We’ve all been on first dates – good ones, bad ones – and thus we all understand those pre-date jitters. It’s hard to have any fun when you’re scrambling for conversation starters and worrying about your appearance (especially in the post-Tinder online era, where most dates are blind, and thus everyone’s anxieties are only compounded). There are plenty of fish in the sea, sure, but you still have to catch one, and an uninteresting first date won’t exactly make the person you’re courting fall for you hook, line, and sinker.
Fortunately, we at Zazzle consider ourselves to be somewhat of an expert in matters of the heart, and for the following article, you can consider us your own private Cyrano. Having an activity, game, or objective to focus on during a date can help provide a talking point, circumvent any awkwardness, and foster a warm bond between you and your potential partner. That’s why we’ve come up with 20 fun ideas for you to run past your beau or belle, and they’re categorized according to their personality type! These tips are also interspersed with some of our favorite clothing and accessory designs, so you can even put together a sharp outfit on Zazzle to wear for your date.
So apply your best perfume or aftershave, take your corsage or nosegay in hand, and call over around 8 – once you’ve finished your research here, of course.
Active First Date Ideas
If you’re an extroverted couple who want something wild and adventurous to do on your first date, then here are some bold ideas. These are also likely to scare off any shy or introverted candidates, however, so venture them with caution!
Perform Karaoke
Admittedly, when compared to, say, a bungee jump or white water rafting, karaoke is still relatively tame. However, asking your date to join you in a rousing rendition of “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” will both promote a convivial atmosphere and bode well for your future relationship. Even if you don’t have a karaoke machine, finding a dedicated karaoke bar or night is easy, and it’s more satisfying to perform for a crowd.
Try Kayaking
Actually, speaking of white water rafting: kayaking or canoeing would also make for a fun, gutsy date idea, provided you have access to the equipment and the right location. There won’t be any time for a slump in conversation when your overturned boat is, um, slumped against a rock, and as you wait for your date to come, chivalrously, to the rescue.
Ride a Roller Coaster
Again, this experience isn’t for the faint of heart – for those who could actually faint, a friendly carousel or teacup ride is probably more inviting. However, the thrill and excitement inspired by the peaks and troughs of a roller coaster track will make for a memorable first date. Don’t be surprised if the exhilaration causes you to fall head over heels for the person!
Get Your Skates On
Whether it’s on ice, at a roller skating rink, or simply in public, skating is a classic date idea for a reason. Not only is it fun, sporty, and physical, but it can also allow for some tender moments, as you skate holding hands, share your best tips for maintaining balance, and cling to each other in order to narrowly avoid a fall!
Rock Climb the Walls
Rock climbing walls and bouldering facilities are available at numerous gyms and fitness centers across the U.S., so you don’t need to scale a cliff face to enjoy the benefits of rock climbing. Working together to reach the summit can inspire trust between you and your potential partner, as you encourage each other to stretch for the next ledge or foothold.
Collaborative First Date Ideas
Of course, date activities don’t need to be overly demanding or strenuous, as long as they give you an opportunity to build a connection and get to know each other. Here are some of our favorite collaborative ideas – where you and your date work together towards a common goal (and are hopefully swept off your feet in the process).
Register for a Class
Bear with us: we promise that the prospect of an educational date is better than it sounds. Pick an activity that you’ve always wanted to learn about, such as cooking or oil painting, and ask your date if they’d like to enroll for the class with you. Even if you never take spatula or palette to hand again, there’s lots of fun to be had when you’re trying something new together.
Enter a Trivia Quiz
On the other hand, perhaps there’s very little your boyfriend- or girlfriend-to-be needs to be taught, and if so, it may be worth testing their skills and knowledge in a quiz. Entering a gentle competition together will give you something to talk about, and you’ll even discover more about their interests and specializations based on which questions they can answer.
Find an Escape Room
If a date is going particularly badly, with stilted conversation, bashful glances, and incessant phone-checking, it can sometimes feel like there’s no escape. However, for this idea, that’s the point: sign up for an escape room puzzle, and the both of you will have a fixed time limit to locate the clues that will unlock the entrance. This might be too claustrophobic for some couples, but the close, intimate environment could prove intense and memorable for others!
Play a Board Game
Board games are another fun way to learn more about your date. Take Pictionary, for example, where you and your partner can team up to communicate keywords to each other; you could then invite friends of yours to form a rival group and to open up the conversation. Just opt for something like Trivial Pursuit rather than a risqué game of Twister or a year-long Dungeons & Dragons Campaign.
Hunt for Treasure
A quick Google search will likely reveal a company or organization that hosts scavenger hunts or orienteering events near you. Recruit your latest dating app match to help you navigate your way through the wilderness in search of clues, prizes, and adventure! At the very least, you could use a Geocaching app to pinpoint a secret location with GPS. And, at the very end of your excursion, you can cheesily exclaim that the real treasure was the connection you forged along the way.
Chilled First Date Ideas
If you and your date are introverted individuals, and would prefer something calm and relaxing rather than competitive game nights, then these are the ideas for you. They’re designed to take the pressure off you and your equally withdrawn partner, and to soothe those nerves that come with spending time in the company of a near-stranger.
