100 First Date Ideas You’ll Want to Try

Looking for first date ideas to try? Look no further as you’ve come to the right place! 

When meeting new people it can be quite tricky to find something interesting to do, especially on a first date. 

It can quickly become a tedious task if all you’re doing is the same thing over and over again. 

By doing something different on your first date you get to try new things for yourself as well and who knows, you might find yourself a new hobby. 

Not only that, but you set yourself apart from all other dates that do the same coffee-date or dinner-date, that can be nice, but … it can also be super boring at one point. 

By doing something more interesting on your first date, you’re breaking the ice with an interesting topic that you probably both like. 

Therefore, finding common interests straight away and avoiding the awkward moments where nobody knows what to say. 

Whether you’ve met in real life or online, you still want to have a good time on your first date, bearing in mind to look out for some of the most common red flags as well.

First date ideas for book lovers 

1. Take your date to a library and browse for your favourite books together. 

This would help you learn so much about what types of books they like. 

And who knows, you might even find a great gem that you can take home with you. 

2. Go through various old book stores and pick out books together 

It’s like treasure hunting, but for a good book. 

And if the date didn’t work out as great as you hoped, at least you got a good book out of it. 

3. Go to a book launch of an author your date admires or would appreciate 

This means that you have to do a bit of research and planning ahead of time, to see what author they would appreciate and when their book launch is. 

Nevertheless, your date will appreciate the effort and the fact that you actually listened to what they said.

4. Go to a local flea market and search for old books together. 

Personally, I find this super fun. 

I could spend days at flea markets looking for old books. 

All that knowledge at such a good price. Who can refuse a good bargain?

You get to spend a day out together doing something fun for both and rescuing some books as well. 

5. Go to a bookstore + coffee shop. 

These 2-in-1 kind of places are where you can also grab a hot drink together after checking out some books. 

There was a time when we used to go with my husband to one of these every week. 

Most of these places also let you read the book for a bit and you can sit down, have a chat too either about each other, or about the books if you’re feeling too shy to share too much straight away. 

6. Go for a book club night with your date. 

You would get extra points if they will actually love the book discussed on that evening. 

Most of the coffee-bookstores have at least one happening just there, so find out when the next one is near you and take your date there. 

Make sure to tell your date beforehand so they can read the book too. 

Then feel free to engage in interesting conversation about a book that you both read and don’t be afraid to defend your opinions if needed. 

Your date will appreciate seeing you stand up for yourself and your beliefs. 

7. Use one of the first date ideas from your date’s favorite novel 

Find out what is their favourite novel and try to imitate, at least in part, that setting. 

Your date will most likely appreciate the thought and effort you put into trying to recreate that date.

IF you know some of the lines as well you get extra points. 

8. See the latest movie made after a book 

I know many times movies are slightly altered to be fit for the big screen, but it can be quite interesting as well to see what others have imagined it like and what they’ve decided to portray in the movie. 

9. Donate books together. 

As book lovers, we tend to pile up too many books at some point. 

And we should make some space for new ones. 

So this idea is brilliant as it shows your date that you’re not holding on too much to things and that you’re willing to share with others as well. 

10. Dare your date to do a book swap with you. 

You should both bring books that impressed you the most. 

This way you have a good opportunity to ask them out on a second date and discuss the ideas of that book. 

Also, it can tell you a lot about your date as a person, what they like and what impresses them the most. 

First date ideas for animal lovers 

1. Have a walk in a pet friendly park together 

This allows you to have a chilled walk, meet your date and also bring your, or their pet along and see how well you get along.

Animals have heightened senses so if your date is not good with animals, or you just don’t click with their pet… it might just mean that you’re not meant for each other. 

And that’s ok, there’s plenty of fish in the sea. 

2. Volunteer at a pet shelter together.

This is such a good idea because not only you’re doing something nice together, but it also shows you how good they are with animals or at least willing to try. 

3. Go see a dog show 

I always found it super interesting to see a dog show. You find out about dog breedes that you didn’t even know existed before. 

