The classic stretch of arms just to hit your date with your elbow on the top of their head because their head is on the headrest doesn’t necessarily mean it is a bad thing. It might end up in a marriage after a few years. What it takes is the right person to match and understand your level of energy. I’ve listed places, activities, and things you can do with your date. Not to brag but some of them are things you’ve never heard before. You’ll wish you’d thought of them before, and you’ll be glad you found them!
Special date idea
For teens or adults, ideas that aren’t heard as much, but can lead to unforgettable experiences.
Cool date idea
For those who want unforgettable experiences, but low-key date ideas that are between special and casual. Done and seen before.
Casual, cheap & easy date idea
For those looking for something that’s not too extra and want things to keep flowing easily. Appropriate for college students, or anyone looking for something affordable too. Here’s the list of 43+ first date ideas that’ll blow your mind:
1. Visit a planetarium
Special date idea It sounds a little cheesy but we are essentially made of star stuff, and looking at the stars, learning more about them, and at the same time our very origin would be a worthy time to spend, and even better a worthy time to spend with a date. The visits to planetariums are usually inexpensive, starting from 5$, especially if we compare the price with the priceless experience you could have while being there.
2. Water Lantern Festival
Special date idea It is very romantic, but besides that, it is absolutely fun! Note: the lantern activities have been discussed as one of the things that harm the environment, hence I choose the water lantern which can be sustainable and more manageable when it comes to environmental issues. One of the festivals that care about the environment, and that are worth visiting: Water Lantern Festival – It is available in a lot of countries in the world.
3. Find a high building and enjoy the view (especially during/after sunset)
Cool date idea All it’d take is walking the stairs, or taking the lift, if you’d feel like it a couple of drinks, perhaps a blanket (just in case), and you’d have a romantic date that didn’t cost 200$, nor 100$, nor 50$, but more fun than the ones that cost that much.
4. Volunteering
Special date idea It’s good for the hearts, it’s good for the society. It has a lot of potential for this to be a bonding experience between you and your date; and why not the people/animals involved in the activity).
5. Go to IKEA, ‘live’ there for a few hours
Special date idea If you’re looking for fun, you can play a game of pretending to be ‘the generic couple’, or simply look and review furniture; try them out, sit, lay down, touch… Who knows, besides an awesome date, maybe you’ll find a nice office chair there!
6. Take a pottery class together
Special date idea If you’re looking for date ideas that aren’t awkward, then you’ve found one! This one is pretty intimate, but it’s also safe and fun. Safe, because you’re surrounded by other people too; fun because it can get messy and make room for jokes and laughter.
7. Go ice skating
Cool date idea It’s safe if you’ve met online – there’ll be people all around you; It’s fun if you’re bad or good at it. You could be learning something, falling, and laughing it off. It’s an awesome first-date idea, especially for winter!
8. Go to an art gallery and caption the art you’re seeing
Special date idea Give your description and names to the art pieces, whoever makes the best captions wins. The loser pays for drinks/meals. An art gallery is a good place to meet for a first date; you get to see your date’s imagination, a little bit of their way of thinking, and get to know more of their sense of humor.
9. Yes or no questions while driving: for every yes take a right, for every no take a left and see where it leads
Special date idea This one would be more suitable if you already know the person’s background, or have common friends. It wouldn’t be safe for a first date with someone you met online. Make a list of yes or no questions, hop in the car, start asking the questions for every yes, take a right; for every no, take a left. Once the questions are done, go to the nearest restaurant to your destination and explore. *You can do this while walking too.
10. Meet up at a coffee shop and play math games that are suitable for 5th graders
Special date idea You can do this at a park too, the location isn’t much of a problem as long as you’re safe there. The point is solving 5th graders’ math problems together. Room for giggling, a little flirting, a little joking, and talking about childhood. It’s perfect for a first date!
11. Go to a library or a bookstore together and pick books for each other
Special date idea Have a certain budget, walk around the bookstore/library and pick something for each other. It’s a perfect way to know more about your date and their ideas about anything you’d like to know. You can go for a drink or a meal later on if you’re liking the vibe with them, or simply go home after it if you don’t feel much comfortable.
12. Ice cream around the city
Casual, cheap & easy date idea Grabbing ice cream and just having a walk together around the city is a way to a casual date for anyone who doesn’t want to put too much effort or get too extra on the first date. It also leaves you room for more than ice cream if you’re enjoying the date and want to continue hanging out further.
13. Casually go out for coffee or drinks
Casual, cheap & easy date idea Another casual date idea is going out for drinks/coffee/tea. This is a good date idea for those who want to keep it cool, low-pressure. You get to talk and know more about each other, plus, have the options open for other activities if you feel like it’s a good idea to do so.
