Fun Date Ideas for Teens

The best date allows you time to talk to each other.

High school teens are usually nervous enough going out on a date without having to also come up with all of the details for a fun and interesting evening. This is even more difficult when issues involving money, parental approval and peer pressure come into play. All is not lost, however. A few tips can turn a potential dating disaster into a surefire success.

Instructions

1. Ask your date where she wants to go. Many people think the element of surprise is essential to a fun and exciting date, but if your companion ends up somewhere she simply does not want to be, there's little chance of salvaging the night. By including your date in the planning, your chances of a positive experience (and a second date) increase significantly.

2. Avoid places where "all the kids" are going. Sure, it's an easy solution to go to your local movie theater. However, if everyone you know is there, then the pressure to behave a certain way takes over, and you may find yourself competing for your date's attention. It's a far better idea to go somewhere a little bit more off the beaten path.

3. Don't deceive. You don't want to go too far off the beaten path. Yes, it might seem like an adventure to board a bus to a hot nightspot in a nearby city, but the chances of getting both sets of parents to sign off on such an idea probably isn't very good. If you can't freely discuss where you are going and you have to resort to deception, then you're simply setting yourself up for failure.

4. Choose quiet. The ideal place for a date would be quiet enough for the two of you to talk, in close proximity to a place to get food and beverage, and it would also provide some sort of entertainment (as well as give you a natural topic of conversation). Places like this include a coffeehouse with an open mic night, a performance of a local college's improv group, or even a short reading at a local bookstore or library. Even if the event itself leaves a lot to be desired, that doesn't mean you can't have a good time making fun of the poor performance you've just witnessed.

5. Play games. If you're already an established couple, then you might want to invite another couple over to one of your houses for a "game night." Your parents will certainly approve. And if you're with the right person, then it really doesn't matter where the two of you are, as long as you're doing something together.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're especially adventurous, why not do something "active" like take a dance lesson, cooking class or aerobics class. Yes, you may look foolish. But if you're both at the same level of expertise, you can have fun looking foolish together.

• Never go someplace with a date where you don't feel comfortable. If the other person won't tell you in advance anything about where you are going, it's better that you just don't go.