5 Friday Favorites ~ Summer Date Night or Family Fun Activities

Happy Friday, Everyone! Another summer Friday is upon us, which means another opportunity to celebrate the sunshine and the end of the work week!

Fridays have long been my favorite day of the week, and summer Fridays are extra special, especially up here in the Northeast where we don’t have nice weather year round. My motto is “A Friday night is a terrible thing to waste!” But if you don’t yet have plans for tonight, fret not because today I’m sharing my 5 Favorite Summer Friday Night activities. These suggestions can be adapted for a date night or family fun night with ease, and they can all be done without prior planning.

1. Go to the drive-in. Although drive-in movie theaters have been around much longer than I have, I still have fond memories of going when I was a kid. There was so much excitement involved in preparing to watch movies in the open air or snuggled up in the car. My parents would sometimes dress us in our pajamas, and then my sisters and I would sleep in the back of the station wagon with the seats down while they watched the 2nd “adult” movie. Although the number of drive-ins still running in the US has been in serious decline, there are still about 330 drive-ins in 45 states (sorry Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Louisiana, and North Dakota) where people can catch a flick. My husband and I are lucky enough to live about 40 minutes away from one and try to get there at least once a summer.
2. Treat yourself to ice cream. Ice cream is hands down my favorite dessert, and I especially love to enjoy the cold, sweet treat on a hot summer’s day! People tend to have their favorite spots, and there are plenty of lists of best ice cream shops in each state if you need some ideas. I just happen to be lucky enough to live within a few miles of one of the best in my state. One advantage of being an adult? Ice cream for dinner.
3. Play some mini-golf. Although there are some indoor mini-golf places around to enjoy in the winter, there’s nothing quite like getting outside for some friendly mini-golfing competition. Bonus points if you can also cool off with some bumper boats or the wind in your hair during a go-kart ride. Another option is to up the stakes by creating a Fun Center Olympics… choose 3 or 5 events with the winner being exempt from washing the dinner dishes.
4. Catch a baseball game. America’s favorite pastime is largely played in the summer, so it’s the perfect opportunity to strike out and see a game. Options range from watching your favorite pro team slugging it out to catching a local minor league game to making some local kids’ day by attending a little league match-up and cheering them all on.
5. Go on a sunset picnic. A sunset picnic can be a great, romantic date night activity, but it can also be fun for the whole family if the picnic occurs at a local park or playground that is sure to be less busy at dusk. As an added bonus, stick around after dark, lie down on the blanket, and do some stargazing.

What’s your favorite Friday night activity? Let me know in the comments. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!