First dates are so random and spontaneous. Not all. But a sizeable number of them are. And they all happen in the same traditional, typical manner. You either go to a theatre, spend hundreds of rupees just on the ticket, plus a kidney to buy the small serving of popcorn, or make a lunch or a dinner reservation at a fancy restaurant that would cost you at least a thousand rupees. And all that expenditure may not even allow you to have enough fun on your first date. So, why not ditch the old ways and get creative on your first date? Here are 26 fun date ideas that you would absolutely love.
1. An intellectual visit to a planetarium
If you have grown up in an urban locality, you know how much you miss looking at the stars now that you are older. Well, a planetarium would give you just that. On your first date, learn about the constellation, our galaxy and the possible multiverses. Enlighten yourself (pun intended) with the celestial mysteries of the world we live in. It is fun, intellectual and really informative. Besides, going to a planetarium for a first date would be a perfect metaphor. While you are unravelling the mysteries of the universe, you are also trying to decode the mysterious (not exactly) person sitting next to you.
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2. Attend your favourite band’s concert
Spending the first date at a concert is still in fashion and I don’t think it is going to go out any time soon. It is a fun place to be at. There are music, drinks and fast food to stop you from getting tipsy. You can dance with your date, which may not be exactly like a ball dance but we try to do the best with what we have, don’t we? Moreover, concerts bring out the fun side of you. Your date gets to witness your wild side that you would not show them otherwise. It is a perfect way to get comfortable around each other.
3. Compete at an arcade game centre
Arcade gaming centres is the best place to check your competitiveness. Also, people love showing off their skills at such places. You might just find out that you are secretly attracted to competitiveness. Go to an arcade gaming centre and try your skills at winning the highest number of tickets for the day. Make those loser kids jealous. Lol! Set a record at the King of the Hammer game and challenge your date to break it.
4. Sing your hearts out at a karaoke pub
Having your first date at a pub may serve its purpose and prove to be quite successful but it is even better when it is a karaoke pub. This means you get to sing, bust some moves and who knows, even flaunt your rapping skills! And we know how impressive it is when someone we know is able to rap well. Also, who knows you might just find an insane connection like Troy and Gabriella through your similar choice of music. Because the universe is not just mysterious. It is weird, too. When it is at work, you can find love in a ditch, as well.
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5. Go to a cricket match
There is something special about cheering for your favourite team in a stadium full of other raging Indians sitting on the stands. I say cricket because it is more of a religion in India than just a game. And people are madly passionate about it. So, imagine if your date is a fan of cricket, you will already be creating your first impression before even meeting them when you would make the initial plan. Moreover, you would get to witness your date’s wild side and true personality because we all know how sports make humans behave. Therefore, there is no way they would be hiding how they really are.
6. Attend an open mic
This could be any kind of open mic. And now that people are welcoming and appreciating newer artists and all kinds of talents, the number of these open mics is growing by the day. There is at least one open mic every weekend, at least in the major cities of India. So, perhaps you should plan your first dates on weekends. But plan ahead. Everyone prefers to attend open mic over a regular movie these days. Thus, you may not get the tickets. Alternatively, some open mics are free and open to all. You also get to explore new talent there. So, you can attend those, as well.
7. Enjoy a movie at an open theatre
I simply love the concept of open theatres. Remember those days when the entire colony would gather at one place to watch the screening of a certain movie that we have never experienced because we were not even born back then? Yes, that is the same experience you get to enjoy at an open theatre. Open theatres are these roofless places where you can watch a movie while lying on a mattress, directly under the starry sky. It is very romantic and an amazing way to watch a movie. A ticket to any open theatre would cost you anywhere from INR 250 to INR 1000. But it is worth it.
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8. Take a one-day cooking class together
You would love this one. Cooking classes make for a fun date. This could be a baking class or full-fledged cooking class. Here are my reasons why I think you should attend a cooking class for your first date –
- You get to talk, which you may not get to do if you are going for a movie, an open mic or a match.
- You get to learn how your date is under pressure when they are at their ugliest.
- You get to learn how your date behaves in a team. It says a lot about character.
