So, what are some good second date ideas? Now that you’re no longer strangers (but there’s still plenty of uncharted territory), what can you do together that would not only celebrate the obvious chemistry between you but also build on it? Because every date can’t be like that first date. And on the one hand, that is very good news. On the other, it’s a bit of a bummer, because you want to experience some of that same magic every time you go out together. Fortunately, you can make the second date even better than the first. Have I got your attention? Good. Let’s dive in.
What to do on a second date?
You had such a good time on that first date, and you want the second one to be even better. You want to not just get along but to learn more about each other. And you probably have questions you’d like to answer:
What does this person like to do for fun?If you were in a stressful situation together, how would this person handle it?Is there a real connection there, or did you just imagine it?Do you have enough in common that you wouldn’t get bored or stir-crazy if all there was to do was talk?How will this person handle it when you find you both differ with regard to certain core beliefs?What would make either one of you cut and run?
Good 2nd date ideas help you enjoy each other’s company while you get closer to answering questions like these.
List of 37 Fun Second Date Ideas
The best second date ideas reveal something about you that your date didn’t know before. It’s not about shocking them or challenging them to reciprocate; you’re simply revealing more of the truth of who you are, what you like, and what’s important to you. If your date then feels comfortable revealing more of him or herself, you’ve succeeded in getting to know each other better.
1. Go for a drive.
Make sure your date is comfortable with you driving him or her somewhere outside the city or into unfamiliar territory. You can either keep the destination a secret or not, but use your time in the car to talk about places you’ve been, where you’d like to go, and other topics that come up.
2. Visit a local brewery.
If you both enjoy craft brews, sign up for a tour of a local brewery — ideally one that culminates in a taste test of some of the brewery’s different beers. If you’re both partaking, make sure you have time for a walk and/or chat after enjoying the alcohol.
3. Have a rooftop dinner.
If your apartment building allows you to have dinner on the rooftop, see if you can reserve it for a private dinner with your date. Either prepare the meal yourself or order it in, and bring some lighting for when the sun goes down.
4. Cook dinner together.
If you both enjoy cooking, invite your date over to your place to cook a meal together. You can also make dessert or order something in for it. Make sure you also have a beverage on hand that your date enjoys.
5. Go indoor skydiving.
Alternatively, you can watch others do this and plan an adventure of your own. You’ll want to know, beforehand, whether or not your date is up for something like this. If you both watch and decide you’d rather do something else, brainstorm some ideas and, if there’s time, plan something together.
6. Do something athletic together.
If you’re both committed to some degree of fitness, do something athletic together — whether it’s going for a run or a long walk, running an obstacle course, climbing (outdoors or on a climbing wall), or something else that appeals to you both. Go out afterward for some refreshment or enjoy a picnic.
7. Go on a ferry ride.
As long as neither you nor your date get motion sickness, a ferry ride provides a romantic setting for a lunch or dinner and fora more exploratory conversation. Take both your schedules and other commitments into account when arranging this. And don’t forget to plan for a follow-up (third) date.
8. Have an “Ask me anything” date.
No topic is off limits unless you both agree to keep something off limits. People generally avoid sensitive topics as though they were land mines, but finding commonality on subjects of passionate interest to you both can spark a connection that wasn’t there before – or strengthen a developing bond.
9. Go on a hot air balloon ride.
As long as neither of you get motion sickness or has a fear of heights, this could be a thrilling and memorable experience for you both. Bring along a refreshing beverage to share and possibly some other treat (nothing you’ll regret), and just enjoy the view while you chat about other things you’d both like to do.
10. Go hiking together (with a picnic).
If you both enjoy hiking, bring a picnic lunch and hike a scenic area together. Make sure you bring along enough water and that you have enough time to enjoy your picnic and some relaxed conversation.
11. Order take-out and play a game that involves cards with questions.
Order some high-quality take-out, and play a game that involves cards with questions to ask each other (relationship questions or get-to-know-you questions). Use what you learn to suggest ideas for a next date.
12. Go dancing.
If your date isn’t violently opposed, go somewhere you can dance. You can even sign up for a dance lesson and just have fun with it. Don’t worry if you don’t get all the moves right. Just put your hands in the right places, and try not to step on your date’s feet. The closeness and rhythm will do the rest.
13. Go somewhere to people watch together and make up stories.
If you or your date have a favorite location for sitting and people-watching, meet there and invite your date to (discreetly) watch people and take turns making up stories about the people you see — their lives, their struggles, and their goals.
14. Volunteer together for something important to one of you
This could be Special Olympics, the neighborhood food shelf, a local soup kitchen, or something else. Spend an hour or so together serving others and follow up with a lunch or dinner somewhere you both enjoy.
15. Watch a movie you both really want to see.
If you’re both interested in seeing a particular movie that happens to be playing, arrange a date around it. Choose a time that’s convenient for you both and that allows you time to enjoy a lunch or dinner together afterward.
16. Go to an amusement park.
If you’re both up for some carnival rides and treats, head to the nearest amusement park and take as many rides (that interest you both) as you can. Finish with an iced beverage from a coffee kiosk and a ride on the ferris wheel.
17. Stop at an Open House.
If your date is game, visit one or two open houses just to explore and talk about what you both like and dislike about each house. Afterward, you can talk more about each one’s idea of an ideal home while enjoying a good lunch or going out for drinks (caffeinated, alcoholic, or neither).
18. Go to a theater production.
If you both have an interest in the theater, find and buy tickets for an upcoming production that has received encouraging reviews from other theater goers. Talk about the experience afterward over lunch, dinner, or drinks.
