Here you are, standing in front of your mirror, trying on different shirts to find just the right one for your date next week.
You may find a favorite outfit to wear easier than coming up with a date idea.
Picking an activity can be challenging, as the go to dinner and movie is not always everyone’s idea of a fun date.
Normally, most first dates are a “get to know you” date.
Going to the movies is not always a good choice if you want to be able to talk to your date.
You also want to meet in a public location, especially if you met your date online.
Do not plan a private, romantic interlude for a first date unless you already know the person well, and even then, if it isn’t their idea, save the romantic trips for a special occasion.
One of the things I’d recommend is going on a “pre” date with the person to get to know them to make sure you want to take the time to have that awesome first date to impress them.
Grab a cup of coffee and walk around for a while, make sure you both seem to enjoy each other’s company enough to go on a date where you spend more money and time getting ready.
The worst that can happen with a pre-date cup of coffee, is you finish your coffee and have an excuse to bail early if it’s not working out for the two of you.
Classic First Date Ideas
This is a list of “normal” first dates, as the list goes on, we’ll get more creative by theme if regular ideas aren’t what you were looking for.
1. A quiet bar that serves food. This is a great place to take a first date. It’s quiet, comfortable, the atmosphere is conducive to having a private conversation, and if you feel like having a drink or two, you’ll have your pick of liquor.
2. A fancy steak or seafood restaurant. This is great for the girl next door who likes meat and seafood as much as the next person. It’s pricier, but it shows the girl that you think she’s worth more than a McDonalds burger. Make sure you ask if she or he eats meat, and isn’t allergic to seafood before making a reservation though.
3. Going to play pool. If neither of you are in the mood for a meal, playing pool is a great way to hang out, drink a couple of beers, and get to know each other better while engaging in some friendly competition.
4. Have brunch instead of dinner. Sometimes breakfast food and that perfect cup of coffee is a great way to spend some quality time together without having added pressure.
5. Go the zoo. Sometimes furry cute animals is a great way to bond, and you’ll have plenty to talk about while you walk around the large park. Most zoo’s have a place to stop for lunch or get ice-cream. You could finish it off with buying her a stuffed animal of her favorite animal that she saw that day.
6. If you don’t feel like spending a ton of money on a first date, hiking or the beach/lake is a great option. This works exceptionally well for those who like the outdoors and are athletic with an interest in nature or getting some sun.
7. If you are both into fine dining or wining, hitting up a brewery tour, or wine tasting is a good option. There’s very little pressure and you guys can relax and enjoy figuring out what you have in common. Starting with what you like to drink.
8. If you absolutely must see a movie for your first date consider going to the drive in, rather than a crowded movie theatre. There’s something to be said for sitting in your car in comfort where you guys can hold hands if the mood strikes and you don’t have to worry about a stranger playing footie with you on accident.
9. Going to a carnival or fair has always been a favorite first date among the younger crowd. A nice gigantic Ferris wheel can be rather appealing to sit and talk as you slowly get to look over the whole theme park, as long as you make sure your date isn’t terrified of heights.
10. You can always go to a club and go dancing. Sometimes that hot sweaty evening can be fun, although it doesn’t usually lead to meaningful conversation when you can’t hear each other above the loud music.
Geeky First Date Ideas
As a fellow gamer geek, I’ve always wanted to go to Blizzcon, and if I lived in Cali, I’d have been at least once! Some of my favorite memories as a teenager were hitting up the gaming cafe’s with my friends and playing first person shooters. I never would have turned down a date to shoot some people. If a guy asked me to do that, it showed he understood who I really was, and showed me we had something in common.
11. A space museum would be an awesome first date, especially if you got to participate in any flight simulators. It would be pretty cool to get to experience firsthand what astronauts get to do!
12. Blizzcon is about as geeky as you can get, nothing like celebrating World of Warcraft in person. See the new expansions or other goodies that are coming out, sadly this one has to be planned in advanced and you’d probably have had to pre-order your tickets to take your geek-date to this! But it’s definitely one that will make a lasting impression!
13. Go to a Internet Cafe and have a gamer first date by setting up your laptops, or borrow their gaming PC’s and play your favorite games together. Don’t forget to pack a Monster or RedBull!
