via: Depositphotos / gpointstudio
It’s time to think of great second date ideas. Because the first date went well enough and the two of you end up scheduling a second date.
You may never get a second chance to make a first impression, but when it comes to dating, it’s through a second impression that you’re given a chance to make a real statement.
In short, the 2nd date is just as important as the first.
The following second date ideas are designed to make it easy on you.
Not only are they a lot of fun, but each is designed to create a relaxed atmosphere, taking most of the pressure out of the date.
Contents
10 Best Second Date Ideas
via: Pexels / Bruce Mars
While the first date indicates whether you are compatible enough to meet a second time, the second date sets the stage for how a potential relationship might unfold. The second date is intended to confirm the impression that you got of each other on the first date.
1. Bike Ride
Take her for a mellow (avoid hills) bike ride. Be sure to have a destination in mind. This could be a scenic view or a nice restaurant.
2. Brewery Tour
First, seeing how beer is made is extremely cool.
Second, brewery tours are almost always guided. This means you're able to experience something new together without having to force conversation. At the end of the tour, you'll probably both be a little buzzed so the conversation will flow a bit easier.
3. Flea Market
Walking around a flea market, there is an abundance of cool things you've never seen or haven't seen in years. This provides an almost endless source of conversation. If your first date was a little rocky, this is a great second date.
They usually have live music (it's usually really bad) and often, surprisingly, have good food.
4. Mini-Golf
It is easy (enough) and is not serious enough to be intimidating. It is the perfect atmosphere to chat and flirt without making chatting and flirting seem like the focus. This alleviates the pressure of forcing a connection. Since it's essentially a child’s game, there's also the opportunity for some shared nostalgia.
5. Picnic
Parks are of course the standard for picnics, but, if you can, go elsewhere. Maybe the beach? Maybe by a lake? Maybe you combine this with #10 below?
via: Bigstockphoto / fxquadro
6. Live Music
For a second date, it's better to find a lesser-known act playing a smaller venue. You shouldn't be spending $600 for two Springsteen tickets this early. Where do you think you'll bond more, at an amphitheater packed with 15,000 people or a small venue with a handful of people?
7. Take a class/lesson
This is preferably something neither of you has done before. It will help you determine if she's willing to step out of her comfort zone and try new things. As you are both likely stepping out of your comfort zones, a class on a new subject will connect you on a deeper level. Was that last sentence really cheesy? Yes, yes it was.
8. Gallery Hopping
If you happen to live in or near a major city, strolling through a gallery district is a highly underrated second date idea. It should cost you nothing, has the potential for unexpected excitement and gives you plenty of time for casual conversation.
9. Cook for Her
Women love a man who can cook.
The dish doesn't need to be anything extravagant, and honestly, it doesn't even need to be good. (Just don't poison her.) This date is more about the thought than it is your cooking skills.
You don't have to start cooking before she gets there, but be sure to have all the ingredients ready. Oh, and don't forget the wine.
Botanical gardens are parks on steroids. They are beautiful, often huge, garden complexes with a variety of different plants.
via: Pexels / icon0.com
15 Double Date Second Date Ideas
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Another option you might want to consider is the double 2nd date!
Double date ideas for two couples can be great because you both have a support person to create a relaxed social atmosphere. The other couple need not be on their second date. They can be a long established relationship. Being around their comfortable intimacy might encourage you and your new potential girl to figure out if you can see something similar possible between yourselves.
11. Go Kayaking
Rent two double-seater kayaks and take them to the waters.
12. Hit up a rooftop bar
It's a great place to watch sunsets.
13. Hit the beach
The ocean always brings out everyone's carefree spirit. It can also be a gauge for how comfortable people are with their bodies.
14. Take a ferry or water taxi
If you're not into sand, this is a great way to get out on the water.
via: Pexels / Aden Ardenrich
15. Set up a bonfire
Fire brings up a sense of restoration and renewal in a lot of us. If you're musical, bring a guitar for a sing-along. Roast some marshmallows.
16. Check out a local ghost tour
You'll be able to gauge each other's curiosity and outlook on the paranormal.
