Table of contents:
- Go for a walk
- Play board games
- Choose a hike
- Take a painting class
- Go to a comedy show – laughter brings you closer
- Go on a fascinating quest together
- Visit your areas of the city
- Do good deeds together
- Discover the works of art
- Take a yoga class or do some breathing exercises
- Cook something together or take a cooking class
- No restaurants, eat at the food truck while walking
- Listen to music together
Nowadays, a wide variety of places are available for a first date. However, many people need to realize that it is possible to refuse templates and hold a first date not in a restaurant but, for example, at a picnic or in a guest room. Want to know even more ideas for a first date? Then, read the article and choose the option that's right for you.
Go for a walk
Any walk will make you feel better and lift your spirits so that it will do you good. You can go to the nearest park or walk around the city for an easy, relaxed conversation. Usually, dating like this brings partners closer together and helps you quickly find topics to discuss.
Play board games
A 2019 study proved that couples who played board games experienced an increase in oxytocin also called the hugging hormone. Moreover, this beneficial hormone spike tends to be more felt in women, who shared a much more significant point in oxytocin during the game than members of the more vigorous sex.
Since dating experts do not recommend inviting a woman on a first date to your place (it would look silly and inappropriate, and such behavior could even offend your date), it is worth playing at a nearby cafe or park. Ask the woman what kind of games she prefers, and go ahead.
Choose a hike
Take it up a notch by replacing a leisurely walk with a full-blown hike. In many cases, solitude helps you relax and encourages genuine conversation. Plus, it's also quite romantic if you go to the park and take some food with you.
When choosing an itinerary for a hike, make sure it is in a crowded and public place so your date will feel safe. Any feeling of discomfort or fear can ruin your efforts.
Lunch or dinner together outdoors is recommended by many dating experts because it creates a much more relaxed, comfortable atmosphere than dinner in a restaurant. In addition, nature will harmoniously complement your meeting and create a peaceful, calming environment for a first date.
You can have a potluck-style snack. Arrange for each of you to bring your favorite food. It will also help you better understand your partner's taste preferences. You can also take a few board games to make it enjoyable and combine several leisure activities.
Take a painting class
A 2019 study found that couples who took part in drawing classes showed an increase in the hormone oxytocin. The hormone plays a significant role in creating connections and building trust. Although each partner worked on their drawing, the lovers never lost a bond. Instead, most couples encouraged each other in the process and interacted constantly. Even conversations tended to flow more evenly and efficiently in such an environment.
You don't have to be a talented artist to have fun in a painting, drawing, or ceramics class. Meetings in courses like this allow you to show off your skills and experiment without worrying about what to talk about because art is a ready-made idea for discussion.
Go to a comedy show – laughter brings you closer
Standup or any other comedy show/concert can make a first date flawless because it is an authentic and fun experience that will allow you to see if your sense of humor matches. Laughter helps you loosen up, get to know each other better, and find topics to discuss. Of course, you won't be able to socialize during the show, so you can go to a cafe or restaurant afterward to share your impressions and tell which jokes you thought were the funniest. But, as a rule, conversations improve after comedy shows because laughter brings people closer together.
You can complement your date with a purchased dessert at a nearby coffee shop. While dinner will be a more standard and boring first date plan, dessert will cheer you up even more. No matter where your data is: whether it's a simple nearby bakery with yummy donuts or an upscale and expensive restaurant with crème brûlée.
In 2015, experts conducted a study and proved that college students who ate sweet foods together during a conversation expressed significantly more attention and interest in their partner than those who ate salty foods.
Go on a fascinating quest together
Less original and, at the same time exciting method to check if you are compatible. Experts believe that doing quests together helps work as a team and dramatically improves interaction. In addition, on the second date, you will have a topic for conversation – you can discuss the game together and share your impressions.
The quests will facilitate verbal communication, help people abandon social inhibitions, and practice collaborative interaction skills. It is better to avoid dangerous quests and choose something neutral but exciting.
Finding clues and solving puzzles in a real adventure game will help you relax on your first date because this time together will allow you to see how you interact as a team. If you're not a fan of long small talk, this is the best option because you don't have to think through topics of conversation, and you can still get to know the woman better.
Visit your areas of the city
Show interest in the woman and offer to take her for a walk around her neighborhood, suggesting she visit your neighborhood as well. It will be much easier to initiate a conversation over a casual stroll and in a familiar environment. And you will find topics for communication much faster. So you can discuss some moments related to specific places, tell something unusual or personal. As a rule, walking in places familiar to a person, associated with some part of his life, helps to get to know him better.
Do good deeds together
According to the survey, 10% of people consider volunteering to be the first step to a romantic relationship, and over 80% agree that their relationship has taken a new level and has gotten significantly better after doing good deeds together.
In addition, research has shown that generous and kind men are more attractive to women. Volunteering helps lovers become cohesive teams to achieve common goals. It is also a test of empathy and sympathy and the best way to discover each other's good qualities and sides.
It is better to choose the volunteer option, allowing you to interact directly with each other. For example, you could work together to clean up the beach, plant trees for the city's gardening program, or walk dogs at the animal shelter. Or you can plan together in advance what activities you would like to do and how you would like to do them.
Discover the works of art
Whether you visit an exhibition of ancient sculptures or contemporary photography, planning a date to an art museum or gallery will give you a wealth of topics to discuss. Talking about the creations you've seen will help you get to know what inspires your partner. As a result, you can get to know each other better without intrusive questions.
Not only that, but art can elicit strong emotional responses that help you open up to conversation and touch on deeper topics rather than talking about the food taste in a restaurant. Visiting a museum or gallery is not only informative and interesting. It's a date that will be memorable and conversation-opening.
Take a yoga class or do some breathing exercises
Breathing exercises or light yoga classes, which involve conscious breath control using a variety of activities, are rapidly rising in demand. Research shows the many potential benefits of this practice, such as stress reduction, a sense of calm, and peace of mind. You will cease to be nervous, you will be able to relax, and therefore the conversation will flow more casually.
Breathing exercises can increase comfort, relaxation, ease, vivacity, and alertness while significantly reducing anxiety. It makes such a pastime the optimal activity on a first date, allows you to get rid of nervousness and get to know each other better.
Cook something together or take a cooking class
Cooking together will help you get to know your partner better. You will see what products the woman prefers, how she cooks, and what emotions it evokes. Therefore, it is better to choose some simple and positive cooking lessons that dispose of positive emotions and discussions. Afterward, you will also be able to taste each other's dishes, which will help you to become even closer.
No restaurants, eat at the food truck while walking
Refrain from a hot, crowded restaurant for a casual chat in the park with a meal from the local food truck. In most cases, it's cheaper than going to a fancy, expensive restaurant. At the same time, the setting will create a sense of ease and help you relax, which is especially important for a conversation on a first date. You won't have to think about whether you're holding the cutlery correctly or your suit looks good, which means you can focus on each other, and the conversation will be more pleasant.
Listen to music together
According to a survey conducted for the first time in 2019, 81% of people who went to a concert on a first date immediately scheduled a second date. Plus, couples who enjoyed music together noticed improvements in their communication, increased emotional connection, and overall relationship satisfaction.
Based on these conclusions, you can plan to attend a concert or local bar with live music for your first rendezvous. The artists' performance is beneficial because you don't have to worry about the conversation going nonstop. Afterward, you can go to a park or cafe to share your experiences and get even closer.
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