14. Dress up in your favorite cosplay costume and hit up a local event together. You can even coordinate outfits if you have enough warning to put something awesome together! For a first date, if you are both geeky, this can be an awesome memory you could make together.
15. You could got to a park for your first date, which leads you to wonderful conversation and a little exercise before you settle down to play a game of chess. Or pack your own board games and a blanket . You could have a picnic for the finale!
16. Another great choice is hitting up a local coffee shop, or diner and bring your dungeons and dragons set! This may be a great first date especially if you bring friends on a double date to add more partners to your dungeons and dragons came.
17. There are still many old fashioned arcades that still exist, and if you want to go back to the 80’s and early 90’s, take your date to go play air hockey and Pac Man on the old machines. They usually still take quarters, so make sure you bring change with you!
18. Laser tag is also a fun choice and available most cities. Nothing like shooting your date to show him or her your awesome nerd skills! After running around, you can stop for pizza or ice cream to finish off the fun.
19. Find a convention that’s going on locally that would interest the both of you and take him or her there for your first date! It will give you something in common to talk about to help keep awkward silence from happening.
20. Hit up a Renaissance Fair, pull out the poofy skirts, tight leather pants or kilts and corsets. Sometimes dress up can be a lot of fun, and if your date is a geeky-type who enjoys grownup versions of dress up, this can be the best first date.
Athletic First Dates
Do us all a favor and make sure you and your potential date actually like the same sports or other athletic activities. Nothing beats being invited to a football, only to hate it and sit there with a book in your face trying to pretend you had a good time… If only they’d invited me to baseball. Baseball I love!
21. You find out what sport you guys enjoy in common, and taking them out to a sports game can be an awesome first date. Don’t forget to bring your jersey and some face paint.
22. Hockey games are brutal and intense, but sometimes they can be a great first date if you have a game locally to take your date too. Make sure your date enjoys watching a little puck fly through the air and the potential broken bones and falls on the ice. You could always skip the ice hockey and take in a ice skating show instead.
23. Hiking can be fun, and you can back a picnic for when you reach the top. There are often some really beautiful sites, like Harney Peak in South Dakota that is a few hour walk and can be an enjoyable trip to the top.
24. Go 4-Wheeling! 4-Wheeling through open fields, on a warm summer day, through mud puddles and getting dirty can be a unique idea if your person in question is the more outdoorsy type.
25. Play some sports. If you are going to date a high-energy athletic type person, a good first date choice might be asking them to do their sport in question, whether it’s lifting weights, hitting up the gym, or a two mile run along the beach. Proving you can keep up with them could give you an in for date #2.
26. Go golfing. That’s right, even if you don’t have access to a fancy country club, there are many golf courses that are open to the public for a fee, and you can always take in miniature golf if you don’t feel like playing all 18 holes.
27. Go to the beach and play volleyball, or hit up a tennis court. If the weather is horrible you can always find an indoor racquetball court instead. Exercise is a great way to bond, and if your date is the athletic kind, they’ll appreciate your willingness to do physical activities
28. Rock climbing is an extremely challenging sport, but you can start small by taking your date to a climbing gym with easier climbs if you aren’t ready to hit up a big rock yet. This can help build trust between you two as you learn to navigate the ropes, making it so when you are ready to take it outside, you’ll be able to handle it.
29. It’s time for bowling. Bowling can be a laid back hobby that you could have in common, and finding a bowling alley that has disco nights can create a fun and great atmosphere to hang out and talk between striking pins.
30. Go roller skating!! Maybe it’s been years since you’ve laced up some roller-blades or skates, but a first date can be a great opportunity for some laughs and hand holding.
Low Pressure First Dates
Maybe you want to do a more mellow date in order to get to know each other better, or maybe neither of you are big on crowds or eating in front of each other on a first date. Not everyone wants to pressure and stress of a noisy environment or crowded groups of people. Sometimes keeping things super low key works really well for a first date.
31. Go fishing. Yep, nothing beats sitting on a pier, or in a sturdy boat and spending the morning or late evening trying to catch fish. Just make sure you both have up to date fishing licenses, or you could get a ticket from the fish and game warden. Don’t forget to bring your pliers or a bucket if you actually catch some fish. If you don’t plan on eating them, catch and release can be quite fun.
