Start Things Off Right: 6 Fun First Date Ideas

Your palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy and you’re doing your best to get ready! All you want is to have the best date ever, but first dates can be unnerving and intimidating, especially if you really like your date.

Good news is that we don’t live in the ’50s anymore where your only options were dinner and/or a movie. Nowadays there are a plethora of first date options, many of which are quite inexpensive, or even free.

But if you’re willing to drop some coin, there are even more things you could do. No need to worry.

Sit back and check out these great first date ideas.

Free First Date Ideas

First dates can be really stressful depending on who you are going out with. But if you know your date is pretty low key, there are a lot of great free things you could do on your first date.

Long Walks on the Beach

There are few things in life as a romantic as a sunset on a beautiful day. Most people think this is just a summer thing, but that is not the case.

Figure out where the closest body of water is and take your date to the beach. Go for a walk in the evening and watch the sunset together.

A simple walk is a great way for you two to talk and get to know each other on a real level, not to mention it’s great exercise. And who knows, maybe you’ll even get to end the night with a kiss as the sunsets. What could be better than that?

Get Your Volunteer On

What better way to measure the character of each other, than by volunteering for a night. You could head down to a local food shelter and serve food to those who are less fortunate. Or you could help out at an animal shelter for a day.

Spending time with someone you like while also being able to love on some adorable little critters? Yes, please!

Inexpensive, but Fun Date Ideas

Who said you can’t have a fun first date while sticking to a budget? Here are a couple of cheap date ideas that are guaranteed to give you both a great time!

Putt, Putt your Heart out

You can never go wrong with a classic like playing a little mini-golf. This will give you a great opportunity to get to know each other.

Plus you can tease each other and laugh your face off if the other person is terrible. They do say laughter is the best medicine.

As the famous romance poet Lord Byron once said, “Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.”

The Zoo + You Two = A Great Time

The zoo is one of the best first date ideas, especially if you’re on a budget. Most local zoos won’t break the bank and give you hours of time to walk around, marvel at all the animals, and simply get to know each other.

Now we’re not talking about the mega zoos like in San Diego or Miami, but your local zoo should still have a good amount of fun animals to look at.

Champagne and Puzzle Games

For those of you who are ready to drop some major green on your first date, there are several options to choose from. But we’re only going to talk about 2. You can go classy or you can be adventurous.

Escape Rooms… and Not in a Weird Way

If you really want to see your date’s true colors, take them to your local Escape Room. An Escape Room is where you and a group of people are placed in a room and must solve puzzles in order to escape before the allotted time runs out.

This will force you and your date to work together and in the process get to know each other very quickly. It also makes it almost impossible to get stuck in a sea of awkward silence.

5 Star Dinner and Drinks

Last, but certainly not least, taking your date to one of the finest restaurants in town is never a bad idea if you can afford it. This allows you both to dress to the nines and to have a really intimate evening together sharing laughs and getting to know your date in a more personal way.