FIRST DATE IDEAS
1) A night at the theater
Culture is all but dead in modern society. Why not set yourself apart by getting tickets to a showing of one of Shakespeare’s plays, a stand-up comedy revue, or even a presentation of the opera? (We recommend avoiding Don Giovanni as a first date for a number of reasons.) Not only will your date appreciate the extra thought, but it’ll make you look more sophisticated, too!
2) Do something sporty!
With the average job becoming more sedentary than ever before, people like to get out and move around in their free time. Taking your date for a little physical exercise is a good way for both of you to compete in a friendly fashion and loosen up in a very casual environment. Batting cages, bowling alleys, roller-skating rinks and even miniature golf courses are all good venues for getting to know someone better without expectations. As a bonus, you can see if your date is a sore loser…or winner!
3) Go fishing
For the outdoorsy type, there are few better ways to enjoy someone’s company and alleviate pressure than by wetting a line. Even if you don’t catch anything, or just choose to catch and release, fishing is an excellent relaxation activity that allows for conversation and closeness in the great outdoors. If you do catch something, you can do your own fish fry to top off the day!
4) Attend a museum
Museums are great first-date venues because they are public places chock-full of knowledge and fascinating artifacts. Ask your date what kind of art or ancient societies interest them and plan your day accordingly. For someone who always wanted to be a paleontologist, someplace like the Field Museum in Chicago would be ideal, while the artistic sort would likely enjoy the Guggenheim. Your date is sure to appreciate the extra effort you put into sharing their interests!
5) Be a kid again at the arcade
Taking your date to the arcade is a fun way to show you still have a sense of humor and know how to have good, old-fashioned childlike fun. Playing ski-ball, collecting tickets, and buying frivolous prizes with them is a fairly inexpensive and exciting way to have a good time without any pressure. If you’re really good at the games, you may be able to win that oversize, plush, purple dragon for your date, ensuring she’ll think of you for years to come!
6) Take a spin on go-karts
There are few things better than getting behind the wheel of a go-kart and trying to make the best time on the track. When you have a date, you can add fun and excitement to the race by making a friendly wager. Maybe the loser buys ice cream or the winner gets to decide what kind of pizza you’re having afterward. This is another good first date idea that mingles competition and fun.
7) Create a picnic
This may sound a little corny, but stay with me. Building a picnic lunch with your best gourmet tricks (if you don’t have any, check out this link for some recipes that will help) and her favorite wine shows you have confidence in yourself and your culinary abilities, but also took the time to think about what she would enjoy. Picking out the perfect spot, whether it’s by a duck pond, on top of a cliff, or out in the woods is a good way to get away from it all, enjoy a relaxing time, and get to know each other better.
8) Off to the races!
Horse racing is an exciting pastime and a fun first-date idea. Whether you’re a hard-core track hound or a casual observer, putting down bets and then watching to see if your horses will take the day can be a great way to get to know your date better. Just be careful, because there’s a good chance she might be better at picking the ponies than you are!
9) Do a little stargazing
The nice thing about the stars is, they’re free for anyone to look at. Why not go out away from the light pollution and noise of the city and amaze her Stargazing is a romantic and fun way to spend time together, especially if you tell her that shooting star doesn’t hold a candle to her!
10) Try volunteering
The idea of a first date is to show the size of your heart. Why not spend your first date doing volunteer work? Whether you’re reading to young children or serving up food at a soup kitchen, or even helping with the animals at a shelter, you’re sure to impress her with your civic-mindedness and caring for others. However, if you’re going to do this, make sure it’s a cause you really believe in. There are few things less impressive to a person than the feeling their date is just putting on a show.
11) Listen to live music
What’s more enjoyable than listening to a live band? You don’t need to spend $300 on concert seats, though. Why not check out the local blues joint or the country band playing at your favorite watering hole? If the band’s really good, you might just get a dance or two out of it. The live music will also give you some insights into their musical tastes, which is an important baseline for deciding how compatible you’ll be in other ways!
12) Brave the haunted house
Everyone likes a good scare once in a while, and being scared automatically gets you closer emotionally and physically. Because of this, a haunted house can be a fun first date idea. Just be careful to leave the scaring to the professionals! Your job is to be just as scared as your date is, and to let her hold on to you when she needs to. This is a good way to show your bravery and tenderness.
13) Cook a dinner
Anybody can pick up a phone and make a dinner reservation. It takes real skill to cook well. Why not cook your date’s favorite meal, or a reasonable facsimile of it? With all the food websites and cooking shows around, it’s easy to find good recipes that even a guy who burns water can make. Your date will enjoy the effort, especially if you kick it up a notch by choosing the perfect complementary wine to accompany the meal.
14) Attend a wine tasting
Wine tasting is almost a lost art in our culture, as are most social graces. To impress your date with your old-school sensibilities, why not do something really different and attend a wine tasting together? There’s a good chance you’ll learn a thing or two, and you’ll both have a lot of fun!