32. Go stargazing, if you don’t have a telescope, you can buy or rent one, or go to a local stargazing lecture. Most states have a science center of some sort, and they often do tours for those who’d like to learn more about the stars. This can be an excellent first date. Even better if you two can do it when there’s something special happening, like a meteor shower or eclipse.
33. Picking fruit or veggies from a farmers market. While it’s more active than sitting somewhere doing nothing, this can be a relaxed, mellow activity that allows you to talk while doing a repetitive task that lets you both go home with something in hand.
34. If either of you enjoy board games, bingo, or trivia, find a local event that hosts one of those. You can compete against each other, on the same team. This is often a great first date for those who would seek this kind of activity out on their own, so make sure you ask them about their hobbies and interests before setting this up, for someone who doesn’t like it, it can be boring.
35. Go see a famous author and get your book signed. Many of us love to read, find out if your date enjoys any authors in particular, you never know when you’ll find out Stephanie Meyers might be in town, and it’s a good opportunity for a 50 Shades of Grey enthusiast to get their copy signed.
36. Attend a poetry reading. Sometimes hearing new and original work from artists can make a great first date. A glass of wine in hand, a quiet back corner table, and listening to the written prose can create a wonderful environment that can lead to a second date.
37. Arts and crafts can be fun for a first date. Take your date to Build a Bear workshop and create something memorable that your date will cherish, even if it doesn’t work out between the two of you. You can rarely go wrong with adorable cuddly bears.
38. Go to a scotch or whisky tasting. If you dislike alcohol, you could go to a chocolate tasting instead. You’ll be able to take home your favorite souvenir for later consumption.
39. A leisurely stroll on a boardwalk where you can get ice-cream and enjoy the sunshine. This gives you plenty of time to talk and get to know each other and puts very little pressure on either party for a first date.
40. A boat ride. If these are available in your area, sometimes a boat ride or paddle boat on a lake can be fun and low stress. This can give you time to get to know each other while doing a fun and relaxing activity.
Dates That Give Back
Volunteer work can be all the rage, but sometimes it’s a great way to get to know a potential future partner. I know that when I was looking for a male partner, the way he talked about his Rottweiler and his eyes got all soft and expressive when he talked about her was a deciding factor. I thought any man who could love his dog that much, could certainly love me that much! As sappy as it sounds, an animal lover often cares that the other person can care about animals as much as they do.
41. Volunteer at a animal shelter. Walk the dogs, play with the kitties (if not allergic!) and give back to the community and show your love and appreciation for animals and your fellow furry friends.
42. Take your date on a stint at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen to help assist with a meal or two. Sometimes showing you can have compassion and kindness to those in need goes a long ways for plucking at the heartstrings of your date.
43. Sign up for to do a walk, or run for a given charity of your choice. Sometimes the local autism walk will hit close to home. It could be a good chance to show your support for a family or friend and bring your date along for the ride. Ask them if they have any particular interests or family members they are showing support for, sometimes showing them that you’ll do something with them to show support is a great way to show what a big heart you have.
44. Clean up a park, beach, or public place that needs some TLC. It is a way to give back to your community while showing your date that you aren’t above a little hard work and you appreciate your local watering holes.
45. Take teddy bears or other goodies to a cancer ward with kids. They always need volunteers to cheer them up, and if your date ever wants children in the future, this can be a good chance to show him or her what a good long-term mate you might be. Compassion can be a major turn on.
46. Go to an old folks home. Sometimes they get lonely, and for those without family members to come visit they often appreciate a visit, even from a stranger. You could also put together a dance or some other kind of event and ask your date to help out. Elderly people need socialization and a fun time as much as everyone else.
47. Volunteer to raise money for a local youth group. While doing a car wash or standing on a street corner with a sign isn’t always the best first date, it can be a very interesting one and show how much the local community means to you.
Animal Lovers Love First Dates That Include Pets!
One of the best dates I’ve ever had included bringing my dog to a beach and running in the sand and water while my date and I talked for hours. We had such a great time and the dog added enough of a buffer that I felt “secure” when no one else was there. The fact he thought about my dog and invited him along scored major points with me too.
48. Meet at a local dog park with your awesome pooch. This allows the dogs to play while you socialize. If the dogs get along, you’ll score some major brownie points with your fellow animal lover. If the dogs hate each other, it could make them question if you are compatible, many people believe animals have better instincts than people.
