1. Cooking Class

One of the yummiest ideas for a first date is a cooking class. If you must have food on your dates, make it yourself! Show off your wifey skills, yo, by banging pans and stirring pots with a culinary lesson. Who cares if you can’t boil water? It’s a class. You’ll learn how to cook!

2. Game Night

Let the inner child loose for the night, with game night. This is a great way to get to know a person: if your date is a self-centered control freak who hates to lose (flashback… yikes!), you’ll find out on game night. Dave and Buster’s, anyone?

3. Game Day

It’s baseball season, so buy some peanuts and Cracker Jacks, find the nearest softball league and make your way to a game day. Bonus points if you score a double-header. Want to splurge a little? Opt for a professional baseball game and snag an autograph. Talk about a home run!

4. Painting Class

Here is another example of showing skill, or lack thereof. Find an art studio or community college and get to stroking – the paintbrush, that is. Some studios offer wine with the painting, and while that sounds hot, I’m not too sure how it might affect your masterpiece! By the way I wouldn’t break out the Louboutins to this date, girls.

5. Dancing Lesson

As the saying goes, if he can dance, he can… hey! What a sneaky way to check out his moves, right? Lessons begin at $25 at most Arthur Murray locations. Don’t worry if you can’t dance either; if having two left feet has you nervous, practice alone before the date. YouTube videos make for the best private dance tutors, trust me!

6. Boat Ride

Now that the weather is warmer in most of the country, grab your date and get on a boat. The more lavish ones come equipped with food, drinks and more. Even a paddle boat ride would suffice; the water backdrop makes for something romantic and movie-like.

7. Take a Tour

Being nosy is okay, once in a while. If sight-seeing is your thing, tour the city. For free or at low cost you and your date can explore a park, mansion, farm or mountainous region. You don’t have to live in or near a major city to take a tour, either.

When you meet someone you’d like to get to know better, try something new. Your date will appreciate the work you’ve put into the planning. Say it with me: No more first dates featuring dinner and a movie, no matter how five-star chic it is! If these seven ideas for changing date night up a bit don’t quite do it for you, feel free to add your own in the comments. After all, creativity makes ideas for a first date endless.