Love is in the air, and now that social restrictions are loosening, couples have more options for spectacular first-date adventures. While there’s nothing wrong with the traditional dinner and a movie for a first date, it’s a little samey-same. If you’re looking for something a bit more exciting or unconventional when meeting your online crush for the first time, then here are a few unique ideas for a first date.
Hit the Bullseye Together
Take a page out of Cupid’s playbook and consider going to an archery range for a first date. What better way to aim for your date’s affection than hitting the bullseye with a bow and arrow? You’re not limited to a quiver when it comes to sporting first dates. You can take your partner to a fencing lesson, a gun range for a little target practice, or even go to a knife or ax throwing event. This is a unique first date that will surely loosen you both up, win some laughs and definitely get your energy up in some healthy competition.
Solve a Mystery
Do some role-playing as Sherlock Holmes and Watson on your first date by attending a murder mystery event. Depending upon where you live, some real-time who-done-it events are featured on a boat tour. In other instances, live mysteries can be solved in haunted houses, old mansions, or posh hotels. Whether you select to investigate a mystery on a riverboat, or in a historical building, you two are bound to have fun cracking the case wide open.
Figure a Way Out Together
Get to know each other in the span of 60 minutes while figuring out how to successfully get out of an escape room. These puzzle rooms have gotten popular over the years, and they make a great, unique first date. An escape room is similar to solving a murder mystery, but with more themes and excitement involved. You and your date can choose to navigate through a space mission or find forbidden treasure while locked in a series of rooms together. Solve all the clues to get to the exit, and your reward might be a kiss from your date!
Go Scavenging Together
Another unique idea for a first date is organizing a scavenger hunt for you and your partner. Before meeting for the first time, organize a list of items you each must find while you are at a thrift store or strolling through an antique mall. Opt for funky finds such as a disco ball, rainbow-colored shirts, or a unicorn figurine. Similarly, your scavenger list can be love-related items such as heart-shaped sunglasses or chocolate roses. You don’t necessarily have to buy what you find. You can make it an eye-spy hunt and check what you each find off your scavenger hunt list as you go.
Get Sporty
Some of the best first dates are the ones that end up sweaty. Err, well, in a sporting way, that is. Think about making your initial meeting a match of physical attributes by playing a sports game together. Choose from tennis, basketball, ping pong, or even a game of billiards. This is a great way to take the edge off first date jitters. It can also be a lot more exciting than taking your date to a bowling alley and potentially more engaging than taking him or her to a sports event.
Make Beautiful Music Together
While going to a concert is a good idea for a first date, why not kick it up a notch and learn how to play an instrument together? Check out your local music stores and see if you can rent a few instruments so you two can make beautiful music on your first date. Or, you might be able to schedule a practice room at a high school, a college, or an auditorium where you can toot your horns together. You may even be able to schedule a twosome instruction class with a music instructor. Whether you tickle the ivories playing “Heart and Soul” on a piano or wrap your lips around some pan flutes, music can be a magical way of bringing you two closer on a first date.
Think First and Plan Wisely
Of course, these ideas for unique first dates are just suggestions. Ideally, you should know your date well enough before you meet so you can think about that ideal initial encounter. The most important thing on a date is that both of you feel comfortable, and that starts with what you choose to wear. From your clothes to your shoes, you want your outfit to reveal your style and personality, while also being comfortable throughout the date. Make sure you’re comfortable in a pair of men’s casual sneakers or women’s slip on sneakers so that you can do any activity. Your first time meeting is an exciting one, and being yourself is the main priority.