49. Horseback riding. This is a no brainer. So many of us love horses and with the way the apartments and housing communities are, not all of us have been able to ride since we were children. (Or, ever learned at all and would love too!) For a first date, this will definitely stick in our memory as one of the best dates we’ve ever had. As long as we don’t get kicked by a horse.
50. Invite your date to bring along their pet and go for a walk or a hike. If the animal likes you, they may be more likely to go on a second date with you. I’ll never forget when my male cat would pee in the shoes of a boyfriend I had. He ended up having a major temper problem and my cat just knew he wasn’t a good fit for me and made sure he told us both what he thought about him. If my animals don’t like you…. It’s not a good sign!
Outrageous First Date Ideas That Will Rock Their World!
While I personally am terrified of heights, one of my best friends went sky diving, and learned to fly an airplane as more than one first date. She loved it! While some of these date ideas are more expensive, for the right date, the lasting impression and memories it will give them can be hard to top!
Don’t be afraid to try something new, or challenging if you are looking for that wow factor.
51. Take your date to a magical theme park like Disney Land. There is nothing more romantic then going to Cinderella’s castle and walking through the theme park hand in hand. Seeing Mickey Mouse and Goofy can make your date remember their fondest childhood memories.
52. Bungee Jumping. But make sure your date isn’t scared of heights first, but this can make for an interesting first date that they’ll go home and brag about on FaceBook. Creativity can get you pretty far, but will set the bar pretty high for follow up dates.
53. Go for a helicopter ride over the ocean. It can be a unique way to view the ocean besides a boat. It can be an expensive first date, but for those who like helicopters and water together, it can be one that makes your date definitely want to see what you come up with next.
54. If you have a hot air balloon field near you, you can always take your date up in a balloon. This beats flowers or gift cards. Sitting in a basket together way up in the air leaves plenty of time for talking while you admire the view together.
55. Go visit a Psychic or fortune teller. While this is isn’t probably the first idea that would pop into your head, it can be a fun experience for the two of you, even if neither of you believe in it. Doing it just for the fun of it can be entertaining.
56. Go to a themed restaurant that has you dress up while you dine. Many of the themed places offer food that would have been similar to what people ate from the time period they are featuring. This can be a fun history lesson while you enjoy each other’s company and have an excuse to play dress up.
57. Go to Vegas. This can be a no brainer. If Vegas is too far, find a local casino that might offer a show and gambling and make an evening out of it. Sometimes wasting some money on penny slot machines can be a quite entertaining event. If you guys win something, that makes it even better.
85. Attend a drag queen show. Some of the shows out there are quite put together and amusing, this can be an interesting first date and shows you tried to come up with an original idea.
59. Take your date to mine for gold. Nothing like sitting at a river using a pan like they did from over a 100 years ago. This is excellent for someone who’s into historical periods or just likes the idea of cowboys. If you don’t find any, you can always purchase a little vial of gold flakes for a souvenir.
60. If your date isn’t anti-gun, going to a shooting range can be a great way to show off your mastery of handling a weapon. This can be a great way to bond and takes pressure off having to “talk” the whole date. It can also give you something to talk about after if you follow up with a meal or some coffee.
61. Take your date to go play paintball. This actually works great if you both have friends who might enjoy and want to tag along too. A group date can be an interesting way to bond, and if their friends like you, you’ll probably get a repeat date.
62. Take a class together, whether it’s a dance class, yoga, or something new that you both have an interest in. Like pottery! The sky’s the limit. This will give you a follow up conversation to help give you something to talk about while you get to know the other person so you aren’t both standing there awkward not knowing what to say to each other.
63. Go see Mimes perform. Nothing like black and white characters that don’t speak and it’s like watching a game of charades. Mimes can be quite the conversation starter.
64. Attend church as your first date. For someone who’s religious, knowing that you aren’t scared to set foot inside of a church may go a long way for them. Having their church mates see you in attendance may also get approval from the people who matter most to them.
65. Go ghost hunting. You can visit haunted houses or do a tour aimed at history where you can try to find ghosts, or consider visiting a creepy graveyard to see if any vampires are hanging around. These ones probably wouldn’t sparkle though!
66. Honor your veterans by taking flowers to their graves. If your date has a strong military background, the gesture will be appreciated and they’ll most likely appreciate that you value their services and what they provided to keep our country free.