17. Take the train
It creates a sense of adventure and nobody is preoccupied with driving responsibilities.
18. Hit up an amusement park
Get to know who's a screamer on the roller coasters.
19. Host a wine tasting
Wine tasting is about studying subtleties. Or feeling cultured and posh.
via: Unsplash / Victoria Heath
20. DIY Tournament
Find out who's the most innovative, creative, and competitive.
21. Have a themed dinner party
You can all get into character.
22. Catch some jazz and sip a classy cocktail
Explore your cultured sides. Many say they "listen to all kinds of music." Few are intimately familiar with all kinds of music.
23. Get competitive at Board Room
Games show your opponents' true colors.
24. Drink in an Igloo Bar.
Unique ambiance is everything.
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Mikechie Esparagoza
25. Catch a really cheap NBA game
If she's a sports fan you can fan out together.
15 Second Date Date Night Ideas
via: Unsplash / Mollie Sivaram
One thing to consider about the second date night is that we all want discover totally different facets of each other in comparison to the first date. For example, if you met for coffee in the city on the first date, consider getting out in nature for the second meeting.
Most people meet for coffee, a meal or a drink on the first date because it's an environment that has the broadest appeal. During that time, you probably got to know some of her interests and personal qualities. Bring out the best of those when planning for your second date night ideas.
26. Play Bocce ball
Originating in ancient Egypt, it's a relaxed but strategic game that's sure to bring out the best in both of you.
27. Grab espresso and gelato
Who wouldn't love this combination of treats?
28. Go ice skating
Whether you grew up on hockey skates or you've never skated in your life, there's a definite romantic quality to this pursuit.
via: Pexels / Bruno Chiaruttini
29. Experience immersive art and cocktails
Art stimulates appreciation. Getting to witness each other express wonder, appreciation and inspiration is a great way to bond.
30. Rent motorized skateboards and zip around town.
If you're both athletically and adventurously inclined, this is a badass alternative to the tamer option of going for a bike ride!
31. Join a fun-looking meetup together.
The thing about meetup is it is an often inexpensive way to learn something new and get totally out of your comfort zones--together.
32. Find a bingo place and play bingo.
Bingo is not just for old folks. You'll get to experience each other's celebratory dance on a winning streak.
33. Go to a local fundraising event.
Whether it's raising funds for shelter dogs or for underprivileged kids, you'll get to share an intention to make another's life better while having a great time.
via: Pexels / AshP
34. Do a photo booth crawl and make silly photos at every booth you can find.
You'll gain insight into each other's performing chops and the ability to cut loose for the camera.
35. Do a seasonally themed date.
Pumpkin-spiced everything, anyone?
36. Go zip-lining.
These are like nature's roller coasters. Experience earth from up above.
37. Try to take great pictures of each other in different locations.
There's something really affirming about taking continuous photos of each other: You're celebrating each other's presence and good looks.
38. Try on ridiculous clothing/outfits you would never usually wear.
Dress up is one way to get in character. Getting in character is one way to explore all the facets of our personalities that we may not express every day.
via: Pexels / Filipe Leme
39. Rent a sailboat or a paddleboat.
Be the captains of your expeditions.
40. Pick a country’s cuisine that neither of you has tried and give it a shot.
We experience different cultures through our taste buds.
14 Cheap Second Date Ideas
via: Pexels / Katerina Holmes
Your second date ideas do not have to break the bank. You may be with a budget-minded girl who really appreciates the chance to save money for the bigger things in life like buying a home. Creating meaningful experiences on a budget hints at your resourcefulness and ingenuity. The money saved with cheap date ideas can go to charitable causes where it is really needed.
41. Buy a bunch of seeds. Plant them in a garden or all around town.
The chance to watch something grow and blossom over time is a powerful metaphor for what you're hoping for in a relationship.
42. Find some cool science experiment videos on YouTube and try them out.
A lot of the ingredients can be found around the home. Get back to the basics of chemistry.
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Chokniti Khongchum
43. Take a bakery tour.
It's always grounding to find out how things are made. You might even get a meal out of all the free samples.
