15 Fun Car Date Ideas That are Perfect for Florida

Getting a proper date night is no easy matter, is it? Thankfully, there are a lot of fun things to do in the car that we can make a fun car date out of. These fun date night ideas are perfect for Florida and will give you and your significant other some much needed “you” time.

How do you plan a fun car date night?

Let’s start by saying, it doesn’t have to be at night. Some of these ideas work better during the day. It’s easy to plan a car date though, whether at night or during the day. Pick an activity, pack some snacks, charge up the phones, gas up the car, and get out on the road! Most of these ideas are budget-friendly, too, so you won’t have much of a cost except gas.

10 Free and fun date night ideas

1. Watch a beautiful Florida sunset

Florida is famous for her sunsets. Whether you watch on the coast, at the shore of a lake, or over some other open plain, Florida sunsets stun visitors and continuously wow residents. What better way to kindle (or rekindle) romance than by watching a sunset together?

2. Star Gazing

Extend a sunset car date – stick around after the sunset for a little star gazing. Though some parts of Florida will have more light pollution than others, chances are you’ll catch a few constellations wherever you choose to pull over and look at the stars. If you’re looking for the darkest skies in the state, check out our guide for the best star gazing in Florida.

3. Cuddle time

Grab a couple of blankets and spend a little snuggle time while watching the sunset or stargazing. Gotta admit, though. This one isn’t as much fun in the summer in Florida. It’s just way too hot!

4. Tour your town

If you live in a larger town – think Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, or Orlando – this one can be fun. Jump in the car and go tour a part of town you don’t visit often. Be a tourist in your own town! Many large metro areas are made up of smaller towns. You might discover a great park, a restaurant to try later, or a cute “downtown” area to explore. If nothing else, you’ll spend some time together with your significant other out exploring the town.

5. Check out the back roads

Alternatively, take a drive on the back country roads. Exploring the back roads often leads to delightful discoveries, such as historic sites, country stores, and beautiful natural sights. Finding stunning landscapes also can spark creativity in painters, writers, and photographers. You might even find a cute small town that simply never hit your radar before your explorations.

6. Play one of these fun car games

Nearly everyone you know has a favorite game to play in the car. There are, however, a few classics that are fun to play on a car date, especially when exploring an area with which you aren’t very familiar.

Car bingo

It’s the classic car game that we all love to play. Though you can print a bingo card for reference, you can also hand-draw bingo cards. They’ll be less formal but no less fun! The idea of car bingo is much like regular bingo. Try to find the items on your bingo card as you drive around. These can be things like signs, stores, a flag, and so on. It’s up to you what prize the winner gets!

License plate bingo

This twist on car bingo works particularly well in Florida during our more touristy months such as November, December, March, and April. In this version of car bingo, the items on the bingo cards are states, and you can mark a square when you see a license plate from that state.

Scavenger hunt

Urban scavenger hunts have popped up in major cities all over the country. Though these involve walking around a city’s urban center, taking part in a scavenger hunt during a car date can be just as much fun. Make this game super low-key by finding simple, every day items such as stop signs, stores, etc. Or make it more difficult with a list of your town’s tourist attractions or unique places.

DOUBLE DATE IDEA! Have a mutual friend create a scavenger hunt list of clues to places in your town, such as murals, attractions, favorite restaurants, etc. Head out on the town with another couple (in separate cars) and try to find all the places on your list first.

7. Take a road trip

Whether it’s a one-tank road trip for a day or part of longer travel plans, embarking on a road trip conjures images of adventure and discovery. Be sure to pack your snacks and all the essentials for a proper road trip.

Destination unknown

A fun way to road trip, this is something we’ve done as a family for a long time. It’s not just for families though. It works well as a fun car date, too. Here are a couple of different ways to play:

• At each intersection, the passenger chooses in which direction to go. It works best once you’ve left town. The passenger chooses which exit to get off, whether to turn left or right, and you just keep going until you find something interesting.
• When my son was a baby, he would only nap in the car, so his dad and I drove a lot of back roads. We made games out of it. For instance, we would turn onto any road with the word “lake” in the name, and just see where we went.

8. Go birdwatching

Head out to your favorite park or quiet place in town and engage in a little birdwatching. Bring along a pair of binoculars for best results. In Florida, we have the Great Florida Birding Trail, a network of more than 500 locations where birds are protected. These places are perfect for birdwatching and promote conservation, ecotourism, and environmental education and awareness.

9. Drive on an historic road

Florida is home to some of the oldest roads in the country, and some of these are still in use today. Even those which aren’t have modern roads which parallel the path of the historic roads. For a fun thing to do in the car, try driving the Old Brick Road near Flagler Beach, one of the few remaining segments of the original Dixie Highway. For history buffs in the Tampa Bay area, you can follow the Desoto Trail along a number of highways. Markers along the way describe the significance and what we know from Hernando de Soto’s expedition in the area back in 1539.

10. Have a photo shoot

Remember childhood when we loved being goofy? Showing off? Maybe some of us were real hams? A photo shoot is a perfect opportunity to tap into that child-like free spirit and have some fun. Pack a few props and maybe even a costume or outfit change and head out to a beautiful spot where you can take as many silly photos as you wish.

5 Fun things to do in the car

While free things are always great, sometimes you have to spend a little money. But just a little bit.

11. Takeout at the beach

If you’re headed to the beach for a night of sunset-watching and stargazing, grab your favorite takeout and have a picnic in the car. Or on the car. It’s also a great way to support your favorite local restaurant, too.

12. Take in a drive-in movie

Florida only has 9 drive-in movie theaters left, but many towns have drive-in movies using portable screens. If you’re tired of dinner and a movie at home, hop in the car and take in a drive-in movie. These have become increasingly popular in 2020 as people search for things to do while maintaining safe distances from others. If your town offers a drive-in movie, it’s likely listed on their parks and rec page.

13. Car camping

We already know camping rocks in Florida, especially beachfront camping. Take a car date to the next level by camping on your date. Though you may want to pack a tent if you have a small vehicle, those of you who own SUVs or vans can take advantage of the camper van trend. Put a mattress in the back, string up a few fairy lights, and voila! You’ve got a car camping date night.

14. Go chalking

This idea is super budget-friendly. Grab some sidewalk chalk at the dollar store for a few bucks then go spread happiness around your town. Make chalk drawings on sidewalks, parking spots, or driveways (but maybe just those of people you know…)

15. Go fishing

In many places in Florida, you can fish right off the beach or side of the road. Just back the car up, take out the rods, and sit back while you wait for the fish to bite. The fun here isn’t in catching; the fun is found in communing with nature and each other.

Wrapping Up Car Date Ideas

Car dates don’t have to be complicated, expensive, or perfectly planned to be meaningful. Some of the best moments happen when you’re sitting in the car watching the sky change colors, getting lost on a back road, or laughing over a silly game you haven’t played since childhood. Florida makes this kind of date easy with its sunsets, wildlife, historic roads, and endless places to pull over and just be together for a while. Whether you turn one of these ideas into a quick afternoon escape or a full evening adventure, the point isn’t the destination. It’s the time spent side by side, windows down, music on, and nowhere you have to be except right where you are.

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