Looking for first date ideas? Well, you’ve just stumbled upon the mother lode! After sifting through hundreds of dating ideas for new couples (and believe us, there are some truly abysmal ones out there!), we decided that only these 73 were good enough to put in front of you, hence the odd number. We could’ve rounded it up to 75 but you’d be stuck spotting two crappy needles in an otherwise great haystack! We could’ve trimmed it to 70 but you’d lose out on three cool first date ideas. So we went with what we had - 73 worthwhile ideas for your first date as a new couple.
Before we jump on the trampoline (see #1 in the activities list), let’s familiarize ourselves with a few ground rules for first dates… just to sort of get that out of the way. These aren’t random rules just put together at the last minute, mind you. These first date ‘rules of engagement’ are very important if you want to make a good first impression, and that’s what we all want to do the first time we’re on a date with someone. So, here goes..
10 First Date Rules Everyone Should (Hopefully) Follow
- Be on time
- Put your phone away and in silent mode
- Acknowledge awkward silences - they’re part of the first-date ritual
- Tell them what you’re looking for in a relationship
- Be honest about your circumstances
- Don’t judge, lest ye be judged!
- Make a lot of eye contact if you think this is going somewhere
- Practice active listening, paraphrasing, and all that good stuff
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions, but don’t get too personal
- Likewise, draw a boundary that they can’t cross over unless you want them to
These aren’t the 10 Commandments; they’re just common-sense rules to follow if you want to have a smooth first date. Apart from this, make sure that your personal hygiene is taken care of - no bad breath or BO, obviously - and that you look like you’re going on a date, not around the corner at 4 am to pick up milk!
#1 – Visit a Trampoline Park
Yep, bouncing around is good for your health and fun, too. It is known to prevent osteoporosis and improves bone health, strengthens your cells, detoxifies the body by revitalizing lymphatic circulation, enhances immunity, improves digestion, strengthens your eye muscles, increases your oxygen intake capacity, aids weight loss, and makes you giggle like a schoolgirl with a crush on her teacher. What’s not to like, right? And it’s a great bonding experience because trampolining together can be an intimate experience you only share with someone special.
Host a Karaoke Night at Home
If you and your date are part of a larger circle of friends, you might want to include some of those friends on the day. It’ll take the edge off when you’re transitioning from a casual friendship to a more romantic relationship. Why not host a Karaoke session and make a night of it? You won’t need very expensive gear, and your friends probably have most of what you need anyway. Get people to volunteer to bring Karaoke tracks on a pen drive or their phones so you can have some variety. You can even assign people to bring snacks, drinks, and other refreshments. Or just spring for a pizza and beer dinner for everyone.
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Do Some Volunteer Work
If partying is not your thing, there are tons of places that need a helping hand but don’t get any, especially on special holidays when everyone is “busy”, so find a local charity or soup kitchen that’s short-handed (they usually are) and the two of you can help out for the day. It’ll create some lasting memories and it’s a great way to get to know each other if you’re new to the relationship. If in-person volunteering is out of the question because of COVID-19 infection rates in your area, you can help out virtually. For instance, the Be My Eyes app uses sighted volunteers to help visually challenged people with simple, everyday tasks that you and I take for granted, like checking the date on a box of milk. You can do that, can’t you?
Go Skating or Ice Skating
If you live in a cold area, an ice-skating date might be just the thing the two of you need to get closer to each other and celebrate a special day of love. In warmer areas, go to a skating park and spend some quality time together. Don’t forget to ask her if she skates. If she doesn’t, that’s even better. You can take the role of her skating teacher and rack up some serious brownie points, especially if you let her bring her little brother along. You can always drop him off early and go on your real date later that evening.
#5 – Play Board Games
If you’re holed up because of the pandemic and neither of you is keen on going out, get some classic board games like Monopoly, Scrabble, Battleship, Clue, or Risk. If you’re young enough (at heart, too), you can get together with a group of friends and have a fun board game night.
Visit the Museum
The local museum that you’ve been meaning to visit can finally get to say welcome to you and your partner. Museums are unique in many respects. There’s a feeling of voyeurism that overcomes you when you peek into a time where you weren’t even born. It’s invigorating to look into the past as if you were walking through a time machine. And you’ll be fascinated with the stories that each exhibit tells about its past. If you think about it, there’s nothing more romantic than strolling hand-in-hand through a museum, talking and enjoying each other’s company in surroundings that are very different from everyday life.
Learn to Cook a Dish Together
Cooking together is a great bonding activity. You laugh, you get messy, you talk, you sip wine, you laugh some more, and then you get to enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal that you really earned. Go with something simple like mac and cheese if you have to, but you can also be more adventurous and try making something you love but never had the opportunity to learn to make. One thing, though. Microwavable TV dinners do not qualify. The activity must involve some sort of vegetable-cutting, the stove or the oven, some mess, and a whole lot of fun.