19. Ask your date to help you with a creative project.
If you’re working on a creative project that might appeal to your date, invite them to help you out with it in some way. Or ask for their input or creative ideas for it. When you involve someone else in the creation of something important to you, it shows you have a high regard for their mind and their ability to contribute in some way.
20. Go out for drinks and/or dessert and just talk.
Sometimes, you just want to go out for drinks (alcoholic or otherwise) and maybe a dessert of some kind, so you can sit and savor your treats while you talk about anything and everything. Find a place other than the setting for your first date, and just enjoy each other’s company and conversation.
21. Work together on a fundraising effort for a cause you both support.
If you’re both interested in raising money for a cause you hold dear, arrange to participate in a fundraising opportunity that allows you to spend an hour or two working together. Afterward, you can talk about it over lunch or dinner.
22. Take turns telling each other things the other doesn’t know about you.
You can use visual or text prompts, allow the other to ask questions, or volunteer something your date doesn’t already know about you. Take turns and enjoy some drinks, a meal, or appetizers together. Wrap up by sharing each one’s idea of a perfect date and, if you’re both game, scheduling your next one.
23. Go down memory lane.
Take your date to a place that has meaning for you and explain that meaning while inviting your date to enjoy something about that place (the view, a carnival ride, a special treat you enjoyed in your childhood, etc.) — and invite your date to tell you about a place that has meaning for him or her.
24. Meet your date at an outside spot with some of your favorite take-out.
Invite or take your date to a favorite spot with some take-out and enjoy the view while eating your lunch or dinner on a park bench, picnic table, or other convenient place to sit. Talk about things each of you loves to do outdoors and plan an outdoor (or other) adventure for a future date.
25. Take some of the endearing elements of your first date and upgrade it.
Show your date you were paying attention on the first date and recreate some of the things he or she liked most about it. Upgrade the experience with something new that reveals a different side of you and that helps you start the conversation.
26. Walk through a street market together.
Stroll through a street market or farmer’s market together and pick up some gifts or ingredients for a home-cooked meal you can prepare for your date — or that you can prepare together. Afterward, sit on a bench or at an outdoor table and enjoy some fresh fruit and a refreshing drink.
27. Go on a boat ride together.
As long as neither of you gets motion sickness, rent a rowboat, canoe, or other two-person boat and row or paddle yourselves around a lake for an hour or two. Bring sunscreen and water, and wear life vests, in case either of you falls overboard. If the boat is large enough, you can also bring a picnic to enjoy at a resting spot.
28. Go to a large library together
You don’t have the option of buying any of the books, but you can still enjoy browsing the stacks or looking up books on particular subjects — or even checking out movies to watch together. You can also rent a private study room to read and chat together without disturbing others. Bonus points if the place has a coffee kiosk.
29. Play an RPG or video game together.
If you and your date both have an interest in video games or role-playing games (RPG), why not enjoy one together on your second date. Have some mutually agreed upon snacks and drinks handy, and immerse yourselves in the shared experience.
30. Go to a favorite bookstore together.
If possible, choose one with a coffee shop or kiosk. Treat your date to a drink and possibly a snack, and look through books together. Take turns looking up books on a particular interest and talk about how you became interested in it. Offer to buy your date a book or pick up a gift card on the way out (as a parting gift).
31. Go to a local event that interests you both.
This could be a concert, a cultural festival of some kind, a conference or talk, or something else that you’re both interested in checking out. Meet or drive your date there, enjoy the experience, and talk about it later over lunch, dinner, or dessert/drinks.
32. Check out a new food experience together.
As long as you’re both open to trying it, go to a restaurant where you can both try a type of food you haven’t tried before. Maybe your date dared you to try it, or maybe you’ve both expressed an interest in traveling to a place with unfamiliar cuisine. Whatever the reason, enjoy it together and be honest about your reactions.
33. Attend one of your date’s fitness classes.
If you’re interested and not likely to drop dead of a heart attack, sign up for and meet your date at one of his or her fitness classes, participate, and go out afterward for something to refresh you both.
34. Go on a scavenger hunt together.
Create a scavenger hunt that leads you both to a place or an activity you both enjoy. Afterward, you can enjoy a treat together and, if you’re both inclined, plan for your next date.
35. Picnic Dinner on the beach with a campfire.
Choose a good spot for a picnic dinner, and lead your date to it. If you can play a musical instrument, serenade your date with a piece you’ve practiced. Or you can just talk and enjoy the view and the crackling fire.
36. Show your date some family pictures.
Bring an album (or photo stack) of pictures of your family to communicate how important family is to you, and invite your date to talk about his or her family.
37. Take turns choosing and playing different Buzzfeed quizzes together.
Enjoy some mutually-approved take-out while you learn more about each other by playing Buzzfeed quizzes like the following:
“How Many Kids Will You Have Based On Your Potato Opinions?”“What Kind Of Brew Are You?”“Decorate Your Bedroom, And We’ll Give You A New Name.”“Create The Perfect Subway Sandwich, And We’ll Reveal Which Movie You Should Watch Tonight.”
If you don’t end up laughing together at some point, something is wrong.
We’re rooting for you.
When the first date goes well, you want every subsequent date to leave you with the same feeling or something even better. These ideas for second dates may not guarantee the best possible outcome, but they’ll give you the inspiration you need to make each date as enjoyable as possible for both of you. If you don’t know where your date would like to go, invite him or her to guess where you’re going and let your date name a place you both enjoy — or someplace your date enjoys and that you can afford (whether you’re paying for both or paying separately). Wherever you go, may your own ingenuity and thoughtfulness influence you while planning this date and in everything else you do today.