67. Go to a political rally. If you don’t care if you have the same political views and can “discuss” politics without it getting too heated, this can keep the conversation going all night long. Discussing the pro’s and con’s of a candidate may cause arguments, so proceed with caution.
68. Donate blood together. Being able to donate blood shows that you are both relatively healthy and may require a big meal afterwards to recover. Not only are you helping others together and possibly saving a life, you will have something in common to talk about when you are done. You could use it as an excuse to discuss all the “what ifs” on who you might be saving with your blood.
69. Attend a BDSM club. Kinky, sexy, fun might be just what your date would like. While it may not lead to anything on the first date, it shows how open minded you are, and can save them from having to try to find out later if you are compatible sexually. You also have an excuse to dress up in your leather chaps, corsets and hang your riding crop off your belt.
70. Take a train ride. Figure out a local route that might even have a dining car and go enjoy looking at the country side, mountains or lakes and rivers. Train rides aren’t something that are super common anymore and as a kid, we often played with model trains. This can be a nice throw back to fun times in our childhood with the real deal.
Holiday Themed First Date Ideas
First dates don’t always just happen on Friday or Saturday nights at 7pm. Sometimes they happen near a major holiday, or at 11am in the morning. No matter what time you go on a date, you can come up with something that fits the time of the year and local events.
71. Valentine’s day often leaves most restaurants booked for weeks in advance, have a picnic after taking a horse and carriage ride in the park. This will give you a place to eat where you aren’t crowded or waiting for hours in lines but give your date something memorable that will leave them smiling when they go home that night.
72. Go skiing together. Snuggle up and drink some hot chocolate and try not to break any legs or arms or hit any trees on your way down. If skiing isn’t your forte, you can always hop on a snowboard instead.
73. Build a snow man together. Let it go and go wild in the snow, make snow angels and have a snow ball fight. When you are done you can stop at a bakery for some warm liquid and a tasty snack. I wouldn’t recommend trying to show off how well you can write your name in the snow though. Save that for a much later date.
74. Go see Santa. Someone of us NEVER outgrow the need to sit on Santa’s lap and tell him exactly what we want for Christmas. Although once you grow up, Santa may request that we stand next to him instead of sitting on his poor knee and squishing him.
75. Go see the firework display for the 4th of July. This can be a fun evening with a blanket on the grass, or in a boat for a lake display. If you want to get really fancy, you can go watch the fire work display at Disney land or one of the other major theme parks near you.
76. Go to a local pumpkin farm and pick out the pumpkins you’ll carve for Halloween. On your way home you can stop and go check out some of the local haunted houses that are set up for public viewing. While most grownups don’t trick or treat anymore there are many adult-geared venues setup for an excuse to dress up on Halloween too. Many clubs, diners, and even malls will give a discount for being in costume.
77. Go sledding, check out Christmas lights, or go donate to the salvation army for Christmas. You can stop and grab some eggnog and wander around the mall and do a little holiday shopping together. Sometimes having another person to bounce ideas off for those hard to shop for family members is greatly needed. While this isn’t a traditional first date idea, it can end up being a fun experience.
78. Many botanical gardens and zoo’s have butterfly exhibits, going to watch the caterpillars emerge as their gorgeous butterflies can be a beautiful thing to see. This doesn’t have to stop with butterflies, while you are there, check out the awesome animals and flowers.
Unique Experiences For First Dates
Have you ever wanted to go snorkeling and swim with the fishes? Or maybe you wanted to ride a camel or elephant? Maybe you wanted to go see Mount Rushmore and then take a train trip to go see the black hills in person. Whatever experiences you’ve pictured in your head that are on the bucket list of things to do in this lifetime, sharing it with someone else can make it all that more enjoyable.
Some of these activities can make a memorable first date that set the bar extremely high for future dates, or potential partners. Even if it doesn’t work out for you, you’ll be a fun memory for them when they talk about their favorite dates in the past.
79. Go swimming with dolphins. This is something that so many people say they’d like to do, but never get the chance to experience. Make it happen. If you plan on trying this sometime, take your date along for the experience too.
80. Take your date to go go-kart racing. Show off your awesome driving skills and race to see who can win the lap race. You could even make a bet on it, that the loser buys dinner.
