Need cheap date ideas for teenage couples? Here are 47 teenage date ideas, including fun dates for teens who can't drive!
What do teenagers do for dates? Where do they go? How do they afford it?
Whether you’re dating in the Fall, Spring, Winter, or Summer, I’ve got loads of cheap date ideas for teenage couples.
Some are at-home date ideas for teenage couples, and others are out on the town.
Before I offer these up, a few words on how best to choose from them.
What to Remember When Choosing Date Night Ideas for Teenage Couples
I’m going to be serving you up some seriously fun and cheap date night ideas for teenage couples…but you should remember a few things when you go through and choose from this list.
Which teenage date night ideas you go with depends on the following:
- Parental permission
- Budget (here are free teen budget worksheets)
- Transportation needs and resources
- Curfew times
- Adult supervision requirements
- What you’re interested in
- What your date is interested in
Go through this list with your teenage daughter or son, and come up with several options for them to choose from that are A-Okay in your book.
Alright, alright – let’s get to the awesome ideas!
Teenage Date Ideas – Winter
What are the best winter dates for teenage couples? I’ve got a few cheap ideas for you below that should make for an unforgettable time together.
1. Watch a Terrible Movie Together (and Giggle Through It)
Do you know what some of my fondest movie memories with my husband are? When we were dating and watched a movie that was so bad, that we couldn’t stop laughing at it.
Scenes and lines became inside jokes to us.
Your teen can go to RottenTomatoes.com, sort by movies with the worst ratings (use their “Tomatometer” filter), and choose one or two that are parent-approved. Then, either Netflix them, rent them, borrow them from the library, etc., and watch them together. Could be the funniest date they’ve ever had!
2. Enjoy the Hot Tub with Christmas Lights
Do you own a hot tub? Your teen can string up some Christmas lights around it, and then run from the house to the hot tub in the cold (don’t worry – it’ll feel great once they hit that hot water!).
3. Play Sumo Checkers
I absolutely love this idea from Life Teen’s blog – your teen and their date play checkers, and each time they lose a piece, they have to put ON a piece of clothing! Now, this could get hilarious.
4. Do a Round of Blindfold Portrait Painting
Gather up all those craft supplies lying around, and perhaps buy two canvases (or figure something else out). Then, create blindfold portrait paintings of each other!
5. Graffiti the Snow
Graffiti that ruins buildings? Not so cool. Graffiti that melts away into nothing after a few days? Pretty darn awesome.
Your teen and their date can grab some spray cans, and head on out to the backyard or woods beyond the backyard to create graffiti together in the snow!
6. Glow-in-the-Dark Bowling
Does your local bowling lane offer some night fun in the form of glowing bowling (or whatever else they may call it)? Check for the times and see if they're within your teen's curfew.
7. Drive Around and Tour Christmas Lights
One memorable evening I spent on a date night as a teen was with my boyfriend who picked me up in his Dad’s truck and drove us around for 1.5 hours looking at neighborhood Christmas lights. It’s one I won’t forget, and could be fun for your teen, too!
8. Go to a Restaurant with Food They've Never Tasted Before
Can they find an ethnic restaurant, where even the menu is in a different language?
Here's the fun part — they can explore part of this cuisine together by ordering something for each other off of the menu (see how much more fun this will be if it's all in a different language?).
9. Do a Christmas Selfie Scavenger Hunt
This free, Christmas-themed selfie scavenger hunt looks pretty teen-errific! Work together to complete all of these holiday selfies. They can even race against a clock – say, 2 hours.
Psst: looking for more Christmas-themed dates? Check out my 26 Christmas activities for teenagers article.
10. Do a Photo Booth Tour
Where are the photo booths in your area where a teen couple can pay a few bucks and make a strip of photos?
They can find several, and drive around to each to take quick and fun photos of the two of them.
Here are some free printable props if they want to do a theme:
11. Christmas Win-it-in-a-Minute Competition
Your teen couple can have a Win-it-in-a-Minute competition. They can use these printables as a really fun group teenage date night. Some healthy competition can be fun!
12. Do a Mall Scavenger Hunt
Who says you have to actually spend money at the mall? Instead, your teen can print out this free mall scavenger hunt, pick up their bae, and have some fun hanging out.
Psst: this would also be a great double date idea for teens.
13. Tour their State Capitol Building
Tours can be so much fun! It's half-learning, half-hangin'-out, half-people-watching. Wait…that's three halves.
Anyway, encourage your teen and their date to check out a free tour at your state's capitol building.
14. Fly a Kite on the Beach
Hear me out on this one – because the beach? Basically stays windy all year round.
When I was a teenager, I had a boyfriend drive me to the beach (a few hours away), and we flew a kite. It was such a wonderful thing to do! A really cool way to use the beach in the winter time, and as long as your teens get bundled up well enough, an enjoyable experience.
Teenage Date Ideas – Spring
It's so nice to come out of the long winter (in most areas – ours in the South isn't quite so long) and see everything start fresh and anew! Now's the perfect time for your teen to spend time with their boyfriend/girlfriend outdoors.
Here are some cool teenage date ideas for the springtime.