Plan a Mini Getaway with Airbnb
A whole day spent in a new location might be the perfect date you’re looking for on this special occasion, but obviously you can’t do this if you don’t know each other. On the other hand, if you’ve known each other for a while as friends but only just started going out, this could be the perfect idea to cement that friendship and turn it into something more meaningful. If you both work, it’s great to take some time off in unfamiliar surroundings and unwind as well. Just spend the day talking and reminiscing about your lives, getting to know each other more intimately, and strengthening the bonds that have kept you together as friends.
Take an Art Class Together
Painting is a great stress-buster, and learning to paint from a professional artist can really make your day. It will give you tremendous insight into your patience levels, your skills, your strengths, and your very ability to learn something new. It can be a real eye-opener when you attend as a couple. If you can afford it, hire the artist to exclusively teach the two of you for a full session. Most of them will provide whatever you need for the class so you won’t have to worry about where to buy paints and so on. Who knows, this might turn into a hobby or even something more serious if either of you is good enough. At least, you’ll know whether you’re gallery-good or just fridge-worthy!
#10 – Go to a Comedy Club or Stream Stand-up Online
If you’re lucky and a comedy club nearby is open that day, book some tickets to the show. Laughing together is the perfect recipe for the perfect date. You can enjoy the show, go grab some dinner, and take a long stroll if you can. Super-romantic and it starts off on a very positive note. If restrictions won’t let you attend a live show, you can stream stand-up comedy at home and have a blast all evening. Get the mood right, put some refreshments within reach, and turn on the funny.
Visit a Local Brewery
If you’re into craft beers, a visit to a local brewery can be an enlightening experience for the two of you. If there’s no brewery nearby, just pick up a range of beers from your local liquor store or grocery store and make your own craft beers at home. Mix and match beers to create that perfect brew and you might even end up with a signature blend that you can impress your friends with at parties.
Make a Fruit Fondue
If you love cooking but don’t want to slave over a hot stove, literally speaking, you can make a fruit fondue. It’s not as intensive but it gives you the satisfaction of creating something that is more than the sum of its parts. The process is simple enough. For the chocolate dip, all you need is some sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and vanilla. That’s it, really. Mix them in the proportion and consistency you like and you’re off! For the fruit, you can consider a mix of the traditional and the exotic – strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, banana, kiwi, mango, orange, apple, grapes, guava, etc. All fruit is good fruit so get a little of whatever’s in season. Peel and dice the fruit if they’re large and skewer them in different combinations. And your fondue is ready to be served! Invite friends over to enjoy the ‘fruits of your labor’ but keep the making part to yourselves. Doing this as a couple is a good way to engage in a fun activity and bond more closely.
Host a Couple’s Trivia Night
Invite a few other couples you know and host a trivia night using apps like Houseparty. You can also do it virtually but it’s more fun as an in-person experience. You can also use trivia cards based on various themes like history, automobiles, aircraft, places, and more. Scientists have found that engaging in such team activities releases a beneficial hormone called oxytocin in the bloodstream, which elevates your mood and invigorates you.
Go Antique Shopping
Shopping for knick-knacks from a bygone era is nostalgic and a great idea for a first date or a special occasion. Find some curio shops in your locality and mark them on Google Maps. You can walk around and visit these stores and see what treasures they have to offer up. You might be surprised at what you find. But keep a specific budget in mind, especially if you’re prone to sudden urges of spree shopping. A couple of hundred dollars should be more than enough, including dinner after.
#15 – Visit a Local Bookstore
We’re so used to getting stuff done online that we rarely have time for books anymore. This year, make an effort as a couple to read at least a few good books over the course of the next few months. Doing it together is a great way to align your thinking and get mentally and spiritually in tune with each other. There’s a reason why experts recommend that parents read together with their kids, and it’s exactly that. It’s an opportunity to learn from the other person (or the child) as much as it is an opportunity to teach them something new or arrive at a new view of the world together.
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Movie Night In
Be like kids. Put up a blanket fort, make popcorn, string up some festive lights, and put on a movie or three. You can bring in the adult element by including wine and maybe some in-movie make-out time! Add some movies to your watchlist on your favorite streaming services and cast them on a big TV to make it more realistic.
Do a Virtual Double Date
Why not spice things up and go on a double date with another couple? It’s fun and there’s lots more to talk about when there are others around. It’s not as intimate as dinner for two, obviously, but it can be a lot of fun doing a group virtual dinner over Zoom. At least you won’t have to worry about splitting the check!
