19 Things To Do Instead Of Prom

Prom shmom. Do what makes you happy!

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Prom can be a great experience, but for some it may not seem that fun. It can be stressful, expensive, and too rigid. There's a lot of pressure for prom night to be the best night ever. For those who feel like they may not be welcomed, or who simply don't think the idea of prom seems that great, here are 19 badass things you can do instead of prom.

1. Go out to Dinner with Friends

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One of the most iconic parts of prom is the opportunity for students to dress up and have a formal night out on the town to celebrate the end of the year. However, a night out and prom are not mutually exclusive. You and a date or you and a few friends could decide to dress up and go to a nice restaurant in town and if it happens to be the same night as prom so be it.

2. Go to a Concert

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One of the complaints many people have about prom is that the music does not vibe with their personal taste. If this sounds like you, maybe you should figure out what artists are playing venues near you on prom night. It doesn't have to be a large arena where tickets could be upwards of $200. Maybe it's just a small local venue where one of your favorite local artists is playing. Plus, there's always the opportunity of meeting people with the same tastes or interests as you when you go to a concert.

3. See a Movie

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Maybe there’s a movie coming out that you want to see. Maybe there’s a local theater that is replaying a classic. Either way, you and some friends or you and a date could have an awesome time watching movies you love.

4. Pamper Yourself

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Prom also coincides with the end of the school year. For juniors this means the beginning of the college application process, finals, and possibly AP or IB tests. For seniors this means selecting a college, final tests and projects, AP and IB tests for some, and adjusting to the change that is happening in your life. Either way, it’s a stressful time. What better way to ease some of that stress than to take a day to pamper yourself? Sleep in late, eat a healthy breakfast, and then either go to a spa, or do a home spa day using all of those DIY resources out there.

5. Have a Pool Party

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Prom season is about the same time that the weather starts to heat up. Maybe you couldn’t find the perfect prom dress. Maybe you have that great swimsuit you got on sale at the end of the season you haven’t gotten to wear yet, and this is the perfect time to bring it out again! Go swimming with some friends! Have a diving competition, see who can hold their breath the longest, you could even be über cliche (appropriate for prom night) and play marco polo.

6. Go Bowling

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Bowling can be a lot of fun, especially when you go with friends, and it’s not nearly as expensive as prom. Many bowling alleys have cosmic bowling with neon lights and play uptempo pop music. Make up silly nicknames for the name spots and have fun bowling.

7. Play Mini-Golf

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Mini-golfing can also be super fun! Maybe get little prizes for the person or people who end up having the best scores. If you go mini-golfing with a date, make a bet between the two of you where the looser has to do something funny or embarrassing.

8. Go to an Amusement Park

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Many amusement parks are starting to open up for the summer season. Take this opportunity to enjoy the warm weather outside with some friends or a date. You can ride all of the rides and you’ll actually be able to hear each other talking, unlike on the dance floor at prom.

9. Have a Bonfire

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What better way to kick off the summer than a bonfire? It’s a great way to get some of the sentimentality of prom without all of the structure and rigidity that comes along with prom. Maybe your bonfire is on a beach, near the lake, or in your backyard. Either way, I have two words for you: BACON S’MORES!

10. Have a Retro Night

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Maybe you decide to dress up like it’s the 50s again and go to a drive in movie and then the local diner. Maybe you dress up like it’s the 20s and Charleston the night away. Who knows? You and a date or some friends can have a great time recreating a night out in a different era. All the fun of a prom theme without all the cheesy-ness of a prom theme.

11. Go Camping

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Maybe you just want to get away for prom weekend. Take a few friends and leave Friday night. Spend Saturday and Sunday making your own way in the wilderness. Prom? What’s prom? We went swimming, had a bonfire, made s’mores, cooked burgers, and got in tune with nature.

12. Go to the Beach or Lake

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Chances are good that there is a beach or lake close to you. You could grab a date or your friends and head to the beach for a midnight swim. It’s a memory that you’ll never forget.

13. Go to Your Favorite Bookstore for the Day

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Some people who are on the more introverted side might dread prom. There’s nothing wrong with that. Knowing yourself and your preferences has never been a bad thing. Maybe instead you spend your day in your favorite bookstore looking at all of the books. Wake up in the morning, put on your comfiest clothes, get coffee from your favorite coffee shop and then head to the bookstore. Spend all day perusing all of the books, spend the night reading all of the best books that you found.

14. Take a Mini Trip to Another City or Town

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Have you explored the next town or city over? Gather friends or a date and check out the other town for the day. See what there is to see. Do some people watching. Ask the locals where the best places to eat are and try them for lunch and dinner.

15. Watch the Sunset

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Have you taken time to explore the simple things in life lately? Maybe you need to stop and smell the metaphorical roses. Plan to do something you enjoy for the day and then take a moment or two out to watch the sunset and take in the beauty of the world.

16. Have a Blanket Fort Movie Marathon

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Blanket forts were the best. Make another one, with some fairy lights and some sheets. Then set up a movie viewing vestibule. Proceed to have an awesome movie marathon. Maybe have each of your friends bring their favorite movie, or set up a theme for the night with your date.

17. Be a Kid for a Day Again

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Prom stresses acting like an adult, but some of us just want to be kids again. Have a sleepover with friends the night before prom and then spend all day in your pajamas watching favorite childhood television shows, play childhood board games, or games like frogger, heads up seven up, duck duck grey duck, etc. You could have your favorite childhood foods for lunch and dinner.

18. Try Something New

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We all have ideas of things that we want to do, but never get around to doing. Take this day to do one of those things. Maybe you want to take a cooking class. Maybe you want to learn how to play an instrument, speak a new language, or take professional looking photographs. None of these are things that can be completely finished in a day, but that means you get to have other days where you have fun doing this thing again.

19. Play a Sport

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Maybe you like being active, but dancing really just isn’t your thing. Get some friends and go play that sport! Plus now that spring has sprung, you can probably play outside. Or challenge a date to a game. Who knows what could happen?

Go forth and have an awesome prom or non-prom night!

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