juice bar date. Challenge each other to a healthy drink that is a new flavor for both of you. This would be a great time to go over goals you both have for the year and envision your future together.
- “Flip-a-coin-meal-out!” Make sure you have a coin with you, get in the car, and drive straight until you get to a stop. Flip a coin to see which direction to turn. Heads is right & tails is left. Go until the first eating place you get to. Mini marts count!
- Gelato & Pedicures. Some men may be uneasy to try this one, but I say go for it! Assure them plenty of guys do this and its very relaxing.
- “Service-project-pie-date!” Pick out two pies and get the ingredients. Spend time in the kitchen baking the pies. One you keep to eat later that night & one you get to give away. Take a moment to discuss who you want to deliver the other pie to, then drive it to them for a sweet surprise.
- “Service-project-cookie-date!” Pick out a cookie recipe. Bake two batches of cookies – you know the drill – one to keep and one to give away to a person or family of your choice.
- Bike ride – Make sure your tires are pumped and agree on a local trail to ride at sunset.
- Hike and a snacknic. Together pack a bag of fun snacks for a quick picnic, then head out for a hike you love.
- The “Kidnap” double dinner. Kidnap another couple for dinner! This make take patience as not many people may be free at the drop of a hat…or go further and plan out a babysitter for them!
- Sweet scents shopping. Go on a hunt to shop for cologne & perfume shopping for each other. Find a scent you both like for each other.
- Night hike. Place of your choice. Don’t forget headlamps or a flashlight.
- Progressive dinner. – This is a fun one that takes some creative planning. Drinks at one place, appetizers at another, main course at a different resteraunt, dessert & coffee all in different places.
- Live music. – Take a friday night to enjoy some live music. This can be a local band or you can go to a concert.
- Art walk downtown. Pick out one piece of art you would buy and determine where in the house you would put it. Don’t worry about price, this is all hypothetical and a great conversation starter.
- Create music together. Spend time in a park or in the back yard where the summer breeze whips through your hair. Have fun creating music together or write a song together. Don’t stress about not being musically inclined. Just have silly fun.
- Book store explore. Go to a book store and locate the poem section. Take some time to skim through the books and choose a poem to read to each other (silly or romantic). Maybe get dessert and coffee too.
- Prank your older kids. For example, you can decorate/toilet paper your kids cars, or offer them water that is really sprite, whatever you decide have fun plotting with your spouse.
- Night picnic & stargazing. – Choose some refreshments and a quiet spot to lay back to enjoy the stars. Don’t forget a blanket to cuddle up in!
- Garage sale gifts. You each get $5 bucks and you have to go garage saling together to buy a gift for each other.
- Create art together. – Decide on a project, such as painting on the same canvas or making a bird house for the yard. Collect supplies, then create together.
- Make yard work fun. Go to a nursery together and pick out a plant(s) or tree and then plant it in a special spot you both can admire.
Important note:
My friend Chrys also suggest that this date jar is a great way to be intentional to capture memories with your spouse. She encourages that you take pictures of each date, then when you complete the last date in the jar, you create a book/album for print. The cover can be a photo of the two of you holding your date jar for a splash of sweet color on the front. The inside will be full of love and adventure!