Do a Joint Tarot Reading over the Phone
Tarot is not for everyone but you don’t have to believe it for it to be a fun experience. See what the mysterious Tarot lady (or call center executive!) has to say about you and your boyfriend. You might not learn anything new but it doesn’t hurt to try something new.
Drink Wine and Paint
Just like the professional art class but with wine included, a drink-and-paint session with your girlfriend and a few other couples is a hilarious experience that everyone will remember for a long time to come. The wine brings out the naughty side of humor so prepare to see some LOL and adults-only works of art on canvas. The materials are relatively cheap to buy and provide, and you can ask each of the guest couples to bring a bottle of their favorite wine so everyone has what they like and can try something different as well. Keep a few extra bottles of wine at home in case you run out in the middle of art class!
#20 – Watch a Live Concert Online
Bands are constantly putting out new material despite the pandemic, and you’ll find a lot of live-streamed music if you search online. Find one for the special day – there’s bound to be a ton of live shows being streamed that day – and set up a date with your partner. Invite friends if you’re the one with the big-ass plasma TV, or hire a projector and put up a large screen so you can enjoy a realistic experience. Make sure you get your guests to contribute to food and drinks or you’re going to be stuck with a huge bill at the end of the day.
Go Out to a Fancy Restaurant
If your budget will allow for it, take your girl on a date she’ll never forget. Book a table at a swank upscale restaurant and order the most expensive dish on the menu, pairing it with a bottle of expensive white or red wine. You can also dine-in using a catering service for two, and they’ll pamper you in the comfort of your own home. It costs more, of course, but what a memory it will be! Now, some guys might think it’s unwise to gamble so much on a first date. What if she’s not the one, you’re thinking. True, that might end up being the case, but you’ve made at least one girl very happy whether she’s going to end up as your girlfriend or not. Isn’t that worth it?
Play Indoor Games
Board games are fun, but if you’d like something more energetic, how about a session of ping-pong or water polo in your pool? Most modern apartments come with some sort of recreational facility and a pool, so if yours doesn’t, find a friend who lives in such a place and entice them with a double-date indoor gaming experience.
See a Virtual Broadway Performance
Class it up, technology-style, with online tickets to a famous Broadway show. The pandemic has forced most theater companies to go virtual, giving you the perfect opportunity to enjoy a night at home with the country’s best performance artists doing a show just for you – well, and thousands of others, of course, but you won’t see them so it’s as good as a private performance.
Organize a Musical Theme Night
Throw a hip-hop party or a jazz fest right at home. Get the tunes downloaded, ask people to dress in appropriate attire, and put together a memorable musical theme party. To make it even more authentic, you can try specific themes like late 70s break dancing, 60s rock, 80s disco, and so on. You can even suggest they dress up as famous musical personalities from those genres. Have only that kind of music playing all night, maybe put on some videos from the period on mute on your tv, and relive a music era from history on. Music is the food of love, after all, and isn’t that what a first date is all about - the search for love?
#25 – A Retro Video Game Arcade Party
If there’s a retro video arcade in your town, hire it for the night and invite some friends over for a night of nostalgic 8-bit gaming. You can hold competitions, give out prizes and make it a night to remember. This works better for older couples who have lived through the age of arcades in their childhood. Pac Man, anyone?
Book an Expensive Hotel Room for the Night
This isn’t something you can do on a first date with someone you hardly know, of course. However, it’s a great idea for couples to revive their early days of passion. It’s like going on a first date all over again, but with a luxurious twist. One night of decadence could be just the thing you and your SO need as long as you can afford it. One night in a room at a fancy hotel can be a life-changing experience because you’ll see how the one-percenters live EVERY SINGLE DAY. As a couple, you may get special treatment, especially if you tell them you’re celebrating a special occasion that day and that you’ve been planning it for a while. Expect lots of flowers and candy, and maybe even complimentary champagne. If you plan a budget well in advance, you can go all out, ordering room service and even using that oh-so-pricey minibar!
Take a Dance Lesson Together
Couples dancing lessons are available in nearly every city for every type of dance. How about a day of salsa or tango? Talk to the instructors or owners and see if you can have a private lesson for just the two of you. They’re sure to oblige because it might mean you’ll continue the lessons if you have a really good time. You can also consider ballroom dancing, jazz dancing, or even something more exotic so you can show off at parties and be the cynosure of all eyes.
A Pizza Picnic Indoors
If you’d rather not go out and simply order a pizza, make it special by putting together an indoor picnic on the living room floor. Get that checkered picnic tablecloth and that old picnic hamper out of the closet, pack in your beverages, napkins, and other essentials, and then take the short walk from the kitchen to the living room to have your own indoor pizza picnic. It’s inexpensive, intimate, and unique as a dating idea.