1. Go on a Graffiti Crawl
Most graffiti is…well, kinda ugly. But did you know that there are graffiti artists who take their work very seriously? There are also lots of beautiful pieces of art as graffiti (such as here in Houston).
Your teen can take the time to map out 4-5 different pieces of graffiti art to drive by, or get out and take some awesome photos together with their date.
2. Eat at a Revolving Sushi Restaurant
One of the neat things about finding a revolving sushi restaurant is that you only pay for the specific sushi that you pick up and eat. So, it can be quite a cheap date for teenage couples if they watch what they’re doing!
Not only that but some serious cool points – it’s quite entertaining to watch the sushi being made and revolving around the room or table on a conveyor belt.
3. Find a Chili Cook-Off
This is a great way for your teen and their date to get out on the town, during the day, and walk around with each other. You’ll get to taste all kinds of chilis and talk with some locals, and usually, the ticket prices are quite reasonable (we’ve paid $5/ticket in the past).
4. Host a Pokémon Go Competition
Download the Pokémon Go app on each of their smartphones, and then meet up at a trail, go for a walk, or find a park.
Set a timer and see who can capture the most about Pokémon.
5. Go on an Owl Prowl
Have you ever heard of an Owl Prowl? You can usually find them at nature centers, Audubon Society centers, etc. They occur after dark when a group of people are led into the woods to find as many owls as they can.
Definitely look into this as a teen couple – but know that they might need to be 18 or older, AND, these can be a bit more expensive than all the other dates here.
6. Grab Some Smoothies
Your teens can hit up their local smoothie place and try a new flavor.
7. Find a Petting Zoo
Petting zoos aren’t just for kids! Your teen can take their date and buy them corn food (or pellet food – whatever is available) so that they can feed the animals together.
Plus, watching little kids is so much fun!
8. Construct a Home Together
Well…at least help with doing it. If your teen couple is 16 or over, they can volunteer at a Habitat for Humanity construction site. I used to do this in my early 20s, and loved it! The two of them will have so much fun helping others.
Teenage Date Ideas – Summer
Summer offers lots of opportunities for cheap date nights that are outside. Not only that, but it stays lighter out, later, opening up even more possibilities for your teen to take advantage of before curfew.
Psst: you might want to check out these 50 summer activities for teens.
1. Chase a Food Truck
Your teen can check out RoamingHunger.com, which pinpoints the specific food trucks that are coming to locations near them, and the times they'll be there.
They can then either meet up at a certain time or drive there together.
2. Go on a Free Ferry Ride
If you guys live near a body of water with a ferry, then this is a cheap (and sometimes, free) way to get out on the water with someone! I’ve ridden the ferry in the south of Texas twice, and seen dolphins and pelicans each time.
Do you guys live near a ship channel or port? See if you can get a free ship channel tour as a teen date (like in Houston!).
3. Create a Relationship Time Capsule
Your teen can gather at one teen's house, fill up a tin can with some mementos from their relationship, and figure out a place to bury it.
They can vow to come back to that spot 10, 15, or even 20 years later to dig it up together.
4. Use Your Parent’s Guest Passes
Can you let your teen use their pool guest pass to invite their girlfriend or boyfriend for some swimming, hot tub time, and sunbathing?
5. Host an Outdoor Ping Pong Tournament
The weather is great…why not let your teen move your Ping Pong table outside on the patio and have a tournament with their date?
Psst: remind your teen that they can score major brownie points with Mom and Dad by moving it BACK IN when they’re finished.
6. Create Your Own Frozen Yogurt Bowls
Places like Menchie's are so fun – teens can take their date, sample various types of frozen yogurt, and then create their own yogurt sundaes (you pay by weight – so if you don't have a lot of money? Go lighter).
Then, they can take their fro-yo's to the outdoor seating area (our Menchie's has a fire pit!) and enjoy the rest of the date.
7. Go on a Factory Tour
I remember going on both the Hershey’s Chocolate Factory Tour as well as the Herr’s Potato Chips Factory tour with dates. Both were fond experiences.
Search here for free factory tours near where you live.
8. Meet Up to Watch the Sunset or the Sunrise
One of the most memorable dates I had as a 17-year-old was when my boyfriend drove me a few hours away to watch the sunset at the nearest beach. Wow, was that special! And except for the gas, it was quite cheap to pull off.
Fall Date Ideas for Teenage Couples
Fall is an exciting time – lots of school events going on, new sports seasons starting, less light at night, and ample opportunities for teens to find cheap date ideas.
1. Go On a Zombie Run Together
Zombies are kinda a big deal right now, and lots of Zombie runs have cropped up around the country. See if your teen can find one near you (just search for your area + Zombie Run), and then go on a few runs with their date beforehand to practice!
Psst: if nothing else, your teens can download this free Zombie running app, share some earbuds, and have some fun jogging together. Absolutely hilarious!
2. Tour Some Haunted Woods
One of the most fun dates I can remember is when I went through supposed “haunted woods” with my boyfriend. How spooky! We actually drove through, but you can walk (er, run, if need be) as well.
