What are some good ideas for things to do on a first date?

First off, read my other answer on this topic: GOOD DATES: Shopping and Playing Tourist Picnics Skating, Climbing, Kayaking Amusement Parks Art Galleries and Museums Walks in Parks and Nature Wine Tasting Outdoor Markets Salsa Lessons Your Turf BAD DATES: Expensive Dinners Movies and Concerts Comedy Clubs Strip Clubs Overnight Trips Long Drives Her Turf (or out with her friends) Beyond this, I've found that all great dates follow the following steps. 1) Plan Ahead... “What do you want to do?” “Well, what do you want to do?” If there’s one question women hate hearing, it’s “what do you want to do?” Women expect you to make the plans, at least on your first few dates. They find it attractive, after all, when you take the reins and lead. So, do it. Plan and prepare everything -- including a backup plan if you have to. Know exactly where you’re going to meet, what places you’re going to take her, and what you’re going to do each step of the way. 2) ...But Appear Spontaneous On dates, have a plan, but make it feel spontaneous. Your dates shouldn’t appear micromanaged. “First we’re going to go here, and then over there, and then she’s going to order the sashimi platter.” If it seems like you put too much planning and effort into the date, she might get the impression that you’re thinking about this stuff way too much, or that you’re trying to win her approval. Neither of which is good. Instead, pick out three or four places that'd be fun to visit during the date, and just go from one to the other "spontaneously." 3) Be Original Most men all do the same thing when it comes to dating. They take their dates to dinner. Or the movies. Or out for coffee. Eventually it starts to get boring for women. What’s more, most of these men get the same thing at the end of the night, whether it’s a polite kiss on the cheek or “let’s just be friends.” Taking a woman on the same type of date, then, only reminds her of boring dates past. If you want to stand out, be original. 4) Visit Multiple Places Remember that memory is not linear. The more places you visit on any given date, the more memories she’ll have of spending time with you. Instead of feeling like you’ve known each other for only one date, she’ll start feeling like she’s known you for three. And given that many girls have arbitrary rules about how many dates they must go on before sleeping 5) Add Entertainment... Wherever you decide to take her should be rich in external stimulation. A good environment, after all, will help fuel your conversation, keeping your date fresh, exciting, and fun. This is another reason why dinner, drinks, and coffee can be so damn boring for women -- there’s nothing to talk about. 6) ...Interaction Make sure to temper your entertainment rich dates with a healthy dose of interaction. Taken too far, an entertaining date might become a movie or a concert. The only problem is, a movie or a concert doesn’t allow you to interact and learn about each other. It’s much better to go on dates that allow you to share experiences (which is very different than just enjoying a common experience independently). Think gallery openings, wine tasting, and shopping instead of movies and shows. 7) ...And Excitement Lead her through a wide range of emotions during your time together. For example, take her rock climbing to get her heart beating and adrenaline flowing; visit a museum so she can experience awe and inspiration; try on costumes at a Halloween shop to get her laughing and having fun. Keep your dates exciting. 8) At Night Nighttime dates beat daytime dates hands down. There’s just something sexy about the evening. 9) But Only When You’re At Your Best Only go out when you’re at your best. There’s no point in showing up for a date if you’re stressed, overworked, or disheveled. If you know, for example, that you have stay late at work on Monday and Wednesday nights, you better schedule your date for a Tuesday. Make dates work for your schedule, and plan them for times when you’ll be rested and relaxed, playful and conversational, centered and at your best.

Do something unexpected. Don't go to see a movie or a show; these sorts of dates discourage talking and bonding between the two of you. On the first date, the emphasis is on getting to know one another. So choose something where the two of you can talk or learn about each other. Take a walk in a park (maybe even have a picnic) Go to an amusement park Go for a drive Visit a museum (Great for conversation starters) Go bowling Dinner at your place (be careful to not send the wrong message) If you're really adventurous: Take a hot air balloon ride Play paintball (Or laser tag) Whatever you do, make sure to cater to her interests. Ask her what she likes to do and incorporate it somehow. :)

