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What better way to spend quality time with your closest friends than by going on a date? Dates are not just reserved for a romantic relationship; You can plan something thoughtful and sweet for your gal pals. It is a fun way to create great memories and finally spend time together as we all know how finding free time in adult friendships is hard (sometimes you need to plan three months in advance to see each other). So when there’s space to see each other, it has to be special. To help you choose fun things to do with your close friend, discover these friend date ideas below.
1. Fancy Dinner at a New Restaurant
You can’t go wrong with a fancy dinner at a new restaurant. The best part about going to a restaurant is getting to dress up in date night outfits. To make the day more fun, you can get ready at one of each other’s houses. It’s a great way to catch up and try each other’s styles and beauty routines.
Another great idea you can try is to have a nice dinner at home. Are you an expert at putting together a fancy dinner party? Show off your hostess skills. Play some good music and take cute pictures together!
2. Picnic at a Botanical Garden or Local Park
Do you have an old friend who you haven’t seen in a long time? Invite them to a botanical garden or a local park for a picnic or tea party. It is one of the most beautiful places to spend time on a sunny day. The best thing about botanical gardens is, of course, the scenery, but the fresh air is great too! It will be the perfect backdrop for your picnic. You can sit down and eat fresh fruit while you have a catch-up session.
The best way to make the picnic extra special is by wearing matching outfits. These outfits can be puff sleeve dresses and basket bags to give your friendship date a fun summer vibe.
3. Wine Tasting at a Vineyard or Wine Country
You will feel incredibly classy going on a wine tasting date at the vineyard instead of at a local bar. Take a break from buying wine from the store and learn new things about how your favorite wine is processed. And share the experience with your friend!
You can both sample a variety of wine samples and discover new flavors. Who knows? Maybe you could find new wine bottles to bring for a fun night with your other group of friends.
4. Go Window Shopping
Another fun friend date idea to try is to go window shopping. Take a break from sharing product suggestions over text and step out and see each other in real life.
You can explore your favorite clothing shops and see what they have in stock. And while you’re window shopping, you can get an idea of what your friend would want for her birthday or Christmas.
5. Visit a Coffee Shop and Talk About Each Other’s Goals and Dreams
Combine sipping on your favorite latte and discussing each other’s goals together at a coffee shop. Some people may consider this boring, but it’s surprisingly fun.
Discuss what you want to achieve in the next couple of years. It is the perfect way to bounce ideas and motivate each other. You can exchange notes of encouragement on paper to make the friendship date more memorable.
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6. Have a Spa Day
A spa day is a perfect date to have with your friend. If you are both in major need of a hefty dose of pampering, you can visit a lavish spa to relax and reprogram.
Indulge in a massage, salt scrub, clay body mask, and everything in-between. There is a treatment that is bound to tick your boxes.
7. Go to the Farmer’s Market
Nothing is better than visiting the farmer’s market on a lazy, sunny day. It is such a fun activity to do with a friend. And you won’t have to make a quick stop at the grocery store after your date because the market will have what you need. You can both try samples of seasonal treats, buy each other flowers, and take some cute pictures together.
On top of tasting locally-grown produce and buying flowers, some farmer’s markets offer much more. From free painting lessons to classes on growing vegetables, you and your friend can learn a new skill at the farmer’s market too.
8. Go to the Place You First Spent Time Together
Take a trip down memory lane and visit the first place you hung out. Whether it was a book store you both visited in college or a fun place like a movie theater, go back and create new memories! You can even use old photos from the day to try to recreate them.
9. Visit a Gift Shop
Spoil each other by going on a gift shop date. Gifting doesn’t always have to be a surprise! So get on Instagram and find gift shops to visit together in your city. You can get to see how much you know each other’s tastes and interests. It could also be used as an opportunity to discover new interests.
After visiting the gift shop, you can make a stop at a coffee shop or restaurant to make your catch-up session even better.
10. Re-Watch Episodes of Your Favorite Shows
If you prefer hanging out with your friend at your house rather than going to a karaoke bar, that’s fine! The good news is that you can have the best time at home. Consider re-watching your favorite movie or shows if you don’t want to play board games for most of the day.
Watching an old movie or show you haven’t seen in a long time will spark a lovely nostalgic feeling. To get into the movie night spirit, snack on some delicious treats.
11. Learn a New Sport Together
This is the best idea to try if you are both trying to get active or love going to the gym. Learning a new sport together is a great way to bond.
You can support each other as you overcome the challenges and laugh together if you are both terrible at the sport.
After months or weeks without spending time with friends, a friendship date is much needed. So pick one of these 11 friend date ideas to create more memories.
If you’ve opted for the botanical garden picnic friend date idea, you will need some sweet dresses for the special occasion!
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