Where To Go & What To Do When You’re Dating Someone New

Dating someone new can be a lot of fun, but not so much fun when you’re struggling to think of where to go. Here’s a foolproof list of where to go to ease into dating a new person and get to really know them. Plus, you might actually end up having a lot of fun!

1. A circuit walk I stress the importance of the walk beginning and ending at the same point. There’s nothing worse than when you realize you don’t like someone but you’ll still have to walk back with them an hour the way you just came. When dating someone new, going for a walk is great to get out into nature and get a bit of exercise while getting to know a person. Just make sure it’s an easy circle and you’re not trekking up mountains just to see if you’re compatible.
2. An escape room Escape rooms are just like moving in with a partner. Can you tolerate the person you’re with in a confined space with challenges along the way? This will show you quickly if the person you’re dating is someone you’d be able to sort out problems with and can spend at least an hour in the same room.
3. A bar/pub At least you can drink your sorrows away if this new person is not a good match. If you like them, you can suggest trivia (if it’s on offer) or a game of pool to see what they’re like in a competitive environment and spend some more time with them. Deciding to go to a bar or pub isn’t necessarily a unique dating idea, but it’s different when there’s actually something good going on there.
4. The beach/somewhere you can swim Seeing someone new in this context can be very exciting and playful. Imagine splashing water at one another and rubbing sunscreen on each other’s backs. There’s a lot here that can bring you closer together if that’s the way things are heading.
5. A café A good ol’ café is the perfect place to go when dating someone new because it can be limited on time with just a quick coffee or extended if you like the person with another coffee and/or food. Cafes are easy environments to chat away and get to know someone. Is it pretty cliche? Kinda, but that’s because it works so well.
6. A party If there’s a party on, invite this new person you’re dating and see what they’re like. Do they stand on their own in the corner expecting you to be with them the whole evening or are they making the most of the night and getting to know people but always circling back to you because they like you?
7. An art exhibition Be careful that you don’t go to a gallery or museum that’s so deadly silent that anything you say to the person you’re dating can be heard around the gallery walls and echoed through a hollow sculpture. Make sure it’s a little bit livelier and you’ll be able to share opinions on what you both consider to be art.

1. A Paint and sip activity Doing an activity is always a great idea to spend time with someone. It takes the pressure off of talking about yourself or asking questions the whole time and gives you something in common to talk about straight away.
2. The ice cream stand Who doesn’t like ice cream? You’ll get to see if they’re a mint choc chip kind of person and whether you can live with this disgusting choice of flavor. It’s also always cute to see if they’ll share their ice cream with you. Obviously, this doesn’t have to be the whole date, but it’s a good option for before or after the main event.
3. Their house or yours If you’ve built up a bit of trust and you’re happy for the person you’re dating to come over or for you to go over to their place, sharing a meal that you’ve both helped to prepare can bring you closer together. It can give an insight into how easy (or not so easy) it is to be around them and who takes on what roles in the kitchen. You can even cuddle up on the couch and watch a movie or two!
4. A Board game night Some bars have board games or you could take them to the park or go over to their place. This will give you something to talk about and do together and can be introduced as a way to meet each other’s friends and family if the dates are going well.
5. The dog park If you both like animals, this is a great place to go sit down and let dogs run up to you. It will get you talking about dreams of sharing your life with that one specific dog breed and dogs always know who is a good person to be around. So, if they’re running up to your date, take it as a good sign.
6. FaceTime Don’t go anywhere if you’re not sure about them and if they can’t hold a proper conversation. Five minutes on FaceTime will tell you everything you need to know and if it goes well from there, see the list above.