10 Seriously Fun First Date Ideas for a Great First Impression

Research says that your first date has an important role in determining whether you and your potential partner have a romantic future. That early communication isn’t just about sharing information about each other. It’s about looking for signals that you are interested in each other too.

Do you want to give a great first impression and make your first date as much fun as possible? Here are 10 awesome first date ideas worth trying.

First Date Ideas

First dates can be stressful. You’re under pressure and feeling like you’re being judged. Similarly, you may worry about getting out of an unsuitable date.

You need date ideas that take the pressure off. Having things to do will help. You also need to give good dates a chance to flourish.

1. Mini Golf

You can’t play mini-golf without having fun. It’s a great way of relaxing and getting over the first date nerves. You don’t have to be good at it and actually is more fun if you aren’t.

It lasts just long enough to begin to get to know each other. It’s not so long that you are condemned to endure a long date with somebody that you don’t connect with. If it’s not working for you or them, just call it a day when the last hole is completed.

2. Cooking Class

Learning something with someone gives you a great opportunity to get to know them and for them to get to know you. You can both be a little less self-conscious and focus your attention on what you are doing.

Having other people around also takes the pressure off you. You don’t have to be clever, witty and attractive the whole time. You can chill, have some fun, and be yourself.

Getting a little messy, making mistakes, and sharing the joke help you break down the barriers. Sharing food is always a romantic thing to do. Just think of that scene in Lady and the Tramp.

3. Visit a Dark Restaurant

Dark dining is a sensory experience. You dine in a restaurant where you can’t see anything. Either the room is completely dark or all the diners are blindfolded.

Many cities have such restaurants. Removing one sense changes the experience and even enhances the gastronomic pleasure. It’s an interesting experience to share with someone.

Not being able to see means you might have to help each other getting around the restaurant and finding your food too. Ask for permission to touch and be sensitive about inappropriate fumbling. If you are both happy about it, feeding each other can be sensuous.

4. Take an Art Class

Whether you both are hopeless or talented, making art together is fun. Sharing creative ideas can give you insights into each other that would take much longer to achieve through conversation.

It’s another opportunity to get a little messy together too. Making pottery or finger painting give you permission to touch and connect physically. These are tactile experiences that can ignite deeper feelings or tell you that this relationship doesn’t have a future.

5. Bake Together

If one or both of you are able to bake, spend some time teaching, sharing, and learning together. Baking bread, cakes or pastry is a very tactile activity. It helps to get both sets of hands into the flour and share the sensations.

There’s always a little time to chat while the bread, cake or pastry is baking. Afterward, sharing the delicious food or the disastrous baking mishap can also be fun. Have a cup of coffee, taste the product of your efforts, and discuss where you went wrong or why it tastes so great.

6. Visit the Beach

Take a visit to a beach if you have one nearby. A beach is great for a romantic walk. Get your shoes off, feel the sand between your toes, and the seawater on your feet.

You should make the judgment call but perhaps some playful splashing would be fun. You can help each other dry your feet and even build a sandcastle together. There’s nothing more romantic than a sunset viewed from a beach.

For extra “first date” appeal, take a light picnic. Fresh fruit, finger food, and something to drink turns a walk on the beach into an excuse to sit on a blanket, under a shade, and really get to know each other.

7. Take a Camera for a Walk

Taking a walk can seem like an unimaginative idea for a date. Take a camera, even a smartphone camera, and it turns into a photoshoot. Much more interesting.

Choose a location with interesting things to photograph. A park, a grimy industrial landscape or a seashore can all offer artistic inspiration. Chat, click and share your personalities through the medium of photography.

If you’ve had a good time you can extend the date by examining your haul of photos over a drink or a coffee. Do some editing. Share the best photos with each other.

8. Thrift Shopping

A shared visit to a thrift shop can give you insights into your date that you wouldn’t get easily on a conventional date over a drink or coffee. You will learn about their creativity, their sense of humor, and their personal style.

Help put together a look for each. Try on clothes you wouldn’t normally be seen dead in. Talk about what you see and feel.

9. Wild Swimming

If you like to swim, try wild swimming. It’s a whole different thing. Taking a swim in a river, lake or the sea feels completely unlike swimming in a pool.

There’s an element of danger in swimming in a natural environment. Take sensible precautions and don’t swim where there are warnings in place. The excitement and unconventionality can help to break down inhibitions and reveal the real person beneath the surface.

10. Volunteer

Many charities or community groups need volunteers to help them achieve their aims. You can tidy up the neighborhood, visit an elderly person or help at a soup kitchen. Doing this as a first date can be a heartwarming experience.

Helping other people can feel good. It’s great to share this feeling too.

You also get to see each other’s personality traits. Is your date kind, thoughtful and a good listener? Do you have similar attitudes and shared values?

Good Dating

Chose first date ideas that best match each of your tastes. If you both have fun then you will both be relaxed and at your best.

Check out our online magazine for more great dating tips.