When you’re a teenager, dating seems to be the biggest achievement in the world. To be going out with someone means you’ve entered a mature stage in life.

But dating, whether it’s the first time or not, can be incredibly nerve-wracking. Entering a relationship can be incredibly intimidating. And maintaining one takes work.

First dates can set the tone for the foundation of your relationship. The entire point of a first date is to get to know your significant other.

Whether they’re someone you know from school, someone you’ve known since you were a kid, or someone that you’ve just come to meet, first dates help you see them in a romantic light.

For teenagers, the best dates are simple ones that you can make your own.

Playing the question game, going for long walks, and watching the sunset together are simple moments that really let you focus on each other.

Dates like mini-golf, painting, and escape rooms bring so much fun. Planning dates comes naturally to some and not so much to others.

We’ve put together a comprehensive list of the best date ideas for teenagers.

Sections in this article

• First Date Ideas
• Cute Date Ideas for teenagers
• Fun Date Ideas for teenagers
• Stay At Home Date Ideas

First Date Ideas

Take Your Dog(s) for a Walk

A nice way to help break the ice on your first date is to have something to talk about. Bring your dogs along for a nice walk to facilitate fun conversation.

You can play fetch with the pups and watch how well they get along. This also gives you the chance to learn more about your date’s hobbies.

Go For Ice Cream

This is a classic first date for teenagers. And it’s classic for a reason! Going for ice cream is bound to put a smile on anyone’s face.

Keeping the first date casual is always the best move because it alleviates pressure.

Coffee Date

Another classic date idea is to go for coffee. This kind of date is great for conversation and also gives you the chance to get to know each other better.

As a lover of coffee myself, this is a date idea that I always rely on. Try to avoid going to chain coffee houses. Going to the smaller, local cafés is much more romantic.

Study Date

Need to get a few textbook readings out of the way but also want to make the most of your time? Invite your date out to study.

This is the perfect date for teenagers preparing for midterms or finals. That way you get to finish some homework while also having an enjoyable time with someone special.

Go on a Double Date

There’s no sugar coating it: first dates can be awkward. To help ease nerves and lighten the tension, invite another couple along for your night!

This is best when the other couple has been together for a while, so you don’t have to worry about any awkwardness on their end.

Having a friend to help ease your worries throughout the date is always a plus!

DIY Randonauting

Randonauting is an activity where the app, Randonautica, sends you a random coordinate location in your area, and you travel to it hoping to find something fun.

Another way to have the same kind of adventure is to make random lefts and rights while walking or driving to hopefully land somewhere cool.

Play the Question Game

First dates are all about getting to know each other. A fun activity date for teenagers is to play the question game.

You and your date go back and forth asking each other random questions. This game allows you to move past basic questions like favorite color or food.

Instead, ask your date, “if you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?” My favorite ice breaker question is, “if you could travel to any place in time, where and when would you go to?”

Watch the Sunset or Sunrise Together

This date for teenagers is a very romantic one. While watching the sunset or sunrise, I always find these hours very contemplative.

Looking at the stunning views makes you think and reflect. Sharing this special moment with your date will bring you closer together.

Have a Game Night

One of my favorite dates is to host a game night. Whether it’s playing Twister, Monopoly, or cards, a game night is a perfect way to bring a little fun to a date.

Especially if you’re on the more competitive side, facilitating a healthy game of winners and losers is entertaining. My favorite game at game night is Clue.

Go to a Movie Theater

Every teen movie will showcase a movie theater date. Popcorn, candy, and waiting for your date to throw their arm over your shoulder?

Nothing is more exciting than going on a date to a movie. The best movie to watch on a date would be a scary or action movie.

Something that will hold your attention but not serious enough to distract you from your date.

Go to a Park

Whether your local park has swing sets and a jungle gym or is just an open field to walk around in, it’s great to spend time outside.

A date outside is casual and low-pressure. You can even bring a few field games to play, like Kan Jam or ring toss. Even bringing a soccer ball will allow for a fun time.