Go Window-shopping for a Pet!
If the two of you are both animal lovers, what a truly ‘pawsome’ first date idea! Take your date on a pet-store hop one evening, with some stops for refreshments along the way. She’s bound to be impressed by the sheer cuteness of the experience, but make sure she’s not allergic to animal fur or anything like that. And try not to bring anything home other than your date - well, unless you wanted a pet anyway.
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#30 – DIY Crafts
Compete with each other to see who can make the best handmade gift for the other person. A night of crafting can be a ton of fun because you’ll be doing a lot of uninhibited talking while you work side by side. Don’t tell each other what you’re making but don’t be overly competitive about it. That tends to bring out the mean streak in the best of us. Remember that it’s supposed to help you get to know each other, not drive you apart.
Write a Letter to Each Other Over Dinner
If you’ve been close friends for a while and you’ve decided to take the leap into making it a romantic relationship, this could be a great idea. Texting and social media have taken over a huge part of who we are as humans. We rarely truly communicate anymore. All we do is send one-liners and emojis all day. Let’s take some time out to actually sit down and write – with a pen and paper – a love letter to each other. You can do it over dinner and then read them to each other. Write about what drew you to that person, why you admire them, what you love about their personal foibles and imperfections – their wabi-sabi, if you will. Reveal your innermost thoughts, tell them about your vision for your future together. Don’t be afraid to reveal too much because, with the right person, there’s no such thing. And since you’ve been friends for so long, you’ll already know that she’s the one.
Serve Her Breakfast in Bed
This one’s for the morning after, actually, and it’s rare for this to happen on a first date. But if you really hit it off and spent the night together, this is a great way to dispel any awkwardness on the morning after. Get up earlier than usual, go quietly into the kitchen, and make her breakfast with coffee in bed and wake her up with a tray in your hand. It’s a good idea to prepare in advance if you already know her and have a good feeling about the date. Get flowers the night before, maybe some of her favorite tea or coffee blend, some fancy napkins, etc. You can even go out early and get some bagels and serve them with cream cheese on a silver tray (if you have it.) Get all of it ready right before she’s up and serve it with a smile and a rose stem in your mouth, like a classic hero. If that’s too much, just the tray will do.
Hire Some Bikes for a Day of Riding
Hire some mountain bikes and take them to a nearby biking trail for a day of riding. Carry a backpack with food and beverages, some field glasses or binoculars, a repair kit for the bikes, a small first-aid kit, and lots of water. Stay hydrated throughout and stop frequently if you aren’t used to doing this on a regular basis. The point is to have some fun and get some outdoor exercise while you’re at it. Stop for a nice picnic about halfway through and then head back. You’ll be talking about your special bike ride for a long time to come. It’s a great way to create some good memories and get in a little cardio along the way, and doing an intense activity with someone is a quick way to get to know them well - or well enough for you to decide if you’re right as a couple.
Book a Long Train Ride along a Scenic Route
If you’re in the Pacific Northwest, the Cascades is a train ride you definitely don’t want to miss. Starting at Eugene, Oregon, in the United States, the ride is 156 miles long and goes all the way to Vancouver, British Columbia. You’ll see evergreen forests on the leg up to Seattle, and then it goes along Puget Sound and past the Olympic Mountains, and everything you’re only likely to see on a postcard. The train has wi-fi so you can research the rich history of this region as you see it live. The ride takes about four hours one way, so if you book a return, make sure you reserve seats on the same side of the train as your ride up. That way, you get the view you missed on the forward journey. Be sure to take a lot of photos so you can flood your Instagram and other social media accounts and make everyone as deep a shade of green as the forest you’ll be passing through!
#35 – Take a Virtual Mixology Class
Learn the art of making cocktails from master bartenders, many of whom now hold virtual classes online for budding cocktail enthusiasts and serious bartender trainees. Sign up early because you’ll need to get a cocktail set with all the essentials. Have a bag of ice ready in your freezer and crush some ahead of your class. You can use a tablet to attend the class, placing it in a convenient spot in the kitchen or your dining table where you’ll be mixing it up.
Visit a Local Monument or Place of Historic Interest
If you live in a city with a rich history, you may want to revisit the past by taking your date on a memorable trip to local places of historic interest. Read up on them in advance so you can sound knowledgeable on your date. The reason we added this idea to the list is that it helps give you some fodder for your conversation, which is usually a major problem on a first date. This way, you know what to say and you can slip in some general conversation about yourselves into the mix.
Take a Hike. Literally.
