Devin J
Are you tired of first dates that end with awkward side hugs and vague promises to “do this again sometime”? Fear not, you true romantic. We’ve compiled 30 first-date ideas that’ll have your potential soulmate agreeing to a second date without ghosting you right after the first. Although the results may vary, the side effects could include uncontrollable laughter and mild embarrassment.
Cook Together
Forget candlelit dinners at fancy restaurants. Instead, attempt to cook a gourmet meal together. This activity provides plenty of opportunities for conversation and can be a great way to discover shared tastes and preferences. Plus, if you both succeed without calling the fire department, you’ll have a great story for your wedding toast.
Take a City Bus Tour
Who needs a private chauffeur when you can have a chatty bus driver and a group of confused tourists? Hop on a city bus tour and pretend you’re a sophisticated traveler exploring a new city. It’s a great way to learn new facts about your surroundings and spark interesting conversations about history, architecture, and local culture.
Introduce Them To A Hobby You Love
Have you always wanted to share your passion for competitive dog grooming or extreme ironing? Now’s your chance. Introducing your date to an activity you’re passionate about can provide insight into your personality and interests. Nothing says “relationship material” like enthusiastically explaining the intricacies of your obscure hobby while your date nods politely, wondering what they’ve gotten themselves into.
Visit a Street Fair Together
Street fairs offer a lively atmosphere with plenty to see, do, and taste. Think about browsing artisan crafts or trying local foods while dodging children hopped up on cotton candy. It provides numerous conversation starters and shared experiences. You can try your luck at rigged carnival games and bond over how much you dislike sketchy rides.
Try Mini-Golf or Bowling
Want to show off without actually breaking a sweat? Mini-golf and bowling are fantastic for displaying your “skills” while maintaining an air of playful competition. Remember, if you bowl a perfect game or get a hole-in-one on every hole, your date might suspect you of being a secret pro (or an excellent cheater).
Rent Scooters Around the City
If available in your area, renting scooters can be a unique way to explore the city. The rides are adventurous and allow you to cover more ground than walking. If you make it back in one piece after dodging and steering around potholes, you’ll have plenty to laugh about over your second date… at a nice, safe coffee shop.
Go on a Street Art Tour
Impress your date with your knowledge of local street art. Can’t tell a Banksy from a toddler’s sidewalk chalk drawing? No one’s gonna tell. You can explore urban creativity, discuss art, and get to know different neighborhoods in your area. Your creativity might land you a reputation as the neighborhood’s most imaginative art critic.
Try an Escape Room
Escape rooms provide an exciting challenge that requires teamwork and communication. It’s a great way to see how well you problem-solve together, and it can be fun and adrenaline-pumping. Plus, if you can’t figure out how to escape, you’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other.
Visit an Animal Shelter
For animal lovers, visiting a local shelter can be a heartwarming experience. Warning: This date presents a high risk of adopting 12 cats and naming them all after your favorite TV show characters. On the bright side, if the date goes south for some reason, at least you’ll have some furry friends to console you.
Attend a Local Comedy Show
They say laughter is the best medicine, so why not overdose on it at a local comedy show? Laughing together is an excellent opportunity to gauge your date’s sense of humor. Although, if they laugh harder at the heckler than the comedian, you might want to reconsider that second date.
Visit a Trampoline Park
Suggesting a trip to a trampoline park says, “I’m fun and not concerned about embarrassing myself.” Think of it as a fun and energetic date option; playful, it gets your heart rate up and can lead to lots of laughter. You get to show off your sweet moves or at least your ability to fall gracefully.
Go on a Photo Scavenger Hunt
Create a list of quirky things to photograph around town and compete to see who can snap them all first. It’s like Pokémon GO, but instead of catching virtual monsters, you capture memories (and hopefully your date’s heart). Just try not to get arrested for trespassing in your quest for the perfect shot.
Attend a Local Food Festival
Food brings people together. Attending a local food festival and sampling cuisines from around the world is a great way to learn about each other’s tastes and see how adventurous your date is willing to be. Pro tip: Save the ultra-spicy ghost pepper challenge for the third date. We’d hate to say we told you so.
Take a Sunset Kayak or Paddleboard Tour
This is a great way to enjoy nature, exercise, and have some quiet moments together. Plus, the beautiful scenery provides a perfect backdrop for conversation—or comfortable silences. Bring a waterproof phone case, though, because you’ll want to capture that golden hour glow (and not just for the gram).