Lately there are animal shows for others as well, like cat shows, bird shows and so on. 

Super interesting and it can give you a lot to talk about and joke about too. 

4. Have a picnic together at a park where they can bring their pet too

This again allows you to spend some time with their pet too, or for them to spend a bit of time with yours and see how things work out. 

Considering it is food for you and the pet involved in this, it will allow you enough time to chat about most things. 

5. Visit the local zoo together 

I know that for a pet lover the zoo might not look like the happiest of places for animals, but it can still be an interesting place to see some unusual animals. 

6. Feed the ducks in a park together or pigeons in a square

Just please don’t feed them bread. It’s actually not good for them. 

Get a bag of mixed seeds or any type of seeds or grains really, just don’t feed them bread as it makes them sick, although they might eat it straight away. 

7. Go horseback riding if there is any in your area. 

You don’t need to have experience in riding a horse as most places will teach you how to. 

It can be a fun experience to do together and maybe even do a bit of exploring on horseback. 

8. Do a DIY project for their pet or favorite animal

For example, find an old birdfeeder and give it a new life. Or create a toy for their cat together, or even a cute coat if they have a dog. 

Maybe a hat if they have a parrot or hamster? 

9. See a movie with and about animals

If you can find a movie about the exact animal they have, for example a dog, or horse, or bird, even better. 

10. Go to a pet friendly coffee shop together with their and your pet

Having your pets with you whilst you go out can give you a ton of subjects to talk about and also, they tend to lighten up the atmosphere just by being themselves. 

Therefore, helping you too as well be a bit more chilled and relaxed. 

First date ideas for foodies 

1. Go to your favorite restaurant and show them your favorite dish 

Obviously, there is a possibility that they might not like it. We all have our own likes and dislikes, especially when it comes to food. 

And who knows, they might actually enjoy it and be happy that you’ve introduced that dish to them.

2. Go to their favorite restaurant and have then show you their favorite dish 

Same as the previous one. Even if the date might not be what you expected, at least you get to try new foods. 

3. Go to an exotic restaurant with food neither of you has tried before 

I know in this day and age this might be a bit difficult as most of us, especially foodies, have tried many things under the sun and moon. 

However even if the style of food you’ve tried, maybe try a different restaurant that makes it just slightly different. 

You might like it more than before. 

4. Go to a cooking class together 

Being a foodie doesn’t necessarily mean that you, or your date, know how to cook. 

So a cooking class is just perfect  as you get to do something different together and maybe even create a great dish. 

It can tell you a lot about who it is going to be the cook should this date develop into a relationship. 

5. Go to a cooking show 

A cooking show is always super fun to watch on the TV. 

But watching it in real life is even more so. 

You get to smell the dish and also maybe taste it. Which is something you obviously cannot do if you’re watching it from home. 

6. Go apple for other fruit picking together 

You also get to keep the apples or the fruits you’ve picked. 

So I think it is a good opportunity to learn more about your date and see them in action as well. 

7. Go to a fresh market and look for culinary gems together 

This will help you learn a lot about your partner’s tastes and how particular they are about the ingredients that go into their food. 

8. Go to a food related event together where there are food trucks

I used to love it when there used to be thematic events and various foods that we could try. 

You also can maybe share food if you want and also see if your tastes match when it comes to food. 

Make sure to discuss beforehand if there are any allergies involved or if they want or don’t want to share food. 

9. Do a restaurant crawl. 

It’s like a pub crawl, but you get to try different dishes in different restaurants. 

Maybe go to one restaurant for appetizers, to another for the main and another one for desserts. 

10. Have a picnic where you both bring foods that you like and share it together. 

Considering it is a picnic in a park, it is quite light-hearted and perfect for a first date. 

And there aren’t any awkward situations of ‘who will pay’ as you both brought enough food. 

First date idea for dessert lovers 

1. Go to your favorite dessert place 

Have your date try your favourite dessert. Who know, you guys might like the same things. 

2. Go to their favorite dessert place 

Why not be a little adventurous and try something new, like your date’s favourite dessert. 