Your teen doesn’t have to go all Blair Witch on their date (they probably have never even heard of the Blair Witch Project, right?!). Just research hauntings in their particular area of the world, and see if they're on public or private properties.
Hint: if there's a public road? Then they’re good to drive through it.
3. Go to Church Youth Activities
Churches offer some really outstanding youth programs as well as organize some great youth activities throughout the year.
Can your teen invite their date out to one of these events?
4. Sit at the End of a Dock or Pier
Just sitting with socks/shoes off and dangling feet near the water at the end of a dock or pier as a teen couple can be a refreshing time together.
5. Haunted Walk Tour of Your Closest City
Many cities have haunted ghost tours where you walk around with a group and learn about all the supposedly haunted locations. What a fun date night that would be!
Your teen can also piece together your own haunted ghost tour by going to the library, getting a local haunted book (they have them for many major cities and bigger towns), and following along. Have them pick their date up, and drive by several of the places that are mentioned in the book. Stop right outside and read the story/history aloud.
6. Go to Homecoming Activities Together
Likely your teen's school is holding some sort of homecoming day where there are things like parades, sports events, activities, and maybe even a dance to go to.
This is a cheap way to go on a date together!
7. Show School Spirit Together
Your teen can go to a home game or away game for whichever local sports team you guys support. See if they can bring some hot cocoa in a mug (look for stadium rules, first), and maybe even a blanket if it’s going to be a cold night. These are thoughtful gestures their date will appreciate.
8. Play Darts in the Garage
Can your teen set up a dart board in the garage to play several rounds with their girlfriend/boyfriend?
At Home Date Night Ideas for Teenage Couples Who Can't Drive
Your teen will likely have lots of dating opportunities at home, so I wanted to dedicate an entire section to at-home date night ideas for teens.
Here you’ll find cheap date night ideas your teenager can use all year round.
1. Have an Indoor Snowball Fight
Who doesn’t love a good snowball fight? Especially if you can do it in the warmth of your own home. Actually…your teen and their date can do this one ANY time of the year.
2. Create an Indoor Graffiti Wall
Grab some paints, a tarp (such as one used for a wood pile out back), and paper or a cloth canvas (an old sheet will do, or maybe one from the Dollar Store).
Your teen can get your permission to move your furniture and anything else that could be spattered away from the wall – I would do several feet away – and hang both the protective layer as well as the “canvas”. Don’t forget to protect the floor with trash bags or something else that will stop paint from bleeding through.
Then, create a graffiti mural together!
3. Complete an Escape Room…At Home
For a fraction of the cost of going to an Escape Room, your teen couple can solve one from a box.
Here's an Escape Room in a Box: The Werewolf Experiment to check out.
And I just love these Free Escape Room Printables! You’ll find audio files for the missions by downloading the free iPhone app or free android app. Your teen will need to prep some materials together before the actual date night (like scissors, pens, single-sided printed copies of the free missions, etc.).
Solve puzzles, decipher Morse codes, and deactivate bombs – all while your teen and their date work together.
4. Play Pudding Pictionary
Your teen can play a round of pudding Pictionary…well, if they want to laugh so hard that they might just snort. It’s seriously that fun!
Not to mention, it just takes some free printables and a box of Jell-O chocolate pudding (pre-made, or homemade, works as well!).
5. Try a Couple’s Yoga Video
From the comfort of home, your teen couple can mess up and giggle their way through a couple’s yoga session without any weird looks.
Hint: don’t have yoga mats? Just use towels.
6. Do a Gourmet Chocolate Taste Testing at Home
Teens can head to the grocery store together, down the gourmet chocolate aisle (or prep this ahead of time – your choice).
Pick out six different bars of chocolate to taste test.
Then, use The Dating Divas’ FREE Chocolate Tasting Date Night Printables to set up a night of chocolate taste-testing with your bae!
My husband and I actually did this one night.
Here are the six chocolate bars we chose:
- Divine Dark Chocolate with Pink Himalayan Sea Salt: This one ended up being our favorite!
- Green & Black’s Organic 85% Dark Chocolate: This one was wayyyyytoo bitter for both of us.
- Endangered Rain Forest Dark Chocolate (72%) with Forest Mint: Yummy.
- Divine White Chocolate Bar: Paul really liked this one, I thought it was okay.
- Endangered Tiger Species Natural Dark Chocolate (72%) with Espresso Beans: This was our second favorite!
7. Construct a Jell-O House
Instead of a gingerbread house, your teen couple can make a home together out of Jell-O bricks!
You can use silicone molds to make the Jell-O bricks.
8. Play Mad Libs
Mad Libs are so much fun!! Instead of just sitting around trying to figure out what to do together, whip one of these out.
9. Make Tabletop S’Mores
Can your teen set up everything needed to make s’mores together, on a table in your house? You'll likely want to help them with this one.
10. Set Up a Fondue Feast
The fun thing about fondue is how engaging it is to eat together. Give your teen permission to set up your fondue pots in the den, dining room table, or even the back patio. Serve two courses, at least!
Here are some fondue recipes to get them started:
Got any other cheap date ideas for teenage couples? Please share them in the comments below.
Amanda L. Grossman
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