44. Go foraging for edible plants and berries and make a meal with them.
We get so stuck in the urban mindset that a guy that remembers where food actually comes from is incredibly attractive.
45. Both of you download an app/game in which you have to walk or travel around the real world to achieve goals in the game.
Get your exercise in the real world while doing time in a fantasy world.
46. Make a bucket list.
Who isn't excited to set hopes and dreams for the future?
47. Pick out workout videos on YouTube and do them together.
You may get to show off your strengths in one moment while looking really silly in another. This is a great way to be active and resourceful without leaving the house or spending money on gas.
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Leon Martinez
48. Get some coloring books and color.
It's calming and meditative and you'll have something to hang on the refrigerator. Find out who's better at staying in the lines.
49. Get lyrical and write an original song.
Or, take a song you both know and re-write it with funny lyrics.
50. Go to a car show.
You're both bound to learn something you didn't know.
51. A drink at "Yappy Hour"
If you're both dog lovers, you can double date with your doggos.
52. Dine out with a discount.
Check out Groupon for restaurants offering discounts.
via: Depositphotos / nejron
53. Romantic stroll
Sometimes just a walk enjoying each other's company is all you need.
54. Free fun events
The local stores are sure to have your town's local papers with a calendar of events. Go through it together and circle the ones you're both interested in attending.
10 At Home Second Date Ideas
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You don't even have to leave the house to make a great 2nd date! This is especially true if you're both introverted homebodies. You can learn more about each other by spending time in each other's homes and observing the artifacts of their lifestyles. The kitchen will tell you about their attitudes toward health and wellness. The bathroom will tell you a little about their daily routines.
Especially during the cold months, we tend to re-center inward. Remember that we are not dependent on external resources for inner cultivation. At home date ideas are a sure-fire win.
55. Watch a romantic film
Watching other people's romance unfold might be just what you're both thinking about but didn't want to suggest openly. We all love a feel-good romance, even a cheesy one. She might be thrilled to know you're open to chick flicks.
56. Set up a candlelight dinner
Creating an ambiance lets her know she's worth it.
via: Depositphotos / IgorVetushko
57. Create a website
If you're both technologically inclined, you might use the internet as a way to discover each other's digital design chops.
58. Home spa
Get out the face masks, the exfoliants, and the cucumber eye masks.
59. Play Would You Rather
The object of the 'would you rather' questions game is to give each other two or more potentially outrageous choices to choose from and you'll learn a lot about how the other makes decisions.
60. Play video games
Get out the old Super Nintendo and have a Mario Cart battle.
61. Dance
You definitely do not need to hit the clubs to get down.
via: Bigstockphoto / Yacobchuk
62. Take Personality Tests
Whether you find out which Harry Potter character she is most like or her Myers Briggs personality type, you're sure to get more intimately acquainted.
63. Have a fondue party
The thing about fondue is it's tantalizing to create. There's a sensuality to it.
64. Do a crossword together
If you can't figure out the clues together, you can see how fast you can google search for them.
20 Unique Second Date Ideas
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When we are with someone new, we often feel this surge of exploratory energy and inspiration to discover dormant parts of ourselves. We all know how to go out for coffee, a meal, a movie, or a drink. We all know how to hit the clubs.
How far do you dare go to expand your mind, heart, and spirit? Maybe you were a jaded skeptic when you were single, and you're starting to feel sparks of insight coming from new directions. Act on them with some unique date ideas. Desire for growth is and greater awareness is positively alluring.
65. Attend a shamanic drumming circle.
Indigenous culture and spirituality is all about connecting with the inner realms and earth spirit through rhythmic drumming.
via: Unsplash / Lee Pigott
66. Listen to a TED talk live.
TED talk speakers are all on the cutting edge of knowledge and cultural transformation.
67. Clean up a beach together.
Share your care for the environment by doing something good for the earth together.
68. Attend a reptile convention.
While everyone's familiar with dogs and cats as pets, few people have had a chance to appreciate reptiles up close and personal.
69. Take a horseback riding lesson or go on a trail ride.
Horses have been known to bring new beginnings to those affected by paralysis and autism. There's something innately healing about riding and being in equine presence.
