5 Summer Date Ideas That Are Way Cuter Than Coffee

Can we all agree, once and for all, that coffee dates are terrible dates? You’re in a very quiet setting. You’re drinking coffee so you’re sweating from all the caffeine and your breath smells terrible. You have to pee halfway though. The only thing you can focus on is the other person. Why do we keep doing this? These five date ideas are way cuter, and they take advantage of the beautiful summer weather.

1) A picnic in the park.
Picture this: you are lounging in the park on an oversized blanket with your date. A bottle of wine (or in my boring sober case, a bottle of Martinelli’s) sits in a cooler between you. You brought a baguette and cheese. They brought grapes and strawberries. You’re in a pretentious French New Wave film and you are loving every minute of it because this is a freaking cute date.

2) See a movie in the park or at a drive-in.
If you have a drive-in near you and this isn’t your number one date move, I don’t know what’s wrong with you. If you don’t have a drive in, you’re probably going to be stuck with a slew of G-rated movies in the park, but they’re free and you can talk without getting shushed. Also, Finding Nemo seems to be a Movies in the Park favorite, and for lesbians, there’s probably not a better G-rated date movie.

3) Get your mini-golf on.
Mini-golf is not a cool date, but it is a very telling date. No one is good at mini-golf, so it’s a great opportunity to see how your date reacts when they’re bad at something. It also provides a lot of time for talking and people watching (read: people mocking). Follow it up with some disgusting fried pier food and it’s the perfect slightly tacky summer date.

4) Walk dogs together.
The presence of adorable animals can make even the most awkward date tolerable. If you don’t have dogs, call the local humane society ahead of time and schedule a time to dog walk, or borrow a friend’s dog for the occasion. A dog walking date isn’t just cute; it also gives you an idea of how your date treats animals.

5) Walk through the farmer’s market and then cook for each other.
Sure, making a meal for someone is way more intimate than going out to eat, but it’s also a much faster way to get to know someone. If you’re a terrible cook, this might not be the best move, but you can always volunteer to be in charge of salad. Plus, it’s a good opportunity to assess your date’s cooking skills.