Play a Sport

Challenge yourself and your date to a game of basketball. Host a batting practice. See who can punt a soccer ball the farthest.

An active date for teenagers is to play a sport with your date. It’s not about actually doing well; it’s about spending time together and laughing.

Go out for Dinner

Going out to dinner will always be a reliable date for teenagers. Pick a restaurant that you wouldn’t normally go to from one of your favorite cuisines.

Personally, I hate eating with my hands on a date. I feel much more comfortable ordering something bite-sized so I don’t have to overthink during the date.

Have a Trivia Night

Whether you find trivia through an app on your phone or go out to a restaurant that’s hosting a trivia night, it is always fun to do an activity together on the first date.

That way, you and your date have something to bond over. It’s crazy how much random knowledge you actually know.

Is Pluto a planet? No. When was Taylor Swift born? 1989. Easy!

Draw Caricatures of Each Other

Caricatures are the cartoon drawings you would get on vacation that exaggerated certain features and placed you in random scenes.

It would be fun to have a first date where you try to draw a caricature of each other. You can emphasize specific aspects about your date that drew you to them in the first place.

Walk Around the Mall

One of the things I do a lot as a teenager is go to the mall. I can spend hours walking through stores whether I’m shopping or not. Bring your date to the mall and you won’t run out of activities to do. Try on ridiculous outfits and eat salty pretzels for the full mall experience.

Go Stargazing

To go stargazing, all you have to do is wait for the sun to go down and find an open field! You can most likely make your way to your school field with a blanket for this date.

Try to find constellations in the sky and see how many you can name! It is an adventurous and conversational date.

Carnival

This is the perfect date for the summer. So many carnivals are traveling through towns for long weekends.

You can on the Ferris Wheel or win each other stuffed animals. A carnival is a perfect date for teenagers.

Try Each Other’s Hobbies

Let’s say one of you can play the guitar and the other likes to juggle. Take turns trying out each other’s hobbies!

No one has to be good at them, but it’s a great way to get to know each other and have a casual, fun time.

It’s always attractive when your date tries to teach you something and has an excuse to get close!

Have a Car Wash

This may seem like a random first date, but a car wash is the perfect mix of a fun activity. It’s something you and your date can accomplish together.

It’s also a great opportunity to start a water fight. Working on a project together is a great idea for a date.

Related: 100 Flirty and Dirty Questions To Ask A guy You Like

Cute Date Ideas for teenagers

Picnic in the Park

Have a picnic at a park! This date is super easy to do yourself. Pack a small lunch with lots of snacks and a blanket and you’re set!

You can also spice up a picnic by bringing fun games, making your own lemonade, or using a picnic set that you can order from Amazon.

Go for a Fancy Dinner

While you may go out to eat often, you probably don’t go out for a fancy dinner too much. Every now and then it is a great date for teenagers to go to a nicer restaurant with their date.

Dressing up is half the fun and makes the date feel that much better. Whether the restaurant is local or far away, the act of going out together elevates the date entirely.

Drive-in Movie

As classic as a movie date is, there’s nothing better than going to a drive-in movie. Bring a bunch of blankets and pillows to turn your seat into a huge couch.

You can also get candy and popcorn from the dollar store. If your drive-in theater is playing Grease, that is a must to spice up a date!

Museums

If you don’t like close to a major city that may have big museums, there are also local galleries to visit. Some galleries are open to the public on the weekends.

Big museums are also great to walk through because there is so much to talk about. It’s also an excuse to dress up nicer and have a sophisticated day.

Walk Through your Town

Take a step back and walk around your town. There are so many things to do in your town that you may not realize.

My small town has a lake, a park, a hiking trail and a string of locally-owned shops. Supporting local businesses and spending a casual day with your date always makes for a good time.

Put Together Flower Bouquets

Visit your local florist or flower nursery and select some flowers for an arrangement. You can make one big one together or two so you each have one.

