10 Fun First Date Ideas That Do Not Involve Drinking

First dates are as exciting as they are awkward. You may have been talking to this person for a couple of days but you don’t know them too well, when you have to decide about how to actually meet them! In the age of Tinder, it’s easy to right swipe someone and then ask them out for drinks. But honestly, do you really want to go for drinks with someone you hardly know? Sure, alcohol might make the whole process a little easier by lowering your inhibitions, and while that actually sounds like a perfect way to calm your frayed nerves for a first date, it’s not that great an idea.

So why not gather some confidence, and ditch the regular drinks and dinner? Let’s do something different for the next ‘first date’. Something that will help you break the ice, make you comfortable with the person and actually help you know him/her.

Here are some amazing first date options that you can try out the next time you go on one:

1. Go the good old way and watch a movie. It serves as the perfect ice breaker.

Going to movies for a first date may sound like a bad idea but it’s actually a pretty great ice breaker. You are a little awkward, a little unsure during your first date so watching a movie makes perfect sense. You can enjoy a movie, be comfortable in the dark hall and you don’t even have to make small talk. Go for a cup of coffee later and if you run out of topics to talk abut, the movie will come to your rescue!

2. Sunday brunch is the place to be if you both share the love for food.

Sunday brunch is a great idea for a first date. You get to eat delicious food, spend some quality time with them and actually get to know them better. Also, what better way to connect with someone other than over food? And if the date turns out to be bad, at least you got some good food!

3. Zoos will bring out the inner child in both of you.

If you both like walking and animals, a zoo is a great place to go on a first date. Zoos somehow bring out the kid in everyone and no matter how much of an adult you are, watching huge elephants or majestic tigers will always make you happy inside. Explore the zoo in your city and marvel at the various species that co-exist.

4. Museums and art galleries can serve as a perfect background for your first date.

So a lot of you might find museums and art galleries boring but we say they are a great way of knowing people. You can discuss history and art and your date’s views on these topics definitely give a peak into the kind of person that they are. So ditch the drinks and dinner and give them a try this time.

5. Clubs like a book club or a cricket club will help you talk about your same interests.

Find out a common interest that both of you have and meet at a club with like-minded people for a first date. It will give you common ground to talk about and you will be able to aptly pass the awkward small talk phase!

6. Adventure activity like paintball will help you bond better with that person.

Go for an adventurous activity for a first date. Yes, it may sound silly but it sure is a lot of fun. Doing a fun activity together is known to create stronger bonds between people and you will learn how well that person can perform under pressure. So go try out some roller coasters or a great new activity and have a fun-filled first date.

7. Weekend workshops are a great way to spend an entire day knowing the person.

Weekend workshops are an interesting idea to get to know your date. Find out something that interests you both, like a weekend workshop on cooking Greek or Mediterranean cuisine, or contemporary dance, and then spend the day learning a new skill with a new person. It will help you connect to the person on something that both of you like.

8. Game evenings are even better to get to know that person and have fun at the same time.

If you don’t want to spend an entire day with them because you are meeting them for the first time, try game evenings. A lot of cafes have board games which you can borrow for a fun evening. Head to any cafe in your city and ask them for a board game. Who knows, you might just find your soulmate sitting across the table over coffee and a game of ludo or jenga.

9. Nothing beats the old-school walking. Tour your city walking with your date.

There are a lot of walking tours available in almost all cities. So take one, and see your city in a whole new light. See the old buildings, find out about the forgotten legacies and discover history you didn’t know about. When you’re out with someone new, and find out new things about your own city, it serves as a common ground for both of you. If you are not much into talking, take a photography tour and witness your city through a camera lens. If things work out, you might just have photographic evidence of your How I Met Your Mother story!

10. Public transport is a great way to roam around the town, talking to each other all day long!

Have you ever travelled in the metro or an auto, just wandering around aimlessly, looking at the city and it’s people pass you by? Take them on your date and you might end up in a corner of the city which is so untouched that you both connect on it’s ‘newness.’