8 Creative First Date Ideas That Will Win You A Second Date!

They say certain foods are an aphrodisiac and, besides our need for sexual intimacy, food is a close second to our human needs. There’s a certain kind of gastronomic pleasure that you can take from the food you eat, very similar to the kind of physical pleasure and intimate desire partners feel when spending time together. If done right, cooking can be a perfect parallel (and perhaps even the perfect segue) to a romantic evening for two. There is the same heightening of and exploration through the the senses.

Sure, you could take a cooking class but that’s pretty been-there-done-that. This creative date idea will require you to find & head to a farm for the freshest produce and craft a meal together out of nature’s bounty. Picking produce at a farm is a lot of fun and prepping a fresh meal for two can be equally as engaging — with a delicious result. If there are no farms where you are, don’t fret – simply order a bag from your local supermarket!

READ MORE: Would you like to cook romantic meals for your love? Here are some great dinner date ideas for two!

Your target is your partner’s heart — so why not sharpen your aim? Head to a local shooting range for some fun archery practice. You can even choose to go to a battle axe grounds, which is becoming increasingly popular for social gatherings. It’s a surprisingly relaxed environment, there’s the chance to get close without getting uncomfortable and you can be just a tad competitive without getting intense and heavy-handed. If it’s an outdoor range, make sure to check the weather beforehand and go somewhere you can rent bows and arrows rather than having to buy your own.

This is an incredibly fun and spontaneous way to take advantage of some frequent flyer miles you may have been storing up and makes for a completely memorable date. You don’t have to go too far and you choose whether to stay overnight or head back on the same day. It will feel like you’ve left for an adventure without actually taking a full-blown vacation!

If there’s a nearby town or city with an airport you’ve been dying to check out, book your date for the whole day and let them know if they have to bring a few overnight supplies. They’ll be intrigued for sure. Once they arrive, you can surprise them with tickets or you can even book a car rental and throw in a little road trip along with the novelty of actually exploring another city together! If you’re booking a flight, look for last minute deals on hotels that may accompany the price, included as a package.

READ MORE: Get jet set to go on a romantic Sydney or Melbourne weekend getaway!

We thought another “drive-in movie” was not exactly the most creative of date ideas ever, nor were we particularly impressed with the standard “dinner and a movie”. So what about a themed dinner and a movie? This is a wonderful opportunity to spend time together in really fun and relaxing way. Not only do both of you get to know each other’s favourite parts of pop culture, you can cook a relaxing meal together and enjoy a movie. Plan to get in to some pretty heated debate about storylines and characters.

So if you love 3:10 to Yuma, how about some Tex-Mex cuisine? If 47 Ronin is more your style, have fun making sticky rice an creating your own sushi. Or, if you’re both movie buffs, why not host a mini Oscar party? What could be better?

For many, contemplating the first date can send you into a mixture of nervous excitement, anxiety and a little bit of awkwardness, especially if you’re meeting for the first time in person, perhaps after having connected online. This creative date idea comes from a study performed by psychologist Arthur Aron and his team, who explore if intimacy can be accelerated with a series of increasingly personal questions. The idea behind these “36 Questions” is that, through the process of asking and answering, the relationship that might just be blossoming suddenly becomes intensified and is the perfect pre-cursor to actually building feelings of love.

This is definitely not for the faint of heart, but couples who love a challenge or first date partners that want to add a little zing to their time together can certainly choose to embark on this journey together. It’s outta the box — and we love it! A good tip to facilitating this conversation and making sure both of you are enjoying, however, is perhaps to preface the 36 questions with a brief conversation about boundaries. You can make your date feel more comfortable by letting them know that they don’t need to divulge anything they don’t feel absolutely ready for.

READ MORE: Getting the conversation started – What to ask on a first date

Here’s a good one that’s sure to score you impressive points with your first date. For this, you’ll have to use your friends and connections. Make a list of people you know well, who work in industries that have some kind of “back-door” access. This could be access to a stage-show, behind-the-scenes for a gig or concert, or a social event like a museum or gallery exhibition set up. If all else fails, book a chef’s table for your date’s favourite restaurant and it will be a memorable night they won’t soon forget. Just make sure you know what their favorite restaurant actually is before you book it! 

READ MORE: Our favourite winter date ideas for when it’s chilly outside!

Couples that volunteer together, stay together. Or, at least, have a great shot at a second date. This creative date idea allows you and your date to get involved in the community, lend a helping hand for a good cause and will bring the both of you closer together. Depending on the activity, it can be simply volunteering at an event, cleaning up a beach together, helping with kids or the elderly in a community centre. Spontaneous date ideas like trips and classic date ideas like dinner and a movie are great fun, but volunteering together rests on a strong foundation: shared values. You each get to see a more compassionate side of each other. Haven’t you heard? Kindness is definitely the new sexy.

A really enjoyable way to get to know each other, explore your own city and bring back some childhood fun, the photo scavenger hunt is one of our favorite date ideas. Together, when you meet, note down a list of slightly crazy but possible places and items you’d want to take a picture of and go hunting together. Work in a reward at the end: whoever wins buys the other the first round of drinks as you’re relaxing after your date. Bonus points if you can load it on your social media of choice!