Great First Date Ideas (Part 2)

Have you read our Great First Date Ideas (Part 1)? Here is our second part of amazing first date ideas. Check them out and win your second date!

Go for a Run Together. An easy run with a new friend can make for a great date! Go Gift Shopping. When I need to pick up a gift for my sister or some other relative and need some insight into the process, I ask my date to give me some in-motion advice and perhaps even pick up something small for each other. Trinkets only. Save the cars and fur coats for later dates! Go Ice Fishing. There is nothing more romantic than ice fishing. You’re in a little cabin on a frozen lake, probably drinking beer or whiskey and practicing patience. Go on a Brewery Tour. Like meeting at a bar, a beer tasting tour will give you all the liquid courage you need — except the tour guide is there to help interject during any awkward lulls in conversation. Go See a Community Theater Play. Community theater is incredibly fun, and incredibly cheap. Follow this one up with dinner from a local diner and you’ll have a budget date in the making. Go Shopping Together. Tell her that you’ve got to buy a present for your mom/sister/etc. Then take her to some interesting places. You’ll be able to get to know each other well when talking over the present ideas. Or, if you want to spoil her, take her shopping for a new outfit. She will feel like a princess trying on the outfits for you! Go Stargazing. If it’s a clear, warm night, then why not go stargazing? Bring a blanket, bug spray, and a telescope if you have one. Go to a Carnival. Carnivals can get pricey. But in terms of people watching and down-home fun, they can’t be beat. You can also forgo the rides in favor of elephant ears, and a blanket for people watching. Go to a Comedy Club. Comedy clubs can either be a blast, or a dud. Either way, it’s sure to be an experience! Go to a Horse Race. This first date idea sounds like it can get boring, but the trick is to make a game out of betting against each other. Bet on a different horse than my date each time and tease them about it. Let some friendly and flirty competition evolve, and I guarantee we’ll have a great time. Go to a Movie, then Dinner. If you’re into the idea of switching things up, but don’t want to move too far outside your dating comfort zone, try this hack: Check out a flick before you go to a restaurant so you can discuss the movie while you eat — talking points guaranteed. Go to an Author’s Book Reading. Especially of an author that you really like. Go to Snocross. You can wear your favorite coat, snuggle up and watch snowmobiles race around on a snow-covered track. It’s actually pretty cool. Go to the Nature Conservatory. Just be with the trees and the breeze and get to know your date outside of hectic cityscapes. Go to the Woods. Pitch a tent, rent a cabin or stay at a family member’s secondary residence. Bring some wine, cuddle up by the fireplace and have yourselves a time. Go Tubing. This is a summer activity and you can and should invite some friends. You just tube down a river drinking beers (if you would like) and chatting. It’s peaceful, sometimes crazy and also just really fun. Go-karts. I can’t think of anything more fun than racing around in a little car with my date. Have an Extravagant Brunch at 8 am. Get dressed up and make breakfast properly. Make a big deal out of it, and include fabulous pancakes, decadent waffles, poached eggs and the best hollandaise. Boutique hotels often do a brilliant brunch, but a bit of surreptitious googling should set you on the right track. Historical Sites. A trip down history lane can be good for two reasons, it’s peaceful and calming which can make your date feel comfortable in your company, and they sell souvenirs. A souvenir would always make your date think of you fondly each time they see it. Holding Stray Animals. Many shelters, particularly no-kill ones, will let people come in to hold animals like kittens and puppies in order to get them acquainted with human beings, thus making them more adoptable. Home Food Challenge. Without going to the grocery store try as hard as you can to create a meal or snack using the ingredients in your cupboard. This is an activity where you can really impress someone with your resourcefulness. Horseback Riding. Women love it because it’s such a sexy rush, and men love it because they feel manlier. Can you ask for a better combination on a first date? Hot Air Balloon. Looking for an unforgettable first date idea? Well, a hot air balloon