I will share my answer from with a few modifications for first date. First - do not do a dinner or movie date. Avoid going out for drinks dates. Also avoid coffee dates, even though it's one of the highest rated suggestions here. You want something that will create chemistry and you want to avoid something that feels like an interview. At the very least you want it to be memorable. Try to plan three events, each of which should take about 1 hour each. The last event should ideally be close to her place or yours, in case you want to go home and hook up. And yeah, don't ever pay for something ahead of time with a first date, especially if it's an online date. Try to do things you would want to do anyway if the woman flakes. In the past week I have done: mini golf, around the house drive in movie, and drag show. All were excellent dates. Drag show date is probably the best one on this list. Here is the list: -People watching - find a good people watching spot, play "kill fuck marry" or try to figure out what their relationships are. Make up stories about them. -Kayaking -Cooking class -Salsa/ballroom Lessons -Flying a kite -Mini Golf -Chocolate/Cheese Factory Wine/Brewery Tour -Ice skating -Karaoke -Whale Watch -Art night in (grab some canvases and paints and paint something in the back yard) -Spanish night – Spanish guitar, candles, nice cheeses -Around the house drive-in movie - set up a movie in the backyard with a blanket, projector if you have one, laptop if you don't, have good speakers. -Sunrise surprise (wake her up and bring her to a great sunrise watching spot, with blanket and snacks) -Watch planes take off at the local airport -Drive in Movie (actual one) -Hot air balloon / helicopter ride -Stargazing -Comedy Night -Dance Show -Drag Show -Art Gallery -Museums -Symphony -Playgrounds -Build a fort -Sexy Jenga -Planetarium -Laser tag -Arcade -Go Cart Racing -Hot tub date (find a place with massages and hot tubs and rent a hot tub) -Mall Date (be her "Ken doll" for an hour at the shops, model outfits, best if she picks out silly ones) -Hiking -Beaches -Rock Climbing -Aquarium -Zoo -Meteor Showers http://stardate.org/nightsky/meteors -Shooting Range -Fruit and Flower picking -Indoor Trampolines -Rooftop Pool (in a city) -Visit pet shop that lets you play with the animals -Find the most inappropriate card in a hallmark store -Pick out underwear for each other -Department Store Date v1 Separate and pick out a gift for the other person that is under $10 in under 20 minutes -Department Store Date v2 Find the combination of items under $20 that will produce the weirdest reaction in the checkout line (ie condoms, pacifier, plunger) -Glassblowing class -Read Shakespeare together in public -Go dancing at a club -Board games and drinks -The Bins, aka the Goodwill Outlet Experience - pick out crazy outfits and go out in them -Religion shopping – get a pair of cheap rings, you are recently engaged and newly spiritual, looking at local religions with the intent of getting married in one of them soon. Scientology especially fun. -Paint Pottery -Paint each others’ bodies -Do each others’ makeup and go out

A picnic. This is the best way to get to know someone, and it is intimate and personal. She'll appreciate the gesture, and you'll win some points for it. =) And if it doesn't work out, you've probably only spent $20 or so on food. Win win!

Being original is always a great way to go and quite often you can be original without spending a lot of money either. Find out what her interests aor passios are. I once dated a girl that was a wonderful artist, she would design her own business cards and invitations but really had no friends that could understand her love of art. We the big spender that I am, took her to our metropolitan Museum of art for a whopping 3.50 each and we strolled for a bit, once I saw we were getting along very well I guided her to a small art gallery that on Friday nights had groups of people come in and paint while sipping wine, $18 each. so for $50+ bucks I had a great evening, spent time with a wonderful girl and gave her an evening that set me apart from the crowd. Now here is a key point, although our relationship lasted only about a month, the fact that I thought about what she liked and was a bit different than most got around the social circles and I have more opportunities than ever before. Just put a little thought into the person and the date and at worst, You might have a great time.

You’re tired of the tried-and-tested dinner date that sets you back  financially, doesn't tend to lead anywhere socially, and it totally  makes sense. Most people familiar with the dating scene can agree that  trying a new experience can be a great way to go. It is completely fine  to use the foundation of a typical date night such as dinner or drinks;  so long as you make it original and unique, you’ll be sure to make an  impression on your date. One such idea you should consider as the  foundation of your date is drinks. First date drinks are usually a  solid opportunity to begin to get to know one another in a relaxed,  casual environment. But drinks, like dinner, in theory is great, the  plan can fail you! So you don’t run the risk of just sitting opposite  one other, wracking your brain for yet another interesting conversation  topic, mix up the drinks plan! You can pique your date’s interest and  intrigue by tweaking the first date drinks routine (that she has likely  been through) and moving it from a bar to a vineyard for instance. Wine  or beer tastings, classes and vineyard visits are great opportunities to  learn about one another and share an experience with some structure!  Plus, these activities typically end in the afternoon or evening; so if  both of you are having a great time, you can move to the next planned  portion of the day like taking a stroll through the park or downtown. Here  is a blog post listing some tasting tours and events in some big cities  throughout the U.S. like New York, LA and Chicago! It also has a quirky  list of some suggested drink orders to make an impression!  http://blog.zerve.com/2013/11/01/fresh-takes-first-date-ice-breakers-and-cocktails-to-impress/

Parks, Ice Skating, Paintballing, Playing chess, trivia night, grab a dessert there is a huge variety of things to do on a first date. For more great first date ideas check out http://bringyourdate.com for the best ideas for any type of date imaginable and for all kinds of different couples.

First dates are full of excitement and some awkwardness as both parties are considering possibilities and making continuous judgements of the person they are with. Taking that into account, I came up with a format that worked well for me. Ample time for conversation (forget movies, plays and most concerts) Multiple parts (so that they can be comfortably ended early in need be) Focused on mutual interests As far as actual locations go there should usually be some location where you can both sit, talk and get to know each other. Dinner, lunch, coffee or a picnic are all great for this part of the date. I recommend a local place that she may not be familiar with. Picnics also work well to show off any culinary talents you may have. Next I'd focus on some activity that you both enjoy. I've done everything from walking through a park, garden, or a museum, to taking out a sail boat, playing tennis or going to a sporting event. After these, if all goes well, drinks are usually a nice way to end the night.

Ian, you nailed it on the multiple date ideas theme! This is what girls/men want on their date! Especially the first one, because it sets up your success (or lack thereof) for future dates! You don't know her that well, so even if the conversation is flowing like wine, taking her to multiple places shows that you have a fun side. It also makes her more comfortable and willing to talk even more! Our date planning site focuses on the multiple date spot facet, encouraging users to seek out multiple places to make for a more creative and exciting date! Nice post, Ian! Fouad