A brisk winter hike for active singles is the perfect first date. Choose a trail you’ve done before so there are no surprises. Carry a to-go picnic in your backpacks and stop for a light lunch at a particularly beautiful spot along the trail. If you want, you can go a little easy on this special day because it’s not about getting exercise as it is about spending quality time with each other. This is your chance to have meaningful conversations about things that really matter to you as a couple and as individuals.
Stargaze with an App
There are several great apps for stargazers, such as the Night Sky app for iOS and Android. On a clear night, you can plan a stargazing session using the app. There’s something about a crisp and cloudless night sky that sets us free and allows us to reveal our true selves. Expect some great conversation and unexpected revelations about each other that night.
Do Some Indoor Rock Climbing
Rock climbing gyms have been popular for a long time. Find one in your area and book a training slot or practice session just for the two of you. It’s a great way for couples to work on things like trust and teamwork so you may choose to pursue this as a hobby once you’ve learned the ropes, pardon the pun. Rock climbing is a demanding task that requires flexibility of body and resilience of mind. It’s a great way to bond with someone because you’re literally trusting them with your life when you’re on a live climb. It’s guaranteed to do wonders for your relationship.
#40 – An International Date Night at Home
You might not be able to take your date to Italy or France on your private jet, but you can certainly bring those countries home with you. All it takes is some careful planning, a little specialty grocery shopping, and a whole lot of fun cooking up an authentic Mexican, French, Italian, Chinese, or Middle-eastern meal. Top it up with a famous movie in that language (with subtitles, of course), some indigenous music downloads or streams, and maybe even dress up in clothes from that country to make the evening truly authentic.
An Escape Room Night on Zoom
With nearly everything gone virtual over the last several months, it’s not surprising that there are several sites that offer a virtual escape room experience over zoom. It’s better than a video game or a mobile app but maybe not as good as a physical experience. Still, it might be the closest you come to a real escape room game for several more months. There are several themes available, such as prison breaks, enchanted forest escapes, and even a bank heist. There are also experiences based on fictional supersleuths like Sherlock Holmes and Nancy Drew. Pick one with a theme that both of you will enjoy and spend a dangerous night in the safety of your home.
Create Your Respective Vision Boards
There are definitely things that young and ambitious people want to achieve before they’re a certain age. Why not build on this and do a vision board night for your first date? Keep a bunch of old magazines ready and ask your date to cut out images that represent these dreams, put a date on them, and stick them on her very own vision board. You can do the same and then both of you can share your boards with each other. Some elaboration is in order here. While most life coaches and entrepreneurs strongly advocate the use of vision boards to realize specific goals, some psychotherapists say that it could stunt your personal development if you simply expect that the universe will conspire to get those things or make them happen for you. But here’s the rub: nearly everyone believes that vision boards work if there is “an active effort” to achieve those goals. That basically means it’s not a question of magically manifesting things and situations as much as it is about aligning your thinking and work ethic to achieving those goals. The effort cannot be ignored. The best part about doing this with someone else is that you may find that some of your goals are very similar, and it may help turn you into an actual couple! If not, you each still have your dream board to keep.
Have a Barbecue
If you’re lucky enough to have a backyard or even a balcony with enough space, consider having a charcoal barbecue or electric cookout. The electric ones are better for apartments, obviously, but if you can, go with the charcoal grill option for the superior flavors. Get some meat, vegetables, and bread or rolls ready for the occasion, and be sure to properly marinate the meat ahead of time. Organize drinks, invite some couple friends over, and have an at-home barbecue dinner of the best kind.
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Dating with Spotify
If you both love music, then Spotify’s latest Group Sessions feature will be perfect for you. Share playlists and enjoy the music together, either with each other physically or virtually. You can play a game where one of you asks a question and you reply with a song. You can get to know a lot about each other that way. For instance, she could ask “What songs remind you of your college days?” and you can play your favorite college tracks to help her understand the “college you.”
#45 – Replicate this Awesome TikTok Trend
TikTok literally took the world by storm in 2020. In the first quarter of 2020 alone, 315 million people signed up for the social media platform. By the end of the year, the app had over 800 million downloads. Despite the controversies surrounding the app, it’s still massively popular. Why not try this unique TikTok trend where you have a 7-course meal spread out over 7 different locations? Map your journey and record it live as you go through various spots for your hors d’oeuvre, soup, appetizer or entree, salad, main course, dessert, and, finally, coffee or cognac. If you think the two of you are up for it, step it up to a grand 12-courser by adding an amuse-bouche or amuse-gueule before the soup, some fish after the salad, a palate cleanser ahead of a second main course, and a cheese course before dessert. And then watch the TikTok fans pouring in and making your post go viral. What an end to a gastronomically astronomical first date!