See if you can remember each other’s favorite flowers and colors to make it a surprise! Flowers always brighten your day and make for an adorable date activity.

Read Books Together

One of my favorite date ideas is to read with your date. Go to your local bookstore, pick out books you think the other would enjoy and read together!

You can also pick your favorite book for the other to read.

I always annotate the books I read, and gifting an annotated book to your significant other is a touching and sweet way to show you care!

Go Dancing

A cute and romantic date for teenagers is to go dancing. All you need is music and a speaker, and you can dance and hold each other tight.

Sometimes you don’t even need music to go dancing. Just start singing a catchy tune and dance your heart out!

Camp Out and Make S’mores

Set up a blanket and pillow fort in either of your backyards for the perfect camp out. Roast marshmallows over a fire and make some delicious s’mores.

As a veteran sleep-a-way camper, the best strategy for making s’mores is to twist and pull your stick with your marshmallow clamped between the graham crackers and chocolate.

If you don’t have a fire pit, you can roast marshmallows over your stove!

Make a Scrapbook of Your Favorite Memories

A sweet date for teenagers that have been dating for some time would be to put together a scrapbook of your favorite memories together.

You can print pictures of some of your favorite moments and make themes for each page.

If you spent a holiday together, went on a trip together, or did any of the dates recommended here, it’s great to hold a physical copy of those moments.

This is also a great date for an anniversary!

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Fun Date Ideas For Teenagers

Mini Golf

A super popular and spectacularly fun date for teenagers is mini-golf! It is a sweet and cheesy way to have a good time on a nice night.

And you’re assured to get close and cozy with your date. It’s a date night featured in romance movies for a reason!

Bowling

Though bowling may seem like a big group activity, it can be really special to go on a fun and random date night.

Adding a bit of healthy competition to any relationship is a must. Bowling is a classic date for teenagers.

Whenever I go bowling it’s a gamble if I’m good or bad, but that’s the fun of the game!

Arcade

You will never run out of things to do at an arcade! My personal favorite is Deal or No Deal and it always ends in a tense gamble.

Bring your date to the claw game and win each other a sweet keepsake. I’ve gotten most of my stuffed animal collection from nights spent at the arcade.

Beach Day

Even if the beach is a drive away, spending a full day with each other is the ultimate goal of any date.

The car ride there and back is a perfect opportunity to jam out to your favorite songs. On the beach, you can soak up the sun and have a sand castle-building competition!

Shopping

It’s always fun to go shopping. But that doesn’t mean you have to just be looking for clothes or even buy anything.

Go to a car dealership and sit in all the fancy automobiles. Go to an outdoor furniture store and play on the children’s swing sets.

Talk in an accent to the attendants and pretend you’re from a different place!

Apple Picking/Pumpkin Picking

Every season has the perfect opportunity to go to a farm and pick some fresh fruit and vegetables.

Go pumpkin picking during the Halloween season or to a strawberry field in the spring. Walking through a field of apple trees makes for a romantic scene.

Attend a Sporting Event

Whether your go-to sport is basketball, football, baseball or soccer, there is bound to be a game in your area any time of year.

You can even attend each other’s sports game if either of you plays on a team. Cheering together or for one another is a fun way to bond.

Be sure to get a pretzel and soda for the full sporting event experience!

Fishing

Any activity you do together on a date will make the date fun. Fishing is a unique way to do something special on a date.

It is a totally uncommon date idea for those who love the outdoors. And for those that are just getting used to the outdoors, at least you’re with your date!

Hiking

Another outdoor activity is to go hiking! It doesn’t have to be an intense workout.

When I’ve gone on hikes, the view from the top of the mountain has always been my motivation. It’s even an opportunity to bring along a little picnic!

Buy an outfit for each other

Do you and your date have completely different styles? It would be so fun to go out together and pick an entirely new outfit for them.