81. Fly a kite. Yes, it’s a simple, easy to do thing, but sometimes the simplest things can be the most memorable. I don’t recommend doing it during thunderstorms or with metal attached though. Keep it safe and do it on a windy afternoon when it’s bright and sunny out!
82. Hit up a local Karaoke joint. Even if you can’t sing, you can totally serenade your date with a great selection of songs. Don’t feel bad if you won’t be on American Idol, you can still belt out the greatest and favorite hits just to entertain your date. Laughter can be just as important as impressing them if you do have an amazing Karaoke voice.
83. Invite your date to join you at the spa. Massages and laying around a pool can be so relaxing, they’ll enjoy the pampering and low stress environment. Maybe you could even suggest a pedicure or manicure and let them get a full service experience.
84. Ask your date to help you plant trees. Maybe you feel strongly about your local parks or recreation areas. Ask your date to tag along and help out. Sometimes this can create a wonderful bonding experience that will lead to many follow up dates.
85. Go sailing. You may end up having to rent a boat, but one of the best memories on a boat I ever had was going fishing for halibut on a sail boat. While most people sail to just sail, you can still throw a line out there if you really feel like it.
86. Go whale watching. Whether you take a ferry and go visit an island and explore their awesome little shops and stop for lunch at that perfect Greek restaurant, snapping pictures of the gorgeous Orcas can leave you both smiling at the end of the day.
87. Go to a local carnival or circus. Take your date on an elephant ride. They aren’t just for children and being that up close and personal to those gentle giants can make for a wonderful story to go home and tell their friends. Don’t forget the peanuts!
88. For those who have more sophisticated tastes, you could take your date to the opera or ballet. It gives us ladies an excuse to break out our finest clothes and shoes and a good reason to fancy up and wear our pretty jewelry. Classy and elegant. I love an excuse to dress up, and everything these days is so casual. Don’t show up in jeans gentlemen. At least wear a dress shirt and dress or business pants.
89. Invite some friends over for a small party. Break out the board games, or even twister. Show off all those cool moves that would make a yoga instructor jealous! For a first date, sometimes it’s best to do group activities if you aren’t in a public setting.
Weird First Date Ideas
Sometimes the best dates are the ones that don’t always cost the most, or are the most normal sounding dates. While you can always go back to the classic dates if you need too, you can also spice up a classic date by adding different ideas to it to make it different.
Sometimes the more out there ideas are the ones that leave us feeling all shivery and wanting a repeat experience. Going out to dinner and just sitting there is a pretty normal occurrence, but many of us like excitement, and new experiences. Having a little extra “wow” factor can make us definitely eager for date #2.
90. With the abilities to take selfies on our phone, you can record each step of your date to make a collage or a blog post about it later. You’d each take pictures every step of the way, getting ready to go out, getting in the car, arriving at your destination, and all the little things in between. While it may seem like a lot of photos, it can lead to the creation of an amazing memory if you put all the pieces together later. Especially if the first date turns into many more, or a long term relationship. Sometimes these memories we make the first night are often the most important and the ones we remember the most.
91. Take your date out for pizza, but bring along your art supplies and have them help you with a scrap book. Sometimes this can be a fun and artistic way to spend a few hours with something to keep your hands busy while you are talking.
92. Go for a drive to a city a couple of hours away, pick something randomly to do when you are there with no planning. Showing you have the ability to be spontaneous can be a major turn on for the right person. (Although check to make sure the other person likes spontaneous, some of us like to know what’s coming and dislike surprises.)
93. Go to a random store like Wal-Mart. See if you can spot any of the “people of Wal-Mart” that you seen on all those picture websites. While you are there looking for the crazy outfits that many people often wear to Wal-Mart, you can discuss items you see and check out the electronics section. This can lead to talking about favorite music, movies and more. Many super Wal-Mart’s have a grocery section and you can then go over and talk about favorite foods, likes, dislikes, and get a feel for the person. Sometimes the information will just pour out. If you want to get to know your date better, this can be a great excuse to use props to bring up specific conversation starts while wandering around.
94. Take your date to see a burlesque show. Something about the wiggling and jiggling can lead to a funny night. Sometimes living vicariously through the fun of the dancers while enjoying a drink or a meal can lead to talking about other things. This type of show is not like a strip club, these girls would be more like the 1950’s Bettie Paige.