Attend a Comedy Show
Laughter is the best possible foundation for a friendship or relationship. Attending a comedy show or improv gig, then, is an opportunity for you to both have a cracking good time (without having to think of the wisecracks yourself). Don’t sit in the front row, of course – unless you want to draw the attention of a comedian who wants to interact with their audience, and whose eyes will probably light up when they land upon a couple on their first date night.
Listen to Live Music
In a similar vein to stand-up, live music is another way to spend time in each other’s company without having to keep the conversation afloat. Choosing a band or musician to go to can be difficult, though, so in the interest of fairness, we’d recommend picking a talent that neither of you are familiar with, and that you can both witness for the first time.
Pick Some Conversation Starters
Sometimes a conversation won’t flow until it’s given a little push – that’s where games like “Never Have I Ever,” “Truth or Dare,” and “This or That” come into play. Don’t be ashamed to rely on prompts or sample questions in order to spark a discussion, because there simply won’t be the same familiarity and ease on the first date that there will be on the seventh or eighth date. It’s also possible that some flirty icebreaker questions will heat things up!
Engage in Some Retail Therapy
Going shopping together might seem like a premature first date activity, but don’t worry – as long you’re not browsing wedding invitations and baby mobiles, it should be very entertaining. Head to your nearest mall or main street, and simply drop into whichever stores catch your attention; you can even take turns to decide your next stop. Whether it’s a bookstore where you can recommend reading material or a boutique where you can compare outfits, this is a casual, stress-free way to acquaint yourself with the other person’s tastes and preferences.
Visit an Art Gallery
If one of the places you happen to visit on your shopping trip is a local art gallery, well, that’s another excellent date idea by itself. Even if you couldn’t tell a Gauguin from a Hokusai, the chance to admire beautiful art is a positive and sensual activity. There’s no need to interpret the most baffling pieces, but it could be a funny game if you decide to do so! And, at the very end of your artistic expedition, you can cheesily exclaim that the real beauty was to be found in the features of your sweetheart. Apologies if you’ve heard that one before…
Romantic Date Ideas
We’ve finally reached the most classic date ideas – romantic suggestions that are bound to have your heart swelling up and your eyes welling up. These are fun proposals, certainly, but they’re meaningful, too, and can help set the stage for a particularly warm and affectionate courtship.
Have a Dinner Date
Ask someone what constitutes a ‘date,’ and it’s probable that their answer would make reference to “having dinner”: it’s the quintessential date night activity, as it allows ample time for both parties to converse and catch up (and to get fed while doing so). To put a unique spin on this time-honored tradition, however, we’d recommend sampling a cuisine that neither of you have tried before. Rather than trying to decide whether Italian or Indian food would win in a cooking contest, go to a Korean or Moroccan restaurant, and share your culinary findings with each other during the meal.
Plan a Picnic
Ask someone what constitutes a ‘date,’ and it’s probable that their answer would make reference to “having dinner”: it’s the quintessential date night activity, as it allows ample time for both parties to converse and catch up (and to get fed while doing so). To put a unique spin on this time-honored tradition, however, we’d recommend sampling a cuisine that neither of you have tried before. Rather than trying to decide whether Italian or Indian food would win in a cooking contest, go to a Korean or Moroccan restaurant, and share your culinary findings with each other during the meal.
Get Ready to Walk
Of all the date ideas we’ve mentioned so far, walking would seem, at first glance, like the most lackluster. However, before you do some wandering of your own, and saunter off to view another article, know that a romantic walk on the beach or in the woods could be a truly charming first date activity. Find a secluded spot in which to ramble – in both senses of the word – and the only audible sounds will be the rolling waves, the singing birds, and the sweet nothings.
Taste Some Beer or Wine
If a sit-down dinner seems a little too conventional, then how about seeking out a wine- or beer-tasting workshop to mix things up? Most wineries and breweries host tasting sessions and tours, allowing you to sample a variety of heady tipples and learn more about the fermentation process. Then, when you’ve both become amateur sommeliers, you can grab a choice bottle of wine to share later on.
Take a Hike!
Earlier, when we mentioned a “scenic spot” at which to host your picnic, we neglected to say that the trek to this scenic spot could also be a prime date night activity. Provided you and your crush are ready for the ascent, hiking to the top of a hill, mountain trail, or walking route is a romantic way to spend time in each other’s company – and in the company of nature. Climb to somewhere off the beaten track as dusk falls, and you’ll even be able to practice some stargazing. And, at the very end of your schlepp, you can cheesily exclaim that the real star was the person you fell in love with along the way. We may have used that line, or something like it, already…
Now that you have a catalog of fun first date ideas to choose from, all that’s left is to find someone to experience them with. If you’re harboring feelings for someone and haven’t yet confessed, well, accept this article as Zazzle’s plea for you to do something about it! That office crush, dating profile match, or friend-of-a-friend could be that special someone you’ve been looking for, so carpe diem, and make your love life extraordinary.
Eoin is a Content Specialist at Zazzle in Cork. He’s recently bought a house with his fiancée, and thus most of his time these days is spent trying to keep the walls from caving in and the wolves from the door. Still, he’s always open to book, game, and movie recommendations, so if you have some, let him know: he’ll add them to a very, very long list.