Do a City-wide Taco Tasting and Rating Session with Friends
Take a bunch of friends along and visit all the hot taco spots. Get a small order at each location, share it amongst yourselves, and rate it individually on a scale of 1 to 10. Take an aggregate and you have a score for that place. Do that in as many places as you can find, and don’t miss the trucks – those are usually the best. Record the whole thing on video and take lots of photos, then upload it all to social media and watch it go viral in your city. Lots of people will be grateful for your candid ratings, and you are now a taco aficionado!
Take an Online Wine and Cheese Pairing Class
Don’t you hate it when those hoity-toity types at parties go on and on about the best wine and cheese pairings? You don’t? Well, then why not become one of them? Join an online class for wine and cheese pairing and get a deeper understanding of the art. Then you, too, can talk about your Blue Stilton with Aged Port experience or your tryst with Idiazabal and Tempranillo at uppity parties and drive others crazy. Your turn!
Go for a Walk in the Park
The simple pleasures in life are often the most valuable but also the most overlooked. A simple walk in the park with your hands interlocked, strolling past nature, sitting and sharing your thoughts on a bench, and then heading back home for some awesome… well, dinner… it’s something you should do at least once in your life. We live in the fast lane for most of the day, and this is a great way to wind down and spend time with someone who matters far more than how much you make or what car you drive.
Take a Day Trip or Go on a Long Drive
A road trip for a day is the perfect way to spend time together while being safely isolated from others. Plan a picnic somewhere nice along the way and take whatever extras you might need. You can stream music from your phone to your car’s audio system or carry a Bluetooth speaker so you can have your favorite tunes playing next to you when you picnic. You can stop for one big meal along the way, but plan ahead and make sure they’re open and have a dine-in option. You never know.
#50 – Cook a Fancy Meal Together
Why splurge on a fancy restaurant when you can make all those delicacies at home for a fraction of the cost? It gives you the opportunity to get to know each other more intimately, especially if you’ve known each other for some time. There’s something magical about cooking together that helps people bond in a strong way and have deeper and more meaningful conversations. You can do a simple 3-course meal with an appetizer, main course, and dessert. You don’t want to spend too much time cooking because the point is to spend quality time with each other, not practice for the next Masterchef audition!
A Round of Mini Golf
Mini-golf courses are everywhere these days so it won’t be hard to find one nearby that’s open on the day of your first date. Book ahead just to be safe, try to reserve an exclusive session for just the two of you. You’ll enjoy those intimate teasing moments when you teach her how to putt!
First-date Bake-off
A little friendly competition in the kitchen never hurt anyone. Bake some cookies to see who gets more points, but have an impartial judge decide the outcome. Extra points for making heart-shaped ones without molds! Baking is messy and fun, and your guard will be down when your face is smeared with flour, so you can get a lot closer in just a short time and discover interesting things about each other. It’s a little different for a first date, but if you both are up for it, it’s a lot of fun - and it gives you both a very comfortable environment as well.
Rent a Log Cabin in the Woods
Nope, definitely not a good first-date idea if you hardly know each other. Then again, if you’ve been friends before this and have only just started dating, it’s one of the most romantic ideas you’ll find. But play it by ear. You’ve been friends for a while now and you really know each other, but are you (and is she) ready to take it to the next level? If that’s a ‘yes’, then the rest will fall into place. Sites like Airbnb or GlampingHub regularly list beautiful mountain cabins for anywhere from $120 a night to about $250 a night and beyond. If you can convince some friends to join you, a larger cabin for about $550 a night with room for up to 5 couples actually works out even cheaper.
Double Date
One of the best ways to make a girl comfortable on a first date is to start it out as a double-date and then go your separate ways (as couples) if you strike it off. If things go well, you can plan to pair off and go do something else. A good way to do this would be to make it a two-event night. The first one is to break the ice and get to know each other without the awkwardness of a first date; the second will allow you to spend time alone if you think it’s going somewhere. It’s the best of both worlds!
#55 – Drink and Paint Together
Drinking wine and painting with a group of friends can be fun, but for a more intimate experience, do an artwork project that involves just the two of you. Paint your masterpiece together and see how you complement each other. It’s an experience like no other, and you’ll learn a lot about each other from this simple task. It helps if at least one of you has a little experience with painting but don’t worry if you don’t. You can always follow a master on video as she shows you the intricacies of your chosen medium. Acrylic paints are ideal for painting on a proper canvas because they wash off easily and the canvas dries faster than if you’re using oils. But you can also get some water-based oil paints if you want that professional look without the trouble of working with oil paints.