14. Shop together for one another at a thrift store
Special date idea Set a budget, and get the shopping started. You can add a twist to it: Wear the clothing item next time you meet up.
15. Breakfast, lunch, brunch
Casual, cheap & easy date idea Quick, casual, and room for moving it elsewhere if you’re liking each other’s company. Pick a place you both agree to, have something like breakfast or lunch or brunch, it’s that easy!
16. Visit the city with ‘tourist glasses’, bike around the city
Special date idea At times we look but don’t see the beauty that surrounds us in the city we live in. Grab some bikes, and your ‘tourist glasses’ and visit your city’s most visited places by tourists and get the exploring started!
17. Meet up at a cafe and solve crossword puzzles
Cool date idea The place where you meet up will be fine as long as you’re safe and able to hear and see one another. Solving crossword puzzles can be challenging which oftentimes leads to funny jokes, questions, and just more things to know about each other. It’s a great first-date idea to help you avoid awkwardness or tension.
18. Bowling
Cool date idea Bowling is a good first-date idea! Nobody is an expert at it, but it’s fun and you don’t have any pressure to just keep talking. You’re a bit distracted, but you can be in the moment with your date too. Plus, it’s safe if you’ve met online!
19. Go to a comedy club
Cool date idea Laughter, talks, drinks. Anyone looking for a fun date, a comedy club would be a pretty good idea. Though, it could be a little risky because if the comedian isn’t good at their job, then things might get a little awkward.
20. Have a picnic at the park
Cool date idea This is one of the first date basics. All you need is a blanket, a few drinks, and a few snacks. Oh, and don’t forget the date! Pick a sunny day, a nice spot at the park, and get the ‘get to know you’ started already!
21. A night picnic at a park frequented by people
Special date idea Summer nights are perfect for a night picnic at a park. Usually, there are other people around, so it’s a safe environment for a date with someone you’ve met online. Stars, drinks, snacks, candles, something for the bugs, and you’re nice and ready to go!
22. Arcade
Cool date idea It’s not childish if it reminds you of your childhoods. It can subconsciously help you on creating a bond through having that “childish” fun with a partner. Give it a try if you’re both feeling adventurous and up for something interesting.
23. See a rocket/satellite launch: https://www.spacearchive.info/vafbsked.htm
Special date idea It takes two very specific people to do this. Once you find your person to do it, it’ll surely be a unique date to remember. Who knows, maybe that rocket becomes your rocket and ends up as your child’s name! Just saying…
24. Go to a museum
Cool date idea Museums have plenty of material to talk about. Walking around looking at interesting things and discussing them is a great way to know more about the person without the date getting awkward. Psst! Also suitable if it’s a rainy day that day.
25. Board games
Cool date idea This is another date idea for the brave and bold ones. If you’re looking for something extra, yet with a lot of potentials to turn into something fun and bonding, go for board games!
26. A day at the beach
Casual, cheap & easy date idea A day at the beach is a good idea because it’s sunny, people are smiling, the sea has a very calming effect – there’s this positive energy around you. Your date could be a simple walk, drinks, ice cream, and depending on the mood and connection you can stay more or leave it there. There’s no pressure, which is a good thing.
27. A short hike at a frequented trail
Casual, cheap & easy date idea A frequented trail is a good idea because of safety; a short hike is a good idea because you’re not going to be stuck with a person you don’t want to spend time with. On the other hand, if you’re loving their company you can suggest having drinks or a meal after the hike.
28. Mini golf
Cool date idea Mini golfing on a first date is a very specific type of cheesy, and it’s still debatable whether it is a good first date idea or not. However, talk about it with your date, and if they’re into it, you can have a blast.
29. Country fair – Amusement park
Cool date idea Walk around, get something to drink or eat first, and then see what you’d like to try with your date. Sure, it can get messy and loud, it’s got so much potential to be an unforgettable experience.
30. Drinks at a bar with live music
Cool date idea Usually, the live music at bars is high and low enough that you can hear what your date is talking about. However, even if you’d have to scream your lungs out for your date to be able to hear you, it can lead to fun stuff. There’s no pressure, you can get another drink (or 2 others) or simply leave it there with an “it was nice to meet you”.
31. Take a cooking class
Special date idea You’ll be learning something fun, but also you won’t be stuck in awkward silence when there’s nothing left to talk about. If you need time to start talking and relaxing in front of a person you’re meeting for the first time, a cooking class is a way to go!
32. Go to a casino
Special date idea As long as you’re both easy-going people, and care to have a fun and interesting date, a casino will be your way to go!
33. A place you’ve never been before taste anything they say they make the best
Casual, cheap & easy date idea “We make the best burritos!” or “We make the best vegan burgers!” or whatever ‘best’ a restaurant has, give it a try. Pick a place neither of you went to before, and try their best specialty, talk about it, is it the best?
