"Ah, spring. It’s the perfect time of year for falling in love… with yourself. The sun finally comes out, we get a chance to put on our cutest spring outfits once again, and the world is full of amazing outdoor activities to make the most of, spurring inspiration for plenty of solo date ideas. Whether you have a significant other or not, the dawn of spring is a great reminder to make some time for the most special person in your life: you! With calendars filling up, social activities aplenty, and everyone coming out of winter hibernation, taking the time to soak in the fresh start of the season by yourself can put a pep in your step. Plus, there’s no better time of year to find yourself alone in a crowd—it is a people-watching season, after all.
As the weather warms, treat yourself to one of these solo date ideas as a reminder that you can buy yourself the flowers. From botanical gardens to bike rides, there are so many beautiful ways to show yourself some love this time of year.
1. Make your own bouquet of fresh flowers
Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking. But seriously, the warmer weather will have you wanting to fill every corner of your household with stunning bouquets, so why not make a solo date out of gathering the materials for those bunches? Whether you have access to a garden or need to head to your local flower market to find the perfect blooms, romanticize the process by picking out a pretty vase, taking a pic of your bouquet (obviously), and maybe even planning your arrangement ahead of time. Then, when you bring home your collection, turn on some tunes and make your flower arrangement. You’ll breathe some life into your home, have a great time, and you won’t even have to bug some guy or gal to bring you flowers.
2. Get a pastry and watch the sunrise
The winter months mean waiting days on end to see the sun at all, much less to see the sunrise. However, now that the clocks have changed and the weather is finally warming, watching the sun come up is a great solo date idea. Find a bakery near you, head there before sunrise, and grab yourself a pastry. Then, go to your local park, beach, or overlook, or even try to find a rooftop to watch the sun come up. After all, no one ever said the dawn dating trend was just for couples—you’ll start the day feeling like you went on a super-romantic date because you did!
3. Romanticize the first day of the farmer’s market
Yes, you can technically head to the farmer’s market every other week of the season as a solo date idea, but there’s something extra special about that very first day when all of the vendors can finally show up to sell their fresh fruits and vegetables. Skip your weekly trip to the grocery store, grab a coffee, and stroll around to grab your produce at the market instead. Whether you end up bringing home some seasonal spring veggies to cook a delicious meal with or simply browsing, this is the kind of solo date that will wake you up from hibernation and make you feel like it’s finally springtime.
4. Head to your local botanical gardens
If you’re lucky enough to live in a city with botanical gardens, spring is the perfect time to visit. Take a stroll through the fresh blooms and enjoy the lush greenery (without having to worry about the heat of summertime). You can romanticize the experience by bringing a book or journal to read or write among the plants or by taking a guided tour through the grounds and learning about the different flora that are thriving in your area. Be sure to check to see if your botanical garden requires a ticket ahead of time!
5. Take a bike ride tour of your city
You can play tourist in your city any time of year, but you can’t always do a dedicated bike tour of the sights around your area—that’s reserved for the warmer months of the year. If you have a bike (or rollerblades, or a skateboard… whatever floats your boat), break it out and head down the bike trails yourself or explore a part of your city that you’ve never seen before. No bike? No problem. Most major cities have plenty of bike tours that allow you to rent one and follow along with the group as you enjoy the weather and the views. Solo date ideas like these count as multitasking because you’ll also be getting in great movement. Especially during springtime, it’s so important to connect with your sense of wonderment through a combination of movement and sightseeing.
6. Go to an outdoor concert
’Tis (finally) the season for free or mostly free outdoor concerts! Check local parks and outdoor venues near you to see if there are any upcoming events that you can attend as one of your solo date ideas. You can hit up a venue you’ve been to a million times before or use this as an excuse to try somewhere new. Get dressed up, grab your favorite picnic blanket, and prepare to spend an evening soaking in the sounds and the sights. Solo concerts are seriously underrated because you get to truly lose yourself in the music (or see that one artist that you love but none of your friends do)! Be sure to take plenty of pictures and videos to document the experience!
7. Pack a picnic and people-watch
One of the best parts of spring is that people actually start to leave their houses, meaning people-watching season is back. Take the opportunity to get outdoors and pack yourself a picnic, head to your local park, and just observe. Maybe some cuties are passing a football or frisbee, maybe some families are enjoying the weather together, or maybe an older couple is walking hand-in-hand. No matter what you encounter on your excursion, it’s almost guaranteed to restore your faith in humanity and make you smile. Sure, you can bring your book for a little extra entertainment, but chances are that the first days of spring weather will bring everyone else out of their cocoons, and that’s something you don’t want to miss.
8. Start a mini garden
Whether you live in an apartment with a solid windowsill or balcony or you have a home of your own, starting your own little garden is the perfect way to kick off the spring season. You’ll allow yourself to care for something throughout the spring, and you’ll end up with the reward of fresh fruits and veggies as the warm weather continues. If you’re renting an apartment, look into windowsill options or check out some indoor herb gardens that might allow you to grow basil, rosemary, and mint year-round. If you have more space, make a date out of heading to your local nursery and picking out some seeds, soil, and fertilizer. Don’t have much of a green thumb? No problem. You can still make a spring-veggie-inspired date for yourself by signing up for a farm share that you can treat yourself to well into the summertime.
9. Freshen up your home
Sure, spring cleaning may sound like a chore, but it’s one of the most refreshing solo date ideas if you romanticize it enough. There’s nothing quite as luxurious as a clean space that invites you to put your feet up and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Turn on your favorite cleaning playlist, scream-sing along to the songs, light a candle and open the windows when you’re done, and generally enjoy your own company while doing something productive at the same time. Whether you end up swapping out your bedding for something lighter, finally doing that one chore you’ve been putting off all winter (for me, it’s definitely clearing out the refrigerator), or organizing your closet, you’ll end up feeling satisfied, rewarded, and like you did something nice for yourself. And isn’t that what dating yourself is all about, anyway?