Visit a Botanical Garden or a Zoo
Most zoological parks and botanical gardens are now open but with some restrictions. Based on whether you’re animal lovers or prefer plants, visit one of these spots near where you live. You can carry a small picnic that you can set up in a secluded spot or a bench in the shade, but don’t feed the animals. Being around nature makes you appreciate the world around you. We’re too caught up in our technology world to see the real world that’s out there waiting for us to pay attention. This is your chance to do just that, and as a couple on a very special day.
Meditate Together
Are both of you spiritual people? Then carve some time out for the Zen side of life and unwind with some yoga meditation as your first date. You can follow an instructor on YouTube as you go through the moves. You can also attend a Tai Chi class in your neighborhood. These stressbusters are essential in a world that focuses on getting ahead and staying ahead all the time. That’s why you need to schedule these sessions, and what better day to start? Well, there’s January 1 but you already missed that! 😉
Visit a Weird Museum
There are tons of museums that not many people visit unless they plan ahead. Instead of the usual ones, why not take your date to a Spy Museum or the National Mustard Museum? It’s a fun way to spend a first date and there’s no need to worry about not having enough to say - the exhibits will do it all for you. If you’re lucky enough to live near one of these, you should definitely take your date there for a memorable and educational experience. You’ll have a LOT to talk about at these places and you’ll allow her to see your fun side as well.
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Learn Something New Together
Starting a new initiative together is always fun because it improves your ability to work as a team toward a single goal. It might seem like an odd first day idea, but think about it… if you know that both of you share a passion for something, a first date is merely a stepping stone to a much longer relationship. A new hobby helps because you’ll be spending more quality time with each other from the very beginning. It’ll help you avoid the typical pitfalls later on in the relationship, such as not having anything in common that you like to do with each other.
#60 – Take Her Axe-throwing!
Axe-throwing has been a niche activity for a long time. Well, it’s time to take it mainstream by treating your date to an evening of axe-throwing. It’ll cost you about $50 an hour for two people, and you’ll have a professional show you how to throw and axe the proper way. That’s very important. Don’t just take her to a nearby log cabin, take her out back, and start throwing axes! Besides, we’re not very sure she’s going to be comfortable seeing you with an axe in your hand in a strange place on a first date. That’s the stuff slasher films are made of!
Take a Trapeze Class
If you and your date are relatively young and fit, you can take a trapeze class together. Rule out acrophobia first, of course, but this could be a very fun date. Learning to trapeze is quite safe and you’ll be doing it at a low height with a safety net, not like a daredevil in the circus. It’s a great activity and it will help take the pressure off the both of you in terms of awkward silences and unwieldy gaps in the conversation.
Watch the Sunset Together
Have you done this recently – or ever? Watching a sunset is one of the most romantic things you can do as a couple. Watching the colors change from brilliant oranges and reds to subtler grays and blues… little else compares to the feelings that go through your mind when you enjoy a sunset together. Talk all you want or sit silently and drink in a sight so rare that it only happens once in a… well, DAY! Twice if you count the sunrise, but that’s only if you hit it off!
Fill the House with Candlelight
Imagine every available space in your living room or bedroom occupied by battery-powered candles and small tealights. Real candles are fine but obviously risky, especially if you have fluttering curtains, lots of upholstery, rugs, carpeting, a careless boyfriend, or even a pet. If you live in an apartment, see if there’s a secluded area on the rooftop where you can set up a blanket and some candles for an intimate night-time picnic – or have food delivered home and take it upstairs so you don’t have to cook or worry about doing the dishes.
Go on a Dinner Cruise
If there’s a river or large-enough lake in your area, there’s probably a dinner cruise available on the day. Search the web or ask around to see if anyone knows where it’s happening. A dinner cruise is a luxurious experience and not as expensive as you might think. Book a Los Angeles dinner cruise for two and you get real value for your money – you get to go onboard a luxury yacht, enjoy fine dining, and watch the sunset together. Some of them even have live DJ music, cash bars, and serve a four-course gourmet meal. Not bad for under $300, right?
#65 – Go to a Record Store
Records are officially considered to be antiques now, so visiting a record store is like a blast from the past. If you’re a Gen-X-er, you’ve probably never heard the rich sounds of vinyl before so give it a shot. You may end up falling in love with two things in one night! This type of first date needs to be carefully considered, though. Make sure she’s as much a music buff as you are or you’ll be singing flat all night.
Go to a Drive-in Movie
Do they still have these? Of course, they do. Every major city across America has at least a few of these, and many of them are fairly decent. Choose a location that has a solid online user rating on Yelp and similar sites. Check to see if they offer in-car catering and what your other options are. It’s a great idea for a date any day but even more so when it’s your first date. Some people might feel that a movie is a distraction and you won’t get to know each other, but that might be a good thing because there won’t be many awkward silences. It’s like taking them to a live concert on a first date..