Dress up your casual date in the fanciest clothes you can find. And dress down your date who is always dressed to impress.

Zoo

The zoo is an adorable and super fun date for teenagers. Where else can you see lions and monkeys and seals in the same place?

So many zoos have animals you may never have encountered before! It is also an educational place to learn about endangered species and how you can help.

Scavenger Hunt

This date involves a bit more planning than others. But going on a secret scavenger hunt for a date would be so cool and fun!

A scavenger hunt is like a treasure hunt where you follow clues that lead you to the treasure you’re trying to find.

It could be a secret location for a nice dinner or a gift from you to your date.

Setting up a scavenger hunt is simple: all you have to do is write a few clues and put them in place.

Escape Room

An escape room has all the fun of a scavenger hunt, but you don’t necessarily need to be the one planning out the course.

You can go to an escape room and work as a team with your date to escape! Or, there are escape room kits that you can order online.

Think like a detective and solve the mystery with your date!

Make Balloon Animals

A unique way to get creative on your date is to make balloon animals! It has always looked so complicated to try and make a dog balloon animal.

But when I did this with friends, it was actually pretty simple. You and your date can make each other one.

Karaoke

A classic date night idea comes directly from my favorite movie growing up. The ‘karaoke date’ between Troy and Gabriella from High School Musical has been one of my favorites.

Whether you and your date sing a duet or serenade each other, this date is sure to be a good time. No worries if you sound like a hyena when you sing.

You and your date will be having too much fun to stop and think.

Concert

I’m still waiting for the day I get to take my date to a Harry Styles concert. Concerts are a perfect date idea because music always brings people together.

Even if you and your date share a different music taste, it would be so fun to bring each other along to hear your favorite bands play.

There’s no better feeling than finally listening to your favorite song live with your favorite person next to you.

Go Thrifting

It’s become a big trend to go shopping at thrift stores. There are always so many hidden gems in thrift stores.

Whether you find a big t-shirt or funky sunglasses, thrift stores hold so many adventures.

Taking a piece of them with you and creating memories with your date is the perfect date for teenagers.

Comedy Show

Laughs are guaranteed when you take your date to a comedy show. It’s a nice way to lay back and have a relaxed evening.

Comedy shows are great because you and your date will have so much to talk about after. Did you like that one joke?

Did you not understand another? You never really know what you’re going to get from a comedy show, which adds to the pull.

Make Candles

Get creative and make your own candles! It’s surprisingly easy to make. All you need is wax, colored dye, and essential oils.

I made candles with my sister over the holidays and it was a super fun and unique activity. It would be so cute for you and your date to make candles for each other.

Use scents and colors that remind you of each other and name them for one another!

Make a Charcuterie Board

Half the fun of making a charcuterie board is planning what to put on it. Sure, you can go classic and make a cheese and meat board.

Or you can go off the walls and make a candy-themed board with Twizzlers and chocolate. Either way, making the board and eating it together is an adorable date for teenagers.

Related: 70 Cheap and Fun Date Ideas For Teens

Stay At Home Date Ideas

Painting

One of my favorite hobbies is painting or drawing. As fun as it is to do this by yourself, it’s even better when you can share the peaceful nature with a date.

You can attempt to paint each other, paint a landscape scene, or just paint whatever comes to mind. It’s a fun and easy activity to do at home.

Cook Dinner

Test your kitchen skills and challenge yourselves to cooking dinner. It can be a simple recipe like spaghetti and meatballs or a more complicated dish.

I’ve succeeded at making a paella but also failed at clam chowder. It’s always nice to have a backup plan in case things go awry.

Or someone gets creative and starts an impromptu food fight.

Finish a Puzzle

Puzzle’s are a fun way to spend time with your date at home. You can easily get a puzzle from your local craft store.

Or, you can order a personalized puzzle of a picture of you and your date! The possibilities are endless.

Whether it’s a puzzle that takes 1 hour or 5, it is sure to keep you and your date entertained.