95. Go to a coffee shop and write song lyrics, a poem, or start a short fiction story together. Take turns writing each line and see where the story ends up. Silly, funny, romantic, sad, or weird, let your imagination go wild. This can be a great way to get to know a person and how they think.
96. Hire a limo and pretend you are famous for the night. Dress fancy and have the limo driver take you around to all the night scenes and local venues worth seeing at night. You could stop and go dancing, go out to a fancy meal, and finally just drive around and look at all the lights down town.
97. If you are near the border of another country or state, be adventurous and go see something that’s only available in another place. If you are crossing the border, this may require pre-warning your date to have a passport and ID ready. If it’s just a state border, do a little research to find a unique experience that’s only available in the next state over. Especially if it’s not something you’d normally go see on your own. Sometimes you just need motivation to go try something new, and taking your date along for the ride can make an awesome excuse.
98. Maybe you have a friend who’s a photographer and can take gorgeous photos. If they’d take pictures of the two of you together or (separately) sometimes having these wonderful pictures can be a fun way to talk and share an experience. The outcome can be a good reward, and nice memory for down the road.
First Date Ideas For Double Dating
Sometimes when you go out on a date, especially if it’s not in a very public location like Tim Horton’s or StarBucks, you end up finding that you want your friends to tag along to help make it more comfortable for everyone involved. The more people there to talk, the easier it is to keep conversations going too.
99. Go camping. With more than one couple in tow, even if you don’t share a tent, this can be a rustic way to get to know one another. If they can handle your morning bed-head, and sharing smores with you, this could be a match made in heaven.
100. Grab your nearest buddies and hit up the gay bar, so what if you’re the only straight couple in the joint? You can enjoy hanging out with your buds while having a few drinks and getting to know your date in a low pressure environment.
101. Hit up the local country club and go square dancing. If you can’t dance, you can still enjoy the music and a beer or two while hanging out with friends. Maybe they can dance and teach you two how to follow along.
102. Host a BBQ at your place. Have each person bring a dish they like for a potluck. Hang out in the back yard. You can set up horseshoes or another fun sport to play to kill time and socialize while the foods cooking. If you have time, you can always break out the board games for added fun. Team charades can be quite amusing.
103. Invite your date along to a live concert or festival activity that you and your friends had planned on attending. They may appreciate being invited and included with your friends. This can show them you are serious about them and they aren’t some weekend romance fling. Introducing them to family may scare them off, so wait a while for that.
104. While a wedding isn’t exactly a double date, showing up alone and being forced to sit at a singles table can create more of a headache then you want to deal with, especially if the person in question thinks you are acting as a stand in for a date and hangs all over you. Bringing a date to a wedding to give you someone to talk too and protection from the singles table can make life a lot better, and isn’t the worst first date you could have. My husband was my date (our first real date) to my friend’s birthday party so I wouldn’t feel left out since it was all her friends, and family, and her date. We kept each other entertained so I didn’t feel awkward. We became inseparable after that and were married a few weeks later.
Cheap Date Ideas
Not everyone wants to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a first date. Here’s a list of ideas for cheaper date ideas that will still rock their world without breaking the piggy bank.
105. Meet your date and take them on a hay ride. When you are done with that, consider taking a stroll and grabbing a hot dog or a hamburger at a local stand and enjoy just wandering around and chit-chatting. Sometimes simple is the perfect touch.
106. Take your date out to the local park and supply water balloons or Nerf guns. Have a fight, and consider placing a wager on the outcome. The one who gets tagged the most buys the other one lunch. This could also be used as a double date idea and you can play on teams.
107. Go find the biggest tree and try to climb it together. Even if you never make it up to the top, it might create hysterical laughter watching each other try. You could even cheat and give each other a boost/hand up if you really are determined to get on the branches. Make sure you take plenty of pictures with you in the tree if you manage to get up in it.
108. Go to your favorite park, or local public place and play hide and seek. You can make it more complicated by giving your date a 15 minute head start with “clues” sent via text message. If you can find them with in a set time limit, they buy you lunch, if you can’t find them, you buy them lunch!
109. Go see your local waterfalls or cliffs. If you are feeling really brave you could indulge in some cliff diving. While it doesn’t cost any money to jump off a cliff, you may find yourself soaking wet, so bring some towels. This can also lead to a picnic at the waterfalls if getting wet isn’t your thing.
