Fun & Unpredictable Ideas for a First Date

Roam your city like tourists: grab a city guide or navigate the streets on your own, stopping at museums, art galleries and local monuments and attractions. Seek out overlooked or underrated attractions. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to get to know each other as you share your thoughts about the places you visit. Alternatively, plan to get around in a different way: a roller blade ride through your neighborhood, a round-trip ride on a random city bus or a drive through the nearby countryside -- no route planning allowed.

Put your best foot forward -- or at least the most courageous bone in your body -- as you walk on the wild side on a daredevil first date. Plan a day of excitement and adventure at an amusement park, where the goal of the date is to ride the most gravity-defying roller coasters. Go whitewater rafting or paragliding, arrange a rock climbing adventure -- or an indoor rock climbing lesson if you’re novices -- or test your skills on an adventure course. By focusing the day around adventure, you’ll avoid awkward silences and have plenty of thrills to talk about later.

Venture into the kitchen with your date for an evening of unpredictable culinary concoctions. Throw away the recipe book and use only the contents of your cupboard to create something for dinner. Alternatively, heighten your senses of taste and smell and focus on good conversation in a zero-light restaurant. If there’s no such restaurant in your area, order takeout from a restaurant you’ve never tried before instead. Lay it out picnic-style on the living room floor and turn off the lights to expose your taste buds to new experiences without the assistance of sight.

If your best friend and her date will be joining you on your first date adventures, ensure that everyone has a blast with an evening of scavenging around. Plan a city-wide photo scavenger hunt with a list of items to photograph, such as lawn decorations, street signs, statues and billboards. If the weather isn’t cooperating, move the date to the mall, where you can scavenge in pairs for the most provocative store window decor or the most expensive item available for purchase. If you're a charitable person, share your love for helping others with your date by planning a service scavenger hunt where you try to find a certain number of services to perform, such as picking up park litter, pulling weeds in a city garden or sweeping up sidewalk debris.