Movie Marathon

There is nothing better than spending a lazy day watching your favorite movies. The one thing that matches that energy is spending it with your date.

Sharing my favorite movie series with a date is a big testament to our relationship.

I am a die-hard Marvel fan and watch those movies when I’m happy, sad, bored and everywhere in between.

My date better be able to keep up with all my theories and fun facts about each film.

Crafting

Doing crafts together is a wonderful date for teenagers. My favorite craft is making string bracelets.

Any craft store will also have crafts that you can paint—like you’re own pottery set, wooden picture frames, or birdhouses.

Crafting with your date is a cute way to have an at-home date.

Make Playlists for Each Other

Sharing your music taste with your date is an important aspect of your relationship.

Make your date a playlist of your favorite songs and music you think they would enjoy, and have them do the same.

You can spend time listening to each person’s selection and learn the words to new songs. Maybe you will have the same taste and be able to bond over the same bands.

If not, exposing yourself to music you wouldn’t have known otherwise is a plus.

Build a Fort

Embrace your inner child and build a pillow fort together. You can take the cushions out of your couch and set it up like a big cave.

Use blankets to make an extra comfortable floor to your fort. You can go the extra mile and set up lights in your fort for an elevated experience.

Make some popcorn and get a movie playing inside your fort!

Play Video Games

A date for teenagers does not need to be anything extravagant.

Some of the best dates you spend with your significant other are going to be when you’re just spending quality time together.

The time you get to kick back and share the little moments, like playing your favorite video games.

My favorite video game happens to be Just Dance, but the sentiment remains.

Tie-Dye Matching Shirts

A cute afternoon date for teenagers would be to tie-dye shirts together. Tie-dye is such a fun and classic activity.

Create cool designs by scrunching your shirts in different directions. Use your favorite colors to make a pattern.

After the stains set, you’ll have a cute new shirt! And one to match with your date.

Put on a Show

It can be easy to get bored at home. But one thing that’s never boring is putting on your own show.

Whether you put on a fashion show or a comedy show, the possibilities are endless. This is an easy and fun date for teenagers.

Build a House of Cards

All you need for this date is a deck of cards, and I’m sure many of us have some laying around our house.

I’ve never tried to build a specific structure with my house of cards. The easiest way to start your house of cards is the lean two cards into each other and slowly expand this out.

To make levels, lay cards on top of the maze. Then start building on top and you’ll create a house of cards!

Binge a New Show

Another cute date at home is to binge-watch a new show with your date! It’s fun to get invested in a series with someone.

You can watch each episode together and be able to discuss what you think may happen next.

This can either be a long-lasting activity or you can finish a season in a day, since so many limited series are only 6-8 episodes.

Have a Spa Day

Another fun at-home activity is to have a spa day! You can get creative by making your own face masks or buy some sheet masks from the store.

You and your date can take turns giving each other a back massage. Cut up some slices of cucumber to get the real spa feeling.

Bake a Dessert

Cookies, cakes, brownies, pies, and more. There are so many delicious desserts you and your date can bake together!

Whether making something from scratch or using a box, you and your date will love the final product.

It’s even fun when you decorate the final product together. I always loved icing cupcakes with different designs and patterns. Smashing a few in each others’ faces is also pretty adorable.

Create a Unique Handshake

While at home, a super cute date is to plan an intricate handshake! Inspired by the handshake from the Parent Trap movie, I’ve come up with so many handshakes.

Handshakes act as special greetings between you and your date.

Whether you make the handshake include something outrageous or just a simple action, the action itself is what’s special.

Final Thoughts on Dates for Teenagers

I cherish every moment spent in a relationship. As teenagers, you have to romanticize your life. Turn the small moments into meaningful ones.

Live in the moment. Just because you don’t call a specific day when you’re hanging out, a ‘date’ doesn’t mean you can’t make the day special.

When you do set aside the time for a real date, this comprehensive list is your go-to guide.

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