3. Go to a baking class 

Although you, or you date, might know how to bake, a class like this will definitely be fun and useful to learn a few tricks from the masters. 

4. Ice cream date? 

Who doesn’t like ice cream? 

Ok, ok, I know that there are some people that don’t, but as most do like it, you’re quite safe with this one. 

Now let’s discover what flavors your date likes. 

5. Picnic but only with desserts 

The same idea as above, where you’re having a picnic and you both bring things to eat. 

However, if before it was about food, this time it is all about desserts. 

So you both have to bring some desserts for the both of you to taste. 

Sweets tend to make things better so in the eventuality that your date seems a bit sour, at least you got to try some sweets. 

6. Your favorite dessert as a drink

There are some smoothie bars where they make all sorts of smoothies and milkshakes. 

Find out what your date’s favourite dessert is and try to recreate it as a smoothie or milkshake. 

You might be surprised by the result. 

7. Coffee-cake shop. Try out at least 5 different desserts each 

With my husband, we do this every time we find a new restaurant that we like. 

We go back just for the desserts at one point, we order at least 5 and then share and vote which one we liked most. 

8. Go to a convenience store together and pick out your favourite desserts or sweets and have a walk whilst enjoying them together  

If you just want to keep it casual and chill, you can meet up for a walk and just enjoy some store-bought sweets. 

Maybe some that you liked as a child? 

And also some that they liked? 

It’s a fun way to start the conversation and get to know each other. 

9. Dinner date where you pick each other’s desserts 

It might sound a bit risky, but you might also be very pleasantly surprised by your date’s choice.

Make sure to choose something you think they might like. 

10. Try out a dessert from your favorite movie or your date’s favorite movie.

Either way you have a reason to have a second date, right? 

First date ideas for DIY-ers 

1. Go to a pottery class together 

It’s great if you’re inclined to do DIYs and also want to experience something quite interesting and new.

2. Go to a wood-work class together 

If the date is not going too well, at least you’ve got yourself some new skills that you can use in the future on your project. 

3. Go to a glass art together

You get not only to do something with your hands but also be creative. 

4. Go to an art/painting class together 

A lot of the DIY work involves creativity so an art class might just right for you and your date.

5. Volunteer for a charity that flips houses for people in need 

You can tell a lot about people who are helping those in need and also how they do it. 

6. Go to a garage sale together and scavenge for treasures

The old saying is still true: ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure’. 

7. DIY something together for their house or your house 

8. DIY something together and donate it to a charity 

It’s not only a good way to get to know someone and what skills they have and how they are using them, but also helping others that need it most. 

9. DIY swap 

Make something small and nice for them and they should make something for you as well. 

Swap it when you meet up for a picnic or a walk. 

1. Best DIY story challenge 

Talk about a time when you fell in love with DIY. 

The winner gets ice cream, and the loser pays. 

First ideas for outdoorsy people 

1. A long walk in the park 

It is a great idea not just to top up on that Vitamin D, but also have a good conversation with your date.

2. Do a hiking in a public and populated place 

Considering it is a first date and you don’t know them too well, it is safer if the trail is a bit busy with people… you know, just in case. 

3. Do an outdoor gym training session together 

Many parks have an outdoor gym. 

Why not do a training session together? You get to test each other and put in a good workout as well. 

4. Climb a wall 

Climbing a wall is not easy and it does take some physical effort. So, it is a good way to assess if they can keep up with you, or you with them. 

5. Sightseeing in your own city as tourists. 

You’ll be amazed as to how many things you didn’t even notice until you actually walked around your city like a tourist. 

6. Go mini-golfing 

You get to spend time outside and also put in some steps, instead of the usual sit-down-at-a-table date. 

7. Forage for various medicinal plants that you can use to make tea. 

If you’re unsure which ones are those, get a botanical book with you with pictures to show you which plant is actually safe and helpful. 

8. Play frisbee in the park 

This is quite self-explanatory and also a lot of fun. 