15) Go to open-mic poetry
Many people fear public speaking more than they do dying. However, open-mic poetry is a good way to show your more scholarly and sensitive side. Write your own pieces and present them, or find some poems you enjoy that tell your date how you feel. You never know–your date may even have a own poem about you!
16) Go see a parade
Okay, parades aren’t exactly the most common things in the world, but if there’s going to be one in your town, why not attend? Everyone enjoys a parade, and your date will like the fact you thought outside the box.
17) Take a stroll in the park
A walk in the park is a good first date idea because it’s simple and relaxing. What could be better than appreciating the beauty of nature and your date, at the same time? Plus, a walk in the park can be combined with a number of the other first date ideas on this list for a great beginning, or end, to your date!
18) Go antiquing
If your date thinks that older is sometimes better, a visit to the local antiques shop can be a fun and refreshing icebreaker. Keep your eyes peeled for something reasonably priced but memorable to give to your date as a memento of your special day together.
19) Take an art class together
If you and your date enjoy drawing, painting, or any other kind of artistic endeavor, why not take a class together? There are few better gifts you can give than that of knowledge, and an art class may just spark inspiration for one or both you. It may even spark something even deeper.
20) Go on a hike
Much like walking in the park, a hike can be combined with other ideas, such as fishing, picnicking, or stargazing, to create a one-of-a-kind first date experience. Especially if you know a great hiking trail or an awesome overlook, this can be a good way to spend some one on one time without the hustle and bustle of the city getting in the way.
21) Build a teddy bear
Places like Build-a-Bear Workshop are good first date venues because they allow you to indulge a sense of whimsy and show off your inner child a little. Maybe your date likes Star Wars or Harry Potter. This is a fun way to enjoy the other person’s company and create something that’s as unique as your date, and that she can enjoy long after the dates over.
22) Attend a lecture
Many colleges and universities offer lectures that are open to the public on a wide range of topics. Maybe you and your date are both advocates for gender equality, or you both enjoy speculating about the nuances and theoretically underpinnings of faster-than-light travel. An academic lecture is an intellectual first date. It’s excellent for stimulating conversation and interest, both in the topic and each other.
23) Sightseeing
Playing tourist is a fun way to get to know each other and look at your town through new eyes.
24) Go to the carnival
What’s more awesome than attending an old-school carnival? Play for prizes, hit the rides, go through the House of Mirrors, and see who can eat the most funnel-cake!
25) Go paddle-boating
For a more relaxing date, rent a tandem paddle boat at your nearest lake and spend a lazy afternoon exploring! (Pro tip: This goes great with snack foods like cupcakes!)
26) Take a drive
Finding something new is always a good way to spend time together. Taking a drive in a direction neither of you usually goes can give you new sights to see and new places to stop and see what’s going on. You might even find the perfect restaurant to cap off the day.
27) Take a swim
Find the nearest swimming pool, lake, or river and jump in. If you really want to get creative, pick up a new bathing suit that tells your date how you feel about them!
28) Go skiing
For the outdoor enthusiast, nothing says wintertime fun like whizzing down a mountain on a blanket of fresh powder. Just make sure the run you choose matches both of your skill levels!
29) Go running
For a healthy and fun first date, take a jog or a run together. Try new paths, look for wildlife, and stop for an ice cream or a coffee afterward!
30) Watch the sun rise
While some people may not consider this a good first-date idea, you’ll get bonus points for creativity and thinking outside the box. Even better, you can surprise your date with breakfast and early-morning conversation!
ROMANTIC DATE IDEAS
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Learn to dance
Nothing brings two people together quite like dancing. Plenty of studios offer classes for first-timers, and couples, and we suggest trying a form of dance new to both of you like salsa or ballroom. Doesn’t worry about getting the steps perfect, either, just have fun with it.
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Rent a bicycle for two
Instead of any old biking excursion, rent a tandem bicycle for a chance to get in sync, practice teamwork, and yes, get some exercise in too.
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Take a pottery class
We may have watched Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze classic “Ghost” one too many times, but there’s something utterly romantic about getting a little messy and creating pottery together as a couple.
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Wander a bookstore
Wander the aisles of your favorite neighborhood bookstore, pick up books that seem interesting, grab a spot in a corner on the floor, and unwind together reading and chatting. Looking for a conversation starter? Head to the travel section and start talking about your dream trips.
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Find a fireplace
Let’s be honest, there’s nothing sexier than an evening spent by the fire, sipping wine. Don’t have a fireplace in your home to cozy up next to? Head to a hotel bar for the same effect.
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Take a spin on a Ferris wheel
Research has found that adrenaline-spiked activities mirror the feeling of falling in love, which might explain why this will have such a big impact. So head to a state fair or an amusement park, stat.
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Volunteer with animals
Visit your local animal shelter to hang out with puppies for day, to get that much-needed cute fix. Or head to TheShelterPetProject.org to sign up for opportunities to regularly walk dogs. Volunteering as a couple will make it even more special.