with a glass of champagne will definitely be something to talk about, don’t you think? Ice Cream Parlor. Take your date back to their childhood by ordering a humongous portion of ice cream with all the works for them. Ice Skating. Ice skating or roller skating in a rink for an hour is a good way to spend an afternoon together before you head off to do something else. It’ll bring out your date’s inner child and it’ll be a laugh too. Improv Jazz Show. Going to a jazz show is, in many ways, better than taking my date to a normal indie (or similar) concert during our first evening together. While it’s a more relaxed setting wherein we don’t have to worry about dancing at all, casual jazz shows at coffee shops or lounges are typically a lot quieter than your average show, thus allowing us to talk more. There’s something very sexy and sensual about jazz, especially if both of us are having a drink and sitting next to each other in a dimly lit room. Indoor Sports. Paintball and laser tag are good fun for groups of people. But sometimes, even a twosome can make for great fun, that’s worth talking about on the second date. Inner Tubing. Live near a river? Is it summer? Go inner tubing! Jump on a Trampoline. The hardest part will be finding one, but I have faith in you! Karaoke. Do you think you’re the best bathroom singer, or are you trying to impress your date with your showmanship? Nothing beats a karaoke bar. Live Jazz. There’s something very sexy and sensual about jazz, especially if both of you are having a drink and sitting next to each other in a dimly lit room. Live Music at a Small Venue. You wouldn’t want to take a first date to a big concert. The atmosphere is too chaotic and not at all intimate. However, seeing live music at a smaller venue where you can sit down and have a drink is a good choice. You will be able to chat, and there is so much energy at a live show that she will think you are a fun, outgoing type of guy. Local Festivities by Force. Force the two of you to go to whatever cultural event or festival everyone is going to, but you’ve deemed yourself “too cool” to go to. Put on your tourist trousers and enjoy it. Local Flea Market or Farmer’s Market. You will have fun while looking over all of the items, and you’ll get a sense of her personality by which items she likes. Make sure there is a good place nearby where you can stop for a bite to eat. Buy her a souvenir so she won’t ever forget your first date! Make a Video and Put It on YouTube. You could really do anything and make a video of it, but it does at least give you a purpose and a goal. Make Astrology Charts. Figure out your compatibility using astrology charts. There are two types of readings you can easily find online for free they are called “composite charts” and “sensatori charts,” be sure to figure out your birth dates beforehand. Make Cupcakes Together. You know you want to. Make Homemade Pizza. Instead of going out, why not make your own pizza at home? Yes, this includes making the dough as well. You might be surprised at how much better homemade pizza is! Medieval Times. Does this need any explanation? No! Eating with your hands, handsome knights, silly hats? Sign me up! Miniature Golf. If you want a really relaxed, fun date, then miniature golf is a sure bet. The friendly competition is a great way to get to know each other. If you are actually good at mini golf, then use it as a chance to put your arms around her and “show her how to put.” Mix CD Trade. Are mix CDs antiquated? Maybe you could just make one another a playlist on your iPod or something… Either way, sharing and discussing music is one of the world’s great, little-known aphrodisiacs. Monster Truck Rally. Go to monster truck rallies, watch huge trucks fly through the air and a crazy fireworks display. Movie. Movie dates are perfect for cozying up and feeling the tingle of romantic excitement, especially when both of your elbows touch each other accidentally, of course. Movie Marathon. Pick a theme on Netflix: horror movies, adventure movies, movies starring Sean Connery, whatever. Make a huge tub of popcorn and start your movie marathon. Museum. A museum may not be the typical date idea, but no matter which museum you go to, there’s a very good chance that you’d find something interesting to see for a couple of hours. My Old Neighborhood Date. Walk around the area you used to live, and tell your date about where you used to ride your bike, what happened on that one lawn, which house was best to hit up on Halloween and who the really