70. Skiing or snowboarding
Rip and shred till the sun goes down.
via: Depositphotos / luckybusiness
71. Learn about astrology or tarot together.
We all wonder about reading the cosmic energies through which our physical lives unfold. Society is ripe for people to get over their need to stay logical and have the courage to pursue the non-physical.
72. Go to a crystal and gemstone shop.
In addition to being full of beautiful things, crystals are used for healing. They have electromagnetic fields that can be felt.
73. Go to an animal shelter and play with the dogs and cats waiting for homes.
Homeless animals really benefit from any extra love you can give them while they are in the stressful shelter environment.
74. Take a partner yoga class.
The thing about partner yoga is it teaches you to find a balanced center of gravity between two people. The structure of it creates intimacy and body awareness.
75. Learn couples fitness.
via: Unsplash / Curtis MacNewton
Nothing says #relationshipgoals more than a guy and a girl who use each other to their advantage while working out.
76. Pick apples at a local orchard.
Make applesauce and apple pie when you get home.
77. Search for the perfect pumpkin.
Have a pumpkin carving contest.
78. Visit a farm. Get lost in a corn maze.
Celebrate fall and the changing of the seasons.
79. Head to the shooting range.
Working on our aim is an important life skill.
80. Go fly a kite.
If you live in a windy area, there's no better way to appreciate the wind.
via: Pexels / Quang Nguyen Vinh
81. Take a hot air balloon ride.
With an indescribable, once-in-a-lifetime vantage point, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
82. Ice fishing
It's one step beyond regular fishing, which is also a peaceful pastime to share. Grill the fish together afterward.
83. Take a class on trust exercises.
Similar in goals to acro yoga and certain couples workouts, you'll learn about your edge in situations that demand trust.
84. Attend a singing bowls concert.
Singing bowls produce a range of sounds to restore the normal vibratory frequencies of imbalanced parts of the body, mind, and soul.
9 second date ideas on winter
via: Unsplash / Archie
Sure, you may have ONE good date idea for winter, but with all the pressure on the second date, it can actually be much harder to come up with winter date ideas after you've pulled off that first success. Not to worry, though, these great second date ideas are perfect for those cold, winter days and nights.
85. See a symphony
Show her how cultured you are and enjoy some beautiful music together.
86. Be fake tourists
Turn your town into a tourist destination by checking out all the (warm) spots you've never seen.
87. Make matching clothing
If things are going really well, have fun designing matching outfits!
88. Bounce around indoor trampoline parks
Get some exercise and jump around like kids again.
89. Go to an adult ball pit
Just as fun as when you were a kid.
via: Unsplash / Ethan Haddox
90. Play pool
It can be a surprisingly romantic game when it's just the two of you.
91. Hit up a rock climbing gym
Too cold to climb the mountains outdoors? Climb one indoors.
92. Take a long drive
Explore long, winding, private roads surrounded by nature together.
93. Check out holiday lights
Get in the Christmas spirit together by looking at the lights and sipping cocoa together.
8 Free second date ideas
via: Unsplash / Clarisse Meyer
So, you spent every cent on that blowout first date, and it was a complete success! She wants a second date! Now what? Just check out all our free date ideas for your second date. These can blow her away all over again without costing you a penny.
94. Go to an Open House
Pretend you're buying a house together and see if you have the same taste.
95. Volunteer in a soup kitchen
Do some good and show her that you care about others.
96. Pitch a tent
Go camping in a park or even in your own backyard.
97. Find a free art exhibit
Compare taste in art. If you have a couple of bucks, buy her a postcard with her favorite painting.
via: Unsplash / Martino Pietropoli
98. Go sightseeing
Walking around a part of your city you've both never really explored can be tons of fun.
99. Watch tutorials and try to recreate
Whether it's dinner or an art project, this is a great shared experience.
100. Learn a new language
You can learn enough to have a basic conversation together in a night.
101. Offer to babysit together
Lots of fun if you both love kids.
9 fun second date ideas
via: Unsplash / Vitor Pinto
If you want to keep seeing her, keep showing her a fun time. You probably used your most fun idea on date number one, but we've got your back here. These fun date ideas are perfect for the second (and third and fourth) date. So, you're set for every date going forward!
