No one wants to be that person, the one who does the same thing day in and day out and never has any interesting or exciting ideas. The fun activities in this list will keep all your friends guessing and wondering what you’ll suggest next. So, If you’re wondering, “What should I do today?” Don’t think about it too much; just pick one of these spontaneous things to do today.
Exciting Days Out at the Drop of a Hat
1. Road Trip
Grab your keys and anyone else in the house and jump in the car. Pick a direction and start driving.
You don’t need to have a destination in mind; drive and explore somewhere new. Then, make a weekend trip out of it. Find a town with a BnB or motel, or bring a tent and stop at a campsite.
Look out for restaurants on the way or stop at a store somewhere to buy supplies. There’s just one rule: it must be somewhere you’ve never been before.
Remember to grab these before you leave.
- Snacks & drinks for the road
- Road trip playlist
- Camera
- Family or friends
2. Get on A Random Bus
If you take the bus every day, this might not feel very spontaneous, but if you rarely take the bus, it can be fun to hop on the next one that passes and see where it goes. Who knows, it might take you by a bar you never knew was there or go by a friend’s house and stop in for an unexpected visit. Don’t call them first.
Something fun you can do alone, let your intuition tell you when to get off, and you can enjoy the ride even if it doesn’t go anywhere interesting.
3. Day Trip to a Brewery or Winery
A day trip to a brewery or winery is not just a jolly day out, but it’s a memory you can keep forever (as long as you don’t drink too much!)
Check Google for breweries or wineries near you. You could take a day to walk around vineyards and try wine tasting if it’s summer. Otherwise, head to a local brewery and ‘taste’ some craft beer.
4. Find Live Music
In the age of Spotify, live music doesn’t seem as available as it once was. But with a little googling, you can find a bar or club somewhere to listen to live music.
Going out to listen to live music is an experience; it will make the whole day more memorable, especially if you go with friends. One of the best things to do at night might be a high school band or a cool jazz club. Whatever music you find will be more exciting than listening to another playlist on your phone.
Free Things to Do Today
5. Be a Kid Again: Play on a Playground
When was the last time you sat on the swings or went down a slide? Find your local playground and recover that feeling of freedom you had when you were a kid.
Take a friend with you if you don’t want to feel crazy, and it’s best to wait till the kids have all left the park, or you might get some looks from the parents there!
But if it’s evening and you want something to do with a friend, playing in a playground is a free way to be spontaneous.
6. Hiking
If you’re a regular trekker or just love hiking and climbing mountains, this may not seem so spontaneous, but if you’re not outdoorsy, suggesting a hike might shock your friends.
7. Geocaching
Geocaching is a fantastic new hobby that gen z has gotten into. It’s a mix of treasure hunting and Pokemon Go.
This is how it works. First, caches are hidden worldwide, and you must find them in real life using the Geocaching app. Then, you can open it up when you find one to see what’s inside. Usually, they contain a log book for you to sign, but they may also include other cool things.
The app guides you to the cache, but it might be hard to reach, so bring your hiking boots!
You can download the app for iOS or Android in the app stores.
8. Take a Walk in Nature
When you spend most of your time inside or in a large city, you forget how healing nature can be. No matter where you are, you’re never too far from nature. It might mean a drive into the countryside or a bike ride down to a local park, but it will be worth it.
Don’t overthink it, just grab your coat and walk out the door.
9. Head to the Beach
How far is the beach from you? A flight? A train ride? Could you be standing in the ocean or on golden beaches before sunset?
Spontaneous Activities to Do at Home
10. Make Cocktails
This is the perfect thing to do on a rainy day! Open up your cupboards and rummage around your liquor cabinets. If you don’t find many bottles, head to your nearest liquor store and pick up a few.
Once you have them back home, look online for which cocktails you can make with what you have.
11. Look Up: Stargazing
You don’t need a telescope or any equipment to do some stargazing. Just go out at night and look up.
If you want to avoid taking a trip to an observatory or planetarium, download an app that will tell you precisely what you’re looking at.
Stellarium is a great app that overlays the constellations over a live view on your phone or tablet screen. So you can line up the stars you see with what’s on the screen and map the stars.
12. Find a New Cuisine
Have you ever eaten Laotian food? How about Albanian cuisine? If you live in a big city, you’ll be surprised at how diverse the restaurant scene is. Ask your friends on social media to recommend a new cuisine.
If you live in a small town, there might be little choice, but you still have options. Youtube has many videos showing you how to make food from anywhere in the world.
So be impulsive, decide on a country by pointing at a map and dine halfway across the world tonight for a unique experience.
13. Speak to Random People Online
Apps like Omegle give you a spontaneous experience in the comfort of your home. The app will connect you with random strangers. Who knows what you’ll talk about?
You could be talking about music with one person and a minute later in a political debate with the next person.
14. Take a Language Lesson
You don’t need to commit to becoming fluent in a language to try out a lesson online. Apps like italki make it possible to book a language lesson at the drop of a hat.
Why not learn Swahili for the next hour or Thai? Most teachers offer trial classes, too, so you don’t need to spend much.
Even if you don’t continue learning the language, you get to speak to someone from the other side of the world for an afternoon.
15. Buy Fireworks
There are few things more impulsive than telling your friends to get in your car because you’re going to buy some fireworks.
Of course, you need to be safe and follow local laws concerning fireworks, but there’s nothing more fun than sitting in the backyard with your friends and creating your own impromptu fireworks display after a good meal and some drinks.
Fun Things to Do With Kids
16. Bowling
Going to the bowling alley isn’t really about bowling, which is why no one ever goes alone. Instead, it’s about having a good time with your friends, ordering drinks and chicken wings, and hoping no one notices how low your score is.
17. Ice Skating
When was the last time you put your skates on and got out on the ice? Tell your friends to bundle into the car and drive them to the ice rink. Whether you can skate or not, skating with friends will make a memorable activity.
18. Trampoline Park
I never realized that there are trampoline parks for adults now. A friend of mine took me one day, and I had a blast. Bouncing around a trampoline park will remind you of being a kid and will make for an enjoyable day out.
19. Zoo
The zoo might seem like an obvious day out, but how often does anyone actually go to the zoo? It’s not just one of the best things for kids to do. A slow stroll around and seeing the animals makes a fun first-date idea.
20. Theme Park
I’ve never lived near a theme park, but the days we drove for hours to visit one were always magical. You can’t beat a day spent on rides and rollercoasters. One of the most spontaneous things you can do for a child is to wake up and tell them they’re going to a theme park today.
21. Find an Arcade
Your kids probably get enough screen time playing video games already, but there’s something different about visiting an arcade and playing the games there.
Somewhere Educational
- Aquarium
- Museum
- Art Gallery
- Nature Center
- Botanical Gardens
- Planetarium