9. Go on an overnight camping trip
Oh. I absolutely love this one. It is such a unique way of spending time with someone. There are resorts where you get the entire kit for camping along with an ideal location. It does not cost much. Only around INR 1500 per person. Also, they ensure that you have a good time. And you don’t have to worry about the food either. They provide you with everything. But this may not be an ideal first date if you don’t know the other person well enough. So, ensure your safety when you go for a camping trip on your first date.
10. Hit the zoo if you are both animal lovers
What could be more ideal than spending time with the furry creatures of the world? Start your date early. Around 9 or 10 in the morning. That is when the animals are fed and completely fresh. So, they enjoy meeting you as much as you enjoy meeting them. Because they are not annoyed by people gawking at them all day long. After spending an hour or two at the zoo, you can wind up at a nearby Chowpatty (every zoo has a dozen of them) and engage in a nice lunch while getting to know each other. For me, this is one of the cheapest first date ideas.
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11. Jazz up your date Sula-style
Ever been to a wine tasting? Remember how fun that was? Well, this is the same except it is more fun because this is not just wine tasting. It is an entire festival! That is why it is called the Sula fest. Now, this one would require a little bit of planning because it usually lasts a day at the least and a week at the most. Spend your time in the middle of the aromatic vineyard or experience a day-long Sula fest. Whatever you choose, it would be equally fun. So, buckle up for your delicious, grapey and tangy first date.
12. Go to a flea market for some cheap thrill
I know those last two words must have just lit up your face. Especially if you are in college. Fortunately, our country has many cheap thrills to offer, thanks to the economy. Lol! Just kidding. (Actually, I am not). Anyway, one of the best things about planning your first date to a flea market is that you can window shop or actually shop for cheap items while having a soulful chat with your date. Additionally, some flea markets also have great musical gigs playing in the background. They are almost like mini-concerts. So, you get to have all your fun under the same roof.
13. Rent a boat to take a sunset ride
If you are lucky enough to be well connected with a well-maintained waterbody, you probably would have a great boating service surrounding it, as well. Take your first date there. Have your first meeting on the lake and watch that perfect sunset as you go. It would be a serene experience, and you would get to know each other while doing something adventurous. Also, not many people take their first dates boating. You would be doing something creative, which would highlight you as a thoughtful person, too! Didn’t think there would be so many usefulnesses to boating during a sunset, did you?
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14. Test your knowledge at a trivia night
Calling out all the nerds and geeks in the house because this one is specifically for you guys. Trivia night is still an unpopular activity in India because not many people are familiar with it. But you guys are good at digging up about stuff that you are passionate about. And trivia nights are being held regularly in the urban areas so, that is good news for the urban residents. On your first date, you would get to answer questions about your favourite shows, movies, books and just about everything else. Also, you would get to flaunt your general knowledge in front of your date. So, if you are going on a date with a sapiosexual, you might just get lucky later that night (or unlucky, if you come out to be dumb, in which case, I feel for you, bro!)
15. Chat while trying to defeat each other at a Snooker game
Oh. This. Is. Going. To. Be. An. Absolute. Fun.
Sorry for giving your brain a mini attack there! But it is just so exciting. Also, it is a bold move to make on a first date. Snooker is quite a sexual game. So, if both you and your date are up for something sexy on your first meeting itself, this would probably be the most successful date in history. But make sure you dress well for this date. If you are a woman, go for a sultry, sequin cocktail dress with pumps. And if you are a man, go for a pair of trousers with a fitting shirt. Dress to impress, my friends!
16. Unravel secrets at a psychic’s
This can be very risky because an actual psychic can truly pull all the cats out of the bags. But I would not recommend you going here if you have issues with revealing your secrets as this may not be an ideal first date experience for someone who is secretive. However, if you don’t mind spilling the beans on the first date, this could actually be pretty fun. You can ask questions about your future and truly enjoy the psychic session.
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17. Visit something historical
If you live in a place that offers great historical heritages for you to experience, you should choose to plan your first date there. Have you ever seen those ‘A <3 S’ signs on the walls of our great forts? How do you think they got there? Obviously, some couple went there to write that and completely ruin a perfectly well-established monument. Explore the beauty of your own city like a tourist and visit the places that you probably have neglected your entire life. I am sure that the experience that you would get here would make for an unforgettable first date.