102. Buy a metal detector and fool around
Go treasure searching on the beach or in your backyard.
103. Try paddleboarding
It's difficult but super fun.
104. Go swimming
You'll have fun in the pool or at the beach.
105. Walk by the beachside
A classic date location if there ever was one.
106. Dine at a food truck
Try some of the best local food on the street.
via: Unsplash / Isaac Benhesed
107. Share a milkshake
This has worked for second dates since the '50s.
108. Visit an observatory or planetarium
It's a great way to stare at the stars together.
109. Visit a carnival
The lights, the rides, the food: there's so much to do here.
110. Find an Outdoor Public Pool That's Open Late
Late-night swimming is always romantic.
4 romantic second date ideas
via: Pexels / cottonbro
The second date is important because you're both still deciding whether you like each other. Alleviate your date's doubts with these romantic date ideas for that second meeting.
111. Go birdwatching.
Birdwatching is a very peaceful second-date idea that lets you connect with nature and experience the animal kingdom in all its glory.
via: Unsplash / Kayla Farmer
112. Go to the botanical gardens.
Breathe in the fresh air and relax together amongst beautiful plants. This is definitely more romantic than you might think.
113. Meet for breakfast.
There's something really comforting about eating breakfast with someone you care about. This is a great second-date idea if you've been hanging out the night before.
114. Attend a lantern festival.
Lantern festivals can be very touching, so don't be surprised if your crush has their breath taken away. This is pretty much the definition of romantic!
4 second date ideas you can use as 3rd date ideas
via: Pexels / Eko Agalarov
Second date, third date... Who's really keeping score here? At the end of the day, these are all great date ideas, including these 3rd date ideas.
115. Go to trivia night at a bar.
Trivia nights are always tons of fun. These dates give you the opportunity to laugh with your crush and learn more about them.
116. Visit a food truck festival.
Is your crush a foodie? If so, they'll love having the chance to sample tons of delicious foods at a food truck festival.
via: Unsplash / Arturo Rey
117. Make sushi together.
What could be more fun than making sushi together? And best of all, you two get to eat your delicious creations at the end of this date!
118. Get a massage together.
It might seem like a pretty intimate second date, but your crush is guaranteed to feel relaxed after this date... and that's never a bad thing!
How To Pick A Great Second Date Idea
via: Bigstockphoto / Mariia Boiko
There are rhyme and reason to first dates, second dates, third dates, and so on. Each is designed for two people to get to know each other at distinctly different levels of intimacy.
- Think about what you honestly feel are some of your best qualities and choose a second date option that might showcase it.
- Think about what you sense are some of her best qualities and choose a second date option that will allow them to shine.
- Consider the communication styles you're both comfortable with and capitalize on second dates that cater to them. For example, if you're both comfortable with singing or dancing, hit up a karaoke.
- Consider what you sense might be her insecurities or fears when planning your second date. You'll probably want to consider your own so that you can both be at your most comfortable.
- An activity to occupy yourselves with can make conversation and intimacy flow more freely so long as it doesn't demand a whole lot of concentration.
Downloadable and Printable List of Second Date Ideas
Here is a downloadable and printable list of Second Date Ideas (right click the image and select Save Image As...):
via: Mantelligence
More Great Date Ideas
Second date ideas are prime time for exploration together of what could be between you two. Just as the second date is as uniquely specialized as the entirely separate first date, so are other relationship milestones.
- First dates are like book covers: They are your best attempt at a presentation of what's within. You'll want to know some specifically first date ideas.
- Anniversaries mark important relationship milestones: They are the bookmarks that signal expanding layers of commitment to each other. Be sure to know our top anniversary date ideas.
- Relationships are about finding new ways to grow with one another: Consider some adventurous date ideas to keep things popping.
Conclusion
The most important component of a second date is some sort of relaxed activity. This will be something you can both enjoy and will create a relaxed environment. It will help you both be yourselves and will give you a much better sense of who the other person really is.
Use one of the above 2nd date ideas, don't be weird and chances are you'll get the third date.