34. Karaoke
Cool date idea Room for embarrassment? Yes. Room for a fun and interesting experience? Absolutely! Though, this would be a nightmare for introverts and people that don’t feel comfortable with attention from an audience. Know thyself and your date before you decide this would be a good date idea.
35. A walk in the park
Casual, cheap & easy date idea It’s as simple as that. If you feel like this’d be seen as very little effort, you can bring a little gift with you. If you’re looking for a casual date idea, this is the most casual it’d get.
36. See a fortune teller
Special date idea It can go two ways: “You two are destined to be together” or “Something terrible is on your way”, or maybe something in the middle. It’ll be good material for a conversation, laughter, and maybe conversations about life too; it all depends on your type and your energies. Well, there’s only one way to find out, right?
37. Go to a place where people read/sing their artistic pieces
Cool date idea Poetry, songs, anything, really. You’ll get to listen, but also get to talk with one another. It’s a great way to break the ice and then head for coffee or drinks later on.
38. Trivia night, of course
Cool date idea Trivia nights, famous at bars. Get a few drinks, don’t get beyond tipsy if you’re looking for a fun time to remember.
49. Botanic garden
Cool date idea Put this in the casual list of date ideas. You’ll be relaxed by the surroundings, and you’d get to calmly talk about yourselves and the surroundings too! “I’m enjoying the conversations with you! How about we continue this and go get some coffee?”
40. Have the 36 famous questions asked to one another
Special date idea Pick a place where you can hear and see each other, where you’re safe if you’re meeting for the very first time, and start knowing more about each other. It can create a bonding experience, and it can leave you knowing more whether you’re compatible with/for one another or not.
41. Go to a live game
Cool date idea It can be loud, messy, but if the right people do it, it can lead to something pretty fun and interesting. If both of you are the types to scream your lungs out when your favorite team scores, a live game is the date for you!
42. A festival you’d both enjoy (e.g music festival, beer festival, etc.)
Cool date idea Festivals are fun. Most of them have this positive energy, smiley faces, and happy people. Find a festival that you’d both enjoy and attend it for a few hours. You’d have things to talk about, performances to discuss, and stories to tell.
43. Build something out of air-dry clay
Special date idea Air-dry clay is mostly cheap and easy to work with; Slightly messy, but that’s the fun part! Two people, trying (or not) to make something, getting a little messy, getting a little funny, with a piece of clay that didn’t cost much, can make an unforgettable experience. Plus, whatever they chose to make, will become a little sculpture, if kept well and taken care of, will be a reminder of a good memory.
First virtual-date ideas – Perfect for quarantine or long distance
If you’re in lockdown because of covid, or you want to meet your Tinder match but can’t because of the distance, then there are a ton of things you can do together virtually. Here’s a list of first-date ideas at home:
- Movies at home. You can have a video call while watching the movie, or simply play the movie at the same time, and once it’s over have a video/phone call to discuss what you liked and what you didn’t.
- Order the same food (if possible from the same company). Start the video call, have the food ready, and start talking! It’s an interesting experience, and it makes you feel like you’re part of this amazing team of two. Helps in creating a bond from a distance.
- Cook “together”. Find a recipe you know you’d both love, and start cooking while you’re virtually present. It’s such a brilliant idea, honestly, I can’t stress it enough!
- Ask and answer the 36 questions. Yet another way to bond with your date even though from a long distance. You’ll get to know a lot about each other, and have a better understanding of each other’s ways of thinking.
- Do yoga. If you’re both into yoga and practice it on a daily or weekly, heck even monthly basis, then try it out together through a video call. Share practices, advice, and thoughts.
- Decorate the Christmas tree “together”. This one can be a perfect idea, especially if you’re spending holidays alone this year because of lockdown or any other reason.
- A bottle of wine/beers/coffee and just talking. It’s like you’re going to a place for drinks, but you’re not exactly going to a place. You’ll virtually be at each other’s places, having drinks and having a conversation to know and hear more about one another.
- Make something with air-dry clay. You don’t have to have any particular skills at it, you must give it a try and have fun while doing it virtually together.
What to do and what not to do on a first date? – A first date etiquette for everybody
This is a list of things that guide you on how to behave on a first date to rock it! The ideas above are important to the way the date goes, but none of it matters if you don’t have the manners. Here are 10 dos and don’ts to follow for a legit first date:
- Avoid anything that’s got your family involved.
- Avoid places that ‘force’ you to stay whether you’re enjoying it or not.
- Avoid going to the movies.
- Don’t lie.
- Avoid going to a club.
- A full fancy dinner might not be the best first date idea.
- Take this slow and easy.
- Be and show who you are.
- Be respectful and nice.
- Thank your date and let them know if you’d like to continue things with them or not. Good luck! Callisto