creepy neighbors were. Nature Walks. If your date is an admirer of nature, go hiking on a short hiking trail before you stop in a beautiful setting to sit down together and spend a few moments of romantic time. Nighttime Bike Rides. Nighttime bike rides are not as safe, but on a beautiful summer night with a perfect breeze I can hardly imagine anything more romantic or fun. Just be sure to wear bike helmets and use lights. Nighttime Walk on the Beach. You know the cliché line about “likes to take long walks on the beach.” Well, there’s a good reason for it – walks on the beach are romantic! Going for a walk on the beach at night is going to have a very different mood than in the day. It is quieter, more intimate, and cooler so you aren’t unattractively sweating up a storm. Remember to be a gentleman. If she is cold, offer her your jacket. Old Fashioned Eateries. There’s always a heritage-eating joint in every city. It could be an old ice cream parlor or a bakery serving the best cupcakes or waffles. Old Fashioned Pub. Old Irish pubs or any quaint pubs that your date hasn’t been to would be a nice way to spend while getting to know each other better. And if there’s a happy live band with a fiddle, well, you’re going to have a happy time for sure! One Hour Classes. There are so many one hour classes that are perfect for dates, be it pottery, glass painting, or just about anything else. Just make sure you go somewhere where you can finish the class with a souvenir. Opera or a Musical Show. An opera or a musical show is perfect for a sophisticated date who loves a grand and colorful gesture. Park. Have a picnic at a park, especially if it’s a pleasant sunny day. There’s something about staring at nature’s beauty that makes us all feel wonderful inside. Pedal Boating. Renting a cute little pedal boat can be a calming way to get to know one another while also seeing some scenery in your area. Planetarium. For the star gazing lovers, nothing beats the peaceful setting of a reclined seat in a planetarium. It’s dark, cozy and a complete out-of-the-world experience! Play at Target. I love doing this. Head over to Target (or any other retail store) later in the evening. Play with the toys, peruse the books, and play hide-and-seek. Play Board Games at a Coffee Shop. Great for competitive lovers. Play Games in the Park. Pack a picnic, your UNO cards, and a blanket. You’re set for the afternoon. Play Night Games. I can remember all too well playing ghosts in the graveyard and capture the flag at night when I was a kid. They’re super fun! If you have a group of fun-loving friends, and your date seems to be adventurous as well, night games are a blast. Play Online Trivia. There are so many online trivia options. This is great for weeding out potential dates as well. Play Paper Dolls. Before you roll your eyes at this one, let me say this: playing paper dolls with my friends is one of our favorite things to do. And this group includes an equal mix of guys and gals. The focus is on high-fashion, couture paper dolls, not kiddy paper dolls. Many of our dolls look more like works of art. Play Photo Shoot. Have a photography day. This can also include nudity if you would like, but also just helps to break the ice a bit as one or the both of you relaxes in front of the camera. Play Truth or Dare. Awesome. Playground. A lot of magazines recommend going to a playground for your first date. If a guy took me to a playground, I’d probably think he was cheap and/or way too quirky. However, there is nothing wrong with going for a nice walk in a park and “happening on” the playground, where the two of you teasingly bump into each other on the swings. Playground Date. Slides are exciting. Monkey bars are fun. Swinging side by side is totally awesome and you can have a contest as to who can swing higher. (Hint: if you are younger you will probably win this one. Older people, I have learned, sometimes feel motion sick on swings. Definitely one of the downsides of maturity.) Poetry Reading under a Waterfall. Write your own poem, read classic poems or even song lyrics to your beloved. They probably won’t even be able to hear you because of the waterfall so don’t worry about your public speaking skills. Pretend to be Tourists. Go and do the stuff you’ve never done because, well, you’ve always lived here. Wear a baseball cap, khakis and a bum bag (“fanny pack”) for a feeling of real authenticity and don’t forget to take plenty of photos!

If you want to learn more ideas, check out Great First Date Ideas (Part 3).