110. Go for a bike ride. If you don’t have a bike, rent or borrow one. Make sure you wear your helmets, as you can be given a ticket in many places for not having protective gear on while riding a bike.
111. Bake cookies or other pastries. Sometimes when you don’t want to spend a bunch of money on a single cookie it can be cheaper to make them at home and it can be a blast to get flour everywhere. Just make sure you are prepared to clean up the mess if you get into a flour throwing war. I did this as a teenager once and the clean up was a pain in the butt.
112. Feed the ducks, birds or a squirrel. I’ll never forget sitting in a park and feeding peanut M&M’s to a happy little squirrel who’d take them directly out of my hand. This is a cheap and inexpensive way to spend some time together while doing a planned activity. For animal or bird lovers, this can be really sweet and fun.
113. Sit on a bench and watch the sunset or sunrise. You can provide the coffee, or ice-cream. Take some beautiful pictures of the view together and talk for hours about whatever interests the two of you. Simple and sweet, beautiful imagery always gives people the warm fuzzies.
114. Play darts. Most bars will have a dart board, and even if you just order a drink or an appetizer, you can play darts and hang out and get to know each other better. This is often a low-stress way to hang out and not spend a million dollars. It’s okay if you can’t aim.
Sweet First Date Ideas
Not everyone wants to be amazed by overly expensive, or extravagant ideas for a first date. If you have a quiet, shy, or romantic date, sometimes a sweet and simple romance idea can make the impression you were hoping for.
115. Roses or other flowers. While you could take your date anywhere or do anything, sometimes the old fashioned gestures mean the most. A simple rose, or bouquet of beautiful daisies and baby’s breath can show them you’re a romantic at heart. Many women appreciate the trademark gifts on a date.
116. Show your date your festive side by participating in whatever holiday spirit is currently happening. For St. Patrick’s Day you could take your date to an authentic Irish Pub. For Easter, you could try Greek food and celebrate an entirely different culture to be different.
117. Speaking of different cultures, you could plan a date around whatever ethnic culture or beliefs your date has. This will show your date that you are interested in them and their back ground.
118. Offer to have a movie marathon of their favorite movies. Even if you’ve seen the 10th kingdom ten times and hate the movie, she’ll appreciate you smiling and nodding throughout the movie Iff he wants to watch a Jurassic Park marathon because it reminds him of his childhood and dinosaurs aren’t your thing, he’ll appreciate you watching it anyways and talking about how cool the movies were.
119. Go find a quiet place to sit down and write out the things you want to do on your bucket list while you have a picnic or take out. Each pick something you could do together from the others list and then make plans to do it. This will lead to multiple dates, and give you a chance to see how compatible you are.
120. Take your date to see their favorite play. Just because Romeo and Juliet didn’t get their happy ending, doesn’t mean the two of you can’t have one together. Even if Shakespeare isn’t your thing, being willing to compromise on activities will make your date more likely to do something you want to do for date #2.
121. Attend a masked party together. See if you can figure out who the other person is. Sending text messages to give hints if you can’t figure it out. Dance together and get to know each other. At the end of the night, give her a single rose and ask her out on date #2.
122. With all the dance clubs available, you can probably find a quiet, low key one for some seductive slow dancing where you can spend the whole night seducing her slowly and giving her undivided attention. Slow dancing is nice because you don’t really need to know how to dance to make it work, so neither of you will embarrass yourself if you can’t really dance.
123. Take your date out for fondue. It could be cheese, or chocolate. They often offer both. Many of the fondue places you can go are also dressier and can give her an excuse to dress up. Women often like an excuse to get all pretty and dolled up.
124. Go search for pennies on a train track, kids often put them on the tracks to see if the train will flatten them. You can walk around and explore and see if you can find any. At the very least, a nice stroll on the train tracks can be a sweet way to spend time together.
125. Take her to get cotton candy and win her a teddy bear at a carnival. While the rides and the crowds may be a bit much sometimes, the sweetness of the candy and the adorable stuffed animal can make up for it.
There are so many other ideas you can come up with, this list is hopefully enough to get your brain moving in the right direction to pick the perfect date for that special someone, or the potential special someone.
Good luck!
Sound off! What is your most memorable first date? Good or bad