Visit an Arcade or Board Game Café
Challenge your date to a retro gaming showdown or a strategic board game battle. It’s a great way to bring out your competitive side and see how they handle defeat (or victory). If you let them win, remember you might have to keep up the charade for the entire relationship. Choose wisely.
Visit an Interactive Museum or Science Center
Who says first dates have to be all wine and roses? A hands-on museum or science center can tap into your curiosity and spark interesting conversations about the displayed topics. You can also compete to see who can launch the most ping pong balls or get the most confusing looks from other visitors.
Do a Food Truck Crawl
Instead of the typical dinner date, indulge in a series of questionable-looking (but delicious) delicacies. It’s an opportunity to try new foods, discuss flavors and preferences, and enjoy a casual atmosphere. Make sure to pack some antacids, just in case. The thrill of the unknown is part of the fun.
Visit a Rooftop Bar with Breathtaking City Views
Take your date to new heights by visiting a rooftop bar with sweeping city views. Enjoying beverages while taking in the view can create a romantic and memorable atmosphere. You can bond over your mutual fear of heights and appreciate your surroundings together. Don’t forget to take plenty of photos.
Take a Helicopter Tour of the City
Want to really wow your date? Book a helicopter tour and soar high above the city streets. It’s the perfect opportunity to hold hands and gaze adoringly into each other’s eyes. Plus, you get to see the city in a new light. One thing, though, is to try not to get your lunch all over your freshly pressed shirt.
Attend a Live Sports Event
Like food, a good old-fashioned sports rivalry brings people together. Grab tickets to a big game and see how your date handles the thrill of victory or the agony of losing. It is more fun if you can coordinate matching jerseys and start a wave in the stands. It is an energetic and exciting date option.
Take a Mixology Class and Craft Your Own Cocktails
Explore new flavors, techniques, and creativity, all while enjoying delicious drinks. Learn to muddle, shake, and strain your way to cocktail perfection. Or, you may end up making a complete mess and with something that tastes like hand sanitizer. Either way, you will have a spirited (pun intended) time.
Challenge Each Other to a Paintball Or Laser Tag Match
For the more adventurous couples, a friendly competition in paintball or laser tag can be thrilling and get the adrenaline flowing. Release your competitive side and see if you make a good “partner in crime”—or sworn enemies. The side effects of taking this too seriously are a black eye and a bruised ego.
Visit a Spooky House
Exploring the paranormal can be an exciting experience for those who enjoy a bit of spookiness. Visit a haunted place or take a ghost tour and see how your date handles getting spooked. Will they cling to you in terror, or will they be the ones jumping out to scare you?
Go on a Rollercoaster Ride
Riding rollercoasters can be an exciting first-date activity. Your face transforms from anticipation to terror as you swoop down a 200-foot drop, hurtling through the air at breakneck speeds, and clinging to each other for dear life. But the excitement of facing your fears together could spark something off. So, why not?
Visit a Tarot Card Reader
Want to get a glimpse into your shared destiny? Visit a local tarot card reader and let them divine the secrets of your love life. Taken seriously or lightheartedly, be prepared for a reading more “doomed to a lifetime of solitude” than “happily ever after.” At least you’ll have a story to tell your friends afterward.
Ride a Hot Air Balloon
Remember to bring a selfie stick for those “we’re on top of the world” shots for this date—because if you don’t post it on social media, did the date even happen? Plus, you’ll get major points for originality. After all, how many people can say their first date involved debating if clouds taste like cotton candy?
Hit a Karaoke Bar
What better way to break the ice than singing your heart out before a crowd of strangers? It doesn’t matter if you’re a secret superstar or more of a shower singer. Karaoke night is a surefire way to connect over your mutual love of (or perhaps disdain for) public humiliation.
Go Dancing
Hitting the dance floor is a classic first-date move, but only if you’re not scared of looking like a newborn giraffe learning to walk. Who knows, your partner might even find your complete lack of coordination endearing. Or they’ll just spend the entire night pretending not to know who you are.
Hang Out at a Bookstore
The aisles of your local bookshop are a low-key setting that allows for comfortable conversation and the potential to discover new authors or genres together. Bonus points if you can work your favorite book into casual conversation and use it as a litmus test for relationship potential.
Take a Walk
Sometimes, the simplest date ideas are the best. Go for a stroll around your neighborhood or a local park. It’s the perfect chance to get to know each other without the distractions of activity or venue. Stick to safe topics, like your favorite types of trees or which cloud formations you find the most aesthetically pleasing.
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