The Latest Catch
  • Advice
  • Couple Goals
  • Research
  • Video
  • Dating Site
JOIN POF TODAY
551K
44K
0
835
15K
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Coming Soon
The Latest Catch
Join Plenty of Fish Today
The Latest Catch
  • Advice
  • Couple Goals
  • Research
  • Video
  • Dating Site
551K
44K
0
835
15K
  • Advice
  • Lifestyle

20 Great First Dates That Don’t Require Sitting at a Bar

  • October 3, 2017
  • 2 minute read
  • Anna Ciulla
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0

It’s a familiar trope: A guy or girl walks into a bar, orders a drink and  meets their match. This may help to explain the popular assumption among today’s singles that any first date that’s worth its weight in fun or romance must include drinks at a bar. This isn’t the case!

In reality, there are some very good reasons to choose a venue and activity that doesn’t include alcohol:

Your safety should be an important consideration on a first date with someone you don’t know. In many cases, your date may be a complete stranger—and if not a stranger, then the friend of a friend. Drinking even a moderate amount, can possibly cloud your judgment and lower your inhibitions. You always want to keep a clear mind so you have full control of your experience.

A first date, for all intents and purposes, should be about getting to know the other person. Because alcohol helps people relax, “meeting up for a drink” can be many people’s way of taming the social anxiety of a first date. But most people become much more extroverted when they drink, according to research. In this sense, alcohol can actually inhibit your ability to get to know a new person.

Many people simply don’t drink for health and/or other reasons. Ten percent of Americans say they’re in recovery for substance abuse. Then there are roughly seven in 10 Americans who take a prescription medication and probably can’t drink (or don’t drink very much). For this big dating demographic, meeting up in a bar could introduce potentially more social awkwardness and discomfort.

20 Fun, First-Date Ideas That Don’t Involve Drinks

Fortunately, there are many fun alternatives to drinks at a bar, as is clear from the following 20 first-date ideas that don’t involve alcohol and can still be fun, interesting and/or romantic:

  1. Get drinks—only at your favorite coffee shop.
  2. Take a walk in the park.
  3. Get ice cream.
  4. Hit the arcade.
  5. Attend a local sporting event.
  6. Go golfing or practice some shots at the driving range.
  7. Visit an art gallery or museum.
  8. Catch some live music.
  9. Take a bus or boat tour of the city.
  10. Visit the planetarium.
  11. Take a cooking class.
  12. Go to the fair or an amusement park.
  13. Take a bike ride.
  14. Go bowling.
  15. See a comedy show.
  16. Take your pooch(es) to the dog park.
  17. Attend a food festival.
  18. Take a trip to the farmer’s market or a flea market.
  19. Go kayaking.
  20. See a play or movie together.

These are just some of many first date options that don’t need alcohol in order to be fun, or romantic, or both. Got a suggestion that’s not on this list? Share it with the rest of us!

Guest Post contributed by Beach House Center for Recovery

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Anna Ciulla

Anna Ciulla, the Clinical Director at Beach House Center for Recovery, is responsible for designing, implementing and supervising the delivery of the latest evidence-based therapies for treating substance use disorders. She has a passion for helping clients with substance use and co-occurring disorders achieve successful long-term recovery.

Previous Article
  • Lifestyle

Planning the Perfect Honeymoon

  • September 28, 2017
  • Naomi Shaw
View Post
Next Article
  • Advice
  • Lifestyle
  • Trends

Survey Reveals: “Pumpkin Spice” Is Anything But Basic

  • October 12, 2017
  • Kate Maclean
View Post

Subscribe

Tips to Your Inbox!

You May Also Like
Woman tossing out the trash walking across grass
View Post
  • Advice
  • Dating

Declutter Your Dating Life: What to Keep and What to Toss

  • April 24, 2022
  • Megan Clark
single parent with stroller on a date in the park
View Post
  • Advice
  • Dating
  • Research

Dating a Single Parent? Here’s How to Set Yourself Up For Success

  • March 21, 2022
  • Carly Johannson
two single women whispering advice to each other
View Post
  • Advice
  • Dating

Giving Advice to Your Single Crew: The How, Who, What, and When

  • March 17, 2022
  • Megan Clark
group of friends hanging out on their phones together
View Post
  • Advice
  • Dating

It’s Okay to Make Friends on Dating Apps. Here’s Why

  • March 3, 2022
  • Carly Johannson
two couples on a group date piggybacking
View Post
  • Advice
  • Dating

If You’re Not Going on Group Dates, It’s Time to Start

  • February 20, 2022
  • Megan Clark
young woman in the snow holding Valentine's Day love balloon
View Post
  • Advice
  • Dating

Hot Take: Valentine’s Day Should be About Love, Not Romance

  • February 6, 2022
  • Carly Johannson
man looking at phone regretting a text message
View Post
  • Advice
  • Research

This New POF Feature Will Stop You From Sending Messages You Regret the Next Morning

  • January 30, 2022
  • Carly Johannson
man sitting on the beach smiling looking happy
View Post
  • Advice
  • Lifestyle

New Year, Same You? Embrace It

  • January 16, 2022
  • Carly Johannson

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Plenty of Fish Live: Take dating to the next level
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJDMrHJ0zBo
No one has their sh*t together – Plenty of Fish (POF)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7QLrgJx8Nc
Minimum Message Length | Plenty of Fish (POF)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPUytYfzGTE
JOIN POF TODAY
551K
44K
0
835
15K

Subscribe

Get Tips to Your Inbox

Privacy PolicyTerms of UseCookie Policy

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

✗

Header

pre

post

No Thanks