9. Fly a Kite 

It doesn’t matter too much if you know exactly how. There are many tutorials online these days.

And it is a good skill to practice together and have fun flying colourful kites. 

Maybe even more than one? 

10. Visit a greenhouse or botanical garden. 

Outdoors, but inside. 

It will very interesting as you get to see so many varieties of flowers and plants from around the world.

And it also opens up your imagination as to how it would be like trekking through the Amazonian Forest for example. 

First ideas for sporty people 

1. Go for a run, like a color run. 

Most cities have one at some point. 

It is fun and filled with colour. 

Great way to have fun being competitive and being rewarded for it. 

2. Do a gym session together 

It is not necessary to show off in any way, but a good workout buddy never hurt. 

If being fit and sporty is important for you, then it is a good way to find out if your date is interested in the same things. 

3. Go to a dancing class

It is still movement, but more fun. 

4.  Play some ping-pong. 

It doesn’t matter if you’ve played before or not. You get to do something fun together and also move a little.

5. Play air-hockey. 

I just love this especially as this is the very first game that I’ve played together with my husband, back when we were dating. 

I had a chance to see how competitive he can get and also what he is like when he’s losing. 

6. Go to a game together. 

Preferably something you both enjoy, if not, then something none of you is particularly a fan of, but always wanted to see in real life too. 

For example I always wanted to go to a live rugby match in the UK. And we made a date out of it at the time. 

I’m not a big fan of the game and it is definitely played differently than in the US. But it was still very interesting to see it played live and not just on TV. 

7. Bowling 

This is another harmless and fun idea. 

You get to move a little and also show your competitive side. 

No great skills are necessary. As a matter of fact, the less experience you both have the better. This way it will be more challenging to win. 

8. Roller-skating. 

Again, you get to move a little, or a lot, and do something fun. 

If your date doesn’t know how to skate it’s just the right time to help them learn. 

9. Indoor trampoline park. 

OH MY GOD! This must be one of theeee best first date ideas ever!

In most of these places if you go early enough, they won’t be filled with kids so you can actually have the whole place to yourselves. 

Also they tend to have different trampolines for various games to be played. 

When we went, a couple of years ago, we went at around 10.00 and we had the whole place to ourselves for at least 1 hour. 

It doesn’t sound much, but we were drenched by the end of it. But it was so worth it. 

10. Escape room. 

These have been quite the hype a few years ago, but escape rooms are still fun, especially if you haven’t been to one in a while. 

It helps you see how well you work together with your date. 

And if anything happens, staff are always close to set you free. 

Date ideas car lovers 

1. Go to a racing show together 

Either Formula 1 or Rallies, anything that your date would be interested in as well. 

Maybe you get to be taken around the racetrack as well for some extra added fun.

2. Go to a car show together 

Although I am not a huge car enthusiast, I can still appreciate a good car show. 

You have to give it to them, the craft that goes into building a car, especially the hand-made ones is something else. 

3. Do car showrooms ‘crawl’ 

Maybe you also get to test-drive some cars? 

Pretend you’re a couple searching for a car and have fun with it. 

Who knows? You might actually find a good deal for yourself.

4. Drive-in movie 

This is perfect as you get to be in the comfort of your own car and also watch a good movie. 

Maybe even some good popcorn? 

5. Watch a movie about a certain car brand or racing. 

Once you see a biopic or a movie made about how a car brand came to be you get to appreciate the car even more. 

For example, a few years ago I saw the movie ‘Lemans’. It is about racing at Lemans in France, which is a 24 hour race. 

Although it is a bit sad, I appreciated racing a lot more after seeing it. I never knew how much training and engineering goes into racing. 

And earlier this year, when I got to go to the Red Bull Races in Austria, Europe, I really appreciated many more details than I would have otherwise. 

6. Drive-through take away and a good view 

This is still one of my favourite dates. Especially if you can find a spot with a good view of the city. 

7. Sunset car date 

Similar to the previous one, but specifically finding a good spot to see the sunset. 

8. Go karting together 

My husband took me once as a surprise date and I love it. It was definitely one of the best dates to date. 