Be a ‘Local Tourist’
Have you ever really seen what your own city has to offer. Tourists often get to see the best side of a city because they’re more enamored of new experiences than the locals. Try being a ‘local tourist’ and take in the traditional sites that group tour guides in your city offer. You can use one of their brochures to plan your day. And because you know the city, you can insert a few exciting stops along the way. Try to make it a walking trip if you think it’s safe. Really get into it by taking lots of photos and posting it on social media. It’s your city, and here’s your chance to be proud of it.
Take Her to an Animal Shelter or Dog Pound
If she loves dogs or animals in general, this is a great way to spend your first date together. It might get a little smelly but the cute factor will overwhelm everything else. You may end up adopting a pet or doing something to help homeless animals, and it will certainly help you bond emotionally with your date like little else can.
Thrift Much?
Another great first-date idea is to take her thrifting to see what outrageous stuff other people have owned. Of course, neither of you should be hung up on money or this will send the wrong message. But if both of you like a good bargain, why not? Buying used stuff not only helps you save money but also reduces your overall carbon footprint. Consider this:
“Studies showed that over the whole life-cycle of the product, from manufacture to disposal the Co2 Emissions add up on average to a total of more than 10 kilograms. The most variable part of this can be traced back to use of the clothing as washing, drying and ironing cause considerable Co2 emissions. For a ladies’ white long-shirt, on average 3.3 kilograms of Co2 are produced during use before its disposal, if it’s assumed that it will be washed around 55 times before it becomes unwearable. If the product is put in the dryer each time and then ironed, The Co2 emissions increase, just from use of the product, to almost 12 kilograms. The Product Carbon Footprint then increases from approximately 10 to around 19 kilograms.”
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#70 – Learn about Chocolate and Wine Pairings
Yup, just like you pair wine with cheese, you can also pair it with chocolates. It’s perfect for a sophisticated first date and you can educate yourself right up to the connoisseur level if you’re interested. Certain wine-chocolate pairings are absolutely to die for, such as dark chocolate with Shiraz or Syrah wine, or white chocolate with a nice Rosé. Such exquisite wine and chocolate pairings complement each other's notes and flavors, bringing out the best in each other. Kind of like your relationship, right?
Record a Song Together
Do both of you sing? Then why not record a duet? It’s a fantastic and unique way to start off a relationship, and a truly out-of-this-world dating idea as well. There are tons of apps like StarMaker that even let you make your own music videos and add the recorded audio tracks to them. You can use a free desktop video editor to add some filters and special effects to the video or clean up any unseemly noises in the audio track. It doesn’t take much to put together a watchable music video that’s good enough for social media.
Organize a Romantic Indoor Treasure Hunt
If you know your date loves a good scavenger hunt, organize a romantic version of that in your home, where it’s safe. Leave handwritten clues, little presents along the way, hints to find the next clue, and so on. It takes some effort on your part but you can have a great time snapping away photos as they hunt through the clues and look for the real prize - your big first-date gift to them. Make sure it’s a good one, and make the clues as hard or as easy as you like. No cheating!
#73 – Buy a Special Gift for Two
The Friendship Lamp is a perfect example of a gift that keeps on giving. Essentially, they’re a pair of lamps that connect to the local wi-fi networks in two different locations, such as your pad and your girlfriend’s apartment. You can set them up to be triggered to light up in a specific color. For instance, if you set yours up with blue and she sets hers up with pink, every time she touches her lamp, yours will light up in pink, and when you touch your lamp, hers lights up in blue. It’s a unique way to communicate and it is non-intrusive. The light stays on until the other person sees it, and then they can tap a message right back to you. Leave it turned on and connected, and you’ll always have a way to say “I’m thinking of you” whether it’s the middle of the day or three in the morning. Check them out at this link.
Why Do You Need Ideas for a First Date? Isn’t the Usual Dinner and a Move Enough?
By all means, take the traditional route and give her a predictable first-date experience. But the past year has been hard on all of us and it’s time for something new so we can finally start looking to the future instead of fearing the present or mourning the past. The virus is still at center stage for most of us, and it’s our duty to fight it on every level and at every battlefront opportunity we can. And the best way to do that is to do away with the old and celebrate the new. We’re not forgetting the fallen souls of 2020; rather, we’re honoring their memory by making a brighter future for ourselves.
So, yes, you can definitely do the regular thing this year… but why? We’ve given you no less than 73 things you can do on your first dates this year, so let’s get ready for what will hopefully be the most memorable day of your life.