18. Decide to watch a play
Plays might have been a regular date back in the days, but they are a bit different from the usual movie dates. They are quite unconventional, too. At least for today’s time and age. I think watching a play for the first date is great because not everyone does it. So, it is different. Also, your date’s choices about the play can tell you a lot about their character. And a nice comic relief of a play can work really well for an awkward first date.
19. Check each other’s appetite at a brunch buffet
I love brunches. They take place at the perfect time of the day, and there is something very regal about them. And here is why you should plan your first date to a brunch buffet. Brunch buffets are places where they serve you unlimited breakfast after 10 a.m., which works for us all because that is when people usually wake up. Also, these brunch buffets typically go on till 4 p.m., so you get a long time to eat and chat. This helps you not just understand each other but also know about each other’s appetite and food choices, which agree or not, is an important part of a relationship.
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20. Take an hour-long helicopter ride
This one is for the rich people who are not broke AF like the rest of us peasants. Plan to spend the first hour of your date in a helicopter flying 1000 feet above the ground, hovering over the entire city. Awesome, isn’t it? The standard rates of every helicopter ride vary between INR 7,000 to INR 20,000 depending on the duration and the location of the ride. If you live in a metro city, these rides would cost you more. Obviously. Duh!
21. Attend a few hours of pottery class
When Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore starrer ‘Ghost’ came out, it gave us more than Demi’s lovely hairstyle. The iconic pottery scene that got the audience aww-ing wooed everyone who watched it and gave us major couple goals. People cried like babies. Even the men could not control. But can you blame them? The scene featured the Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers. That song has the power of converting even the most unromantic person into a Katherine Heigl movie. So, attending half a day at a pottery class would give your first date the artistic touch that it deserves.
22. Sign up for a couple’s spa
Going to a spa for your first date is saucier than you would imagine it to be. Let me paint a picture for you-you are both lying there disrobed next to each other (yeah! On different tables, I know), and the both of you know what is going under the sheets. On the FIRST DATE. Furthermore, you are chatting while you are relaxing, which is an ideal way to do it. However, I should warn you that it may get very awkward if you tend to make those weird sex noises when you get a massage. Unless that is what you are aiming for, I would not advise you to go ahead with this one.
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23. Gamble your luck out at a casino bar
Didn’t think you could gamble it up on your first date? Gone are those days when you had to pretend not to be interested in gambling. Everyone likes to try their luck. And if you actually win some money, you would be able to spend more on the finer things on your first date. Casino dates are one of the most unconventional first date ideas, and that is why they are so fun. But this is something that is only possible if you live in a city that allows gambling. So, if you live in Goa, this one would just be the perfect way to begin something new.
24. Get locked in an escape room
Imagine getting locked in a room with a total stranger who might turn into your potential partner in future. Perhaps after this date itself. Thus, if the cupids are watching you and you are really hoping for it to be work out between the two of you, you better clean up well. Because you are going to be spending an hour literally breathing the same air for at least an hour. However, this may not be an ideal option if you are on a budget on your first date because escape rooms cost you like 1200 rupees an hour. So, plan it well.
25. Go to a horror house for fun and…
… more. Ahem. You know what I mean. It is dark. It is quiet. There is something eerie about the whole atmosphere (obviously, because that is what they were aiming for. Duh! It would be a shame if you don’t feel frightened inside a haunted house). You might just get the perfect opportunity to do engage in an intimate moment. Besides, people love being vulnerable at horror houses even when they don’t actually give a tiny rat’s damn about the whole concept of supernatural. Even you can be one of those and grab your chance.
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26. Take the classic long drive
All the ideas mentioned above may be awesome and absolutely fun but let’s not forget our traditions. We have evolved so much and created so many forms of entertainment for ourselves. However, what remains truly unbeatable is a nice drive along the less busy roads at night. Long drives have proven to break the ice between two strangers as they provide you with an opportunity to speak to the person you are travelling with. Also, the silence makes you calm and ironically, helps you talk to each other. And that is also the best part about driving. Now we know why this one is such a classic.
So, now you know what you are going to do on your next first date with someone. Just know that how successful your date is will depend on your compatibility and ability to understand each other. Therefore, no matter which venue or activity you pick, don’t forget to be the best version of yourself. Get planning!