I then understood why people get excited about karting. 

It feels like you’re actually in an important race and racing for the win, of course. 

9. Use a scooter for the day

Although you might be a car lover, why not try a scooter for the day. 

And what better way to do it but with a date. 

You both get to do something you don’t normally would. 

Although it does take you out of your comfort zone, it can also be a lot of fun and exciting. 

10. Racing cars

Head to the arcade and race some cars against each other. 

It is fun, you’re driving cars (even if only virtually) and you get to compete with each other. 

What’s not to love about it? 

First date ideas for teenagers

1. Amusement park 

There are so many things to do at amusement parks, that you’re bound to find something you both like 

2. A walk in the park 

A good old walk in the park is perfect for a nice sunny day, where you get to talk and get to know each other better. 

You can also stop by and feed the ducks, or pigeons. 

Just please don’t feed them bread. It’s actually not good for them. 

3. Biking around the neighborhood or the trails 

Biking can be fun on its own, but if you do it with your date, you can stop once in a while and have great conversations and get to know each other better. 

4. Have a walk around the mall and get some food and drinks 

This is quite light-hearted and nice to do, especially as there are many options to choose from at the mall.

You can go grab some drinks, maybe some food, walk around the mall and just have a chat. 

Or even have a group date with more friends who are on their date too. 

5. See a movie that you both like 

This is quite self-explanatory and there isn’t much need for details here. 

Try to find out what types of movies your date likes and then you can schedule when to go and what movie to see. 

6. Volunteer at a nursing home together. 

It’s not only fun because you get to hear all sorts of stories from people’s youth, but you get to see how caring and compassionate your date is. 

7. Go to a concert

Music is quite a big part of our lives, so it is important to know early on if your tastes match, at least when it comes to music. 

8. Photo Shooting Dare

As long as you have a working camera on your phone, you can do a photo shooting dare where whoever takes the best picture wins an ice cream. 

9. Watch a school sports team 

This is great as a date as you get to be together with your date and with your friends as well at the same time. 

10. Play a video game together 

Again, having things in common with our date is quite important. 

Find a game you both would enjoy playing and do that together. 

It’s similar to going to an arcade, but better because the fun and the game doesn’t need to stop when you run out of coins. 

Date ideas for over 50s

1. Dancing like it’s the 70s or 80s 

Going to a Dancing Club is a really good idea for those in their ‘second’ youth. 

You are more likely to find music that you actually like and appreciate than in a hip club filled with teenagers and too much noise. 

2. Farmer’s market 

It is a good way to get out and not only be on a date, but also do something interesting. 

And maybe also try some interesting cheese and wine? 

3. A good romantic movie 

This is a good first date ideas regardless of the age. 

It just differs when it comes to choosing which movie to watch. 

4. Senior’s club 

Dating can be quite nerve racking at any age. More so if you’ve been out of the ‘game’ for quite a while.

Having a date at the senior’s club sets a light-hearted tone to it and it is quite a neutral ground, so perfect for both of you.  

5. Board games or card games clubs 

This again is a very good idea at any age, but especially for seniors. 

It is fun and also it gives you the opportunity to know your date and how competitive they still are. 

6. Museum or an art show 

It gives you a good opportunity to learn more about what your date likes to do and what their interests are. 

7. Ice cream date 

Having tasty ice cream is not only for the younger generations. 

If your health permits it, why not sweeten the date up with some good old icecream? 

8. Picnic with a twist

Why not have a picnic, and alongside the food you both bring a picture or an object that means a lot of you. 

It will help you start a conversation and also share some nice memories with your date. 

9. City tour on a bus 

If there is a city sightseeing bus in your area is a perfect way to ‘visit’ your city like a tourist, but without all the walking. 

They can even drop you off at different stops and pick you up again, which is perfect as you can limit the walking. 

10. Go to a play or opera

Depending on what your date is into, you can go to a play or even an opera evening. 

It is a really good way to spend time doing something you like and also maybe have dinner either before or after.