Skip the Sitter: 6 great family date night ideas

Long summer days are the perfect invitation for nighttime outings. While date nights usually are meant for just mom and dad, consider these alternatives for family fun this summer:

Campout at Lincoln Park Zoo

Sleep under the stars along with the sea lions, sheep and swans. Lincoln Park Zoo offers four campout evenings (July 11, July 25, Aug. 8 and Aug. 14) where families can pitch a tent and set up a campsite within the zoo grounds. The campout is intended for families with children 5-12. A zoo educator leads visits to the zoo animals and activity stations, and ends the evening with a campfire and s’mores. The morning wake-up call from the flamingos, gibbons and lions will be like nothing your family has experienced before.

Picnic at Millennium Park

Break out that picnic basket and blanket and head down to Millennium Park. Along with the stunning skyline view and taking photos at “the Bean,” it’s the perfect place to soak up all that is great about Chicago in the summer. For music lovers, pick from either the summer music series on Monday and Thursday evenings or classical concerts through the Grant Park Music Festival June-August. If movies are your family’s thing, take a trip on a Tuesday night for the summer film series on the state-of-the-art 40-foot LED screen. Whether you go for the indie rock, jazz or your favorite movie, it will be an evening your family will remember.

Sky High Sports

Bounce off the walls and all around as a family at Sky High Sports, with locations in Naperville and Niles. Between the trampoline floors and trampoline walls, your family can literally bounce out all your energy together. Kids will flip out seeing mom and dad take a few leaps (and falls). Every Thursday is family night from 5-9 p.m. at the Naperville location, and both locations are open late most evenings.

Cascade Drive-In

Take the whole family back in time with a drive-in movie experience. West Chicago’s Cascade Drive-In has an authentic feel with new high-tech advantages of digital projection in the comfort of your car. It offers a full-service food concession stand as well as a picnic area with grills available for making your own food. Kids under 5 and pets are free, so it really can be an entire family event under the stars!

Cyprus Cove Family Aquatic Park

Water parks aren’t just for kids anymore, and the bayou-themed Cyprus Cove has plenty of fun to offer adults. With more than seven acres of activity, this Woodridge water park offers a zero depth pool, a giant spray playground, a beach-like sandbox and three huge water slides. Plus, families can float around the 600-foot lazy river on inner tubes to relax. With reduced admission after 5 p.m., Cyprus Cove is a great place for families to splish and splash on a warm summer night.

Cosmic Bowling at Waveland Bowl

When you need to beat the summer heat, head indoors with your family for glow-in-the-dark bowling. Eight times a week, Waveland offers cosmic bowling with black lights, fog machines, music and disco balls. With a full bar for the adults and kiddie cocktails for the kiddies, get out there to roll some strikes and spares.