Date ideas
10 spring date ideas
The first warm day always feels like a reason to go outside. These 10 spring dates help you two make the most of the longer evenings.
In Australia and New Zealand, spring runs from September to November.
At home
30 to 45 minutes · About $10 to $20 · cozy
One bunch, two bouquets
One bunch of market flowers, split in two and arranged your own way.
Arranging flowers side by side makes room for a slow, quiet hour and brings a little spring into the house.
The fun part: Arrange your half for the other person, then swap vases.
Out and about
3 to 4 hours, including cooking · About $25 · adventurous
Farmers market dinner challenge
A $25 budget, one lap of the stalls and dinner from what you find.
Wandering the stalls with a shared mission turns shopping into a small adventure, and cooking what you found can make the night yours.
The fun part: Pointing out one thing you’ve never cooked, then cooking it.
Outside
1 to 2 hours · Free · thoughtful
Blanket under the stars
A blanket, warm layers and a constellation you make up yourselves.
Lying back and looking up together is calming, and inventing your own constellations can be a lovely kind of silly.
The fun part: Inventing your own constellation and naming it after an inside joke.
About 2 hours · About $10 to $20 · cozy
The golden hour picnic
A simple picnic facing west as the evening light turns gold.
The light around sunset makes everything look beautiful, including each other, and a picnic makes room for a slow evening.
The fun part: Putting the food away and just watching the colors change.
About an hour, then some watering · About $10 to $25 · thoughtful
Plant something you can watch grow
Choose a plant for each other, pot them side by side and name them.
Caring for something living together gives you a small shared project to check on, and a reminder of this day every time it blooms.
The fun part: Naming your plants. This part is required.
Most of a day · Free, using what you have · adventurous
Pack a lunch, pick a trail
A trail you’ve never walked, a packed lunch and a view to eat it by.
A new trail and a view you reached together gives you a whole day of small discoveries, and lunch tastes better outside.
The fun part: Eating lunch at the best view on the trail, and naming the spot.
About 2 hours · About $10 to $25 · playful
Kite flying on a windy day
A simple kite, a breezy afternoon and a big open field.
Getting a kite up takes teamwork and a lot of running, and the moment it catches the wind can make you both cheer.
The fun part: Naming the kite, and cheering every time it survives a dive.
2 to 3 hours · About $30 to $50 for two · thoughtful
Botanic garden in bloom
A slow walk through the botanic garden at its most colorful.
Wandering among flowers in full bloom makes room for slow talk, and choosing favorites shows you what each of you finds beautiful.
The fun part: A scent hunt for the best-smelling flower in the whole garden.
Overnight · Free, using what you have · adventurous
The backyard campout
Sleep out in the yard or on a balcony, with snacks and the night sky.
Sleeping outside a few steps from your door gives you an adventure with no packing, and night sounds can make home feel far away.
The fun part: Telling each other a story by flashlight before you fall asleep.
Apart, at the same time
30 minutes to an hour · $3 to $8 each · playful
A giant chalk note for them
Write a giant message in sidewalk chalk and send them the photo.
A message big enough to see from a window can make an ordinary patch of ground feel like a love letter from far away.
The fun part: Make it big enough to photograph from a window or the top of the steps.