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Head to the spa for a couples treatment
Guys can feel intimidated by a day at the spa, but trust us, once you get them there, they will thank you (probably multiple times). Sign up for a couples treatment like a massage or a mud wrap and look for spas with amenities like a dry sauna or a whirlpool to stretch the date into a whole day.
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Rent a romantic movie
Sure, it’s a bit of a cliché date, but it has that reputation for a reason, you can’t go wrong. Go for a classic (our go-to is “Casablanca”), snuggle up on the couch next to each other, and get in the mood for romance.
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Stargaze together
Download The Night Sky app so you know what you are looking at, place a blanket on the ground, and look at the Big Dipper together, before abandoning the pretense and just making out.
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Play a game of Twister
Sometimes a little bit of a fun is just what the doctor ordered to get the romance started. Twister is a great place to start. When his hand is on red and your leg is on green, the sparks are sure to fly.
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Plan a picnic
Even if you are just in your backyard, plan a picnic complete with a blanket and snacks, and spend the afternoon relaxing. Because seriously, what is sexier than feeding each other grapes while hanging out, outside.
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Plan a guessing date
Present your significant other with a sealed enveloped filled with hints about your upcoming date like movie tickets, a confirmation of a hotel getaway, or a recipe for a meal. Don’t give too much away to keep your special someone excited and guessing.
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Play around-the-world cocktails
Don’t just stick to one bar on your night out, sample one specialty drink from a wine bar, one from a pub, and another from a Russian vodka room, to keep the excitement going, and the conversation flowing.
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Bring the room service experience home
Who doesn’t love room service in bed when visiting a hotel? Do a twist on the room service experience, and plan a gourmet meal from the comfort of bed.
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Go glamping (even in your backyard)
Glam camping—aka “glamping”— is all the rage, but it also makes for one romantic date. Pitch a tent (you can even do this indoors), get a lot of pillows and throws, and pretend you’re far away from home.
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Create a fragrance together
Scientists have said for some time that scent plays a huge role in whether you fall in love with someone. So why not create your own perfume or cologne together? Look up recipes for scents online, or take a class together.
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Rent a paddle boat or canoe
Head to your local lake or river and rent a paddle boat or canoe. What could be more romantic than spending the day together on the water?
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Plan a beach day
What is it about the beach and romance? Frolic on the sand together, put sunscreen on each other’s backs, take a dip in the water. It is a guaranteed fun time.
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Practice your golf swing
Spend some time at the driving range working on your golf swing. Hey, having that special someone help you work on your swing is the ultimate romance move, if we do say so. Grab a drink afterwards for more one-on-one time.
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The power outage date
Pretend like the power went out, and spend the whole night by candlelight. Conversation? Candles? What could be more romantic than that.
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Take a romantic drive
Every town has one—that special spot with a view where couple’s gravitate towards to park, listen to love songs, and get hot ‘n heavy in the backseat. So take a drive.
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Stay up all night and watch the sunrise together
When was the last time the two of you caught a sunrise? Check the time online at SunriseSunset. comand set your alarm. Grab a thermos of coffee, a blanket, and enjoy the calm of the morning together.
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Feed each other fondue
It really doesn’t get sexier than feeding each other chocolate dipped strawberries. Seek out a fondue themed restaurant near you, or plan a fondue evening for the two of you at home.
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Take a great yoga class together
Looking for something both romantic and athletic to do together? Why not take a loving yoga class together…
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Plan a split date
Rather than arguing about what you are going to do on a date, why not split the planning and tailor one-half to each of you. The thought put into it will make you both feel special, no matter what you end up doing.
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Take a long, one way, and walk
The only rule is that you have to walk for a really long time and in one direction. Once you get tired take a cab or a bus back!
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Play in the rain
This won’t be a date that you can plan in advance unfortunately, but should it start raining outside, embrace it, give up control, and have fun dancing in the rain together.
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Learn a romantic foreign language
French, Italian, Spanish, and many others, simply sound romantic. Take an intro-class together for a language that neither of you speak, nor practice whispering sweet nothings into each other’s ears, in a new language!
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Have a “finger foods only”
Don’t plan just any dinner, plan a finger foods only dinner (think items like strawberries, mini quiche, sushi rolls, you get the idea) so you can feed each other.
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Host a book club for two
Get two copies of the same book, and take turns reading it to each other, while discussing it as you go along!
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Find an international grocery store and browse the aisles
Cooking always makes for a great date night activity. Give the cooking date a spin, heading to a nearby international grocery store, so you can experiment with new recipes and ingredients.
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Make a bucket list together
Spend the evening making a bucket list together. Then on future dates, you can begin to check off activities that you are both dying to try.
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Draw sketches of one another
It doesn’t matter if neither of you are great at drawing; it’s the thought that counts. And the final product will make for one very special memento of the day spent together.
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Plan a one-on-one photo shoot
Head to a local spot you both love (a local monument, the beach, you get the idea) and spend the day photographing each other.