Cool First Date Ideas for 40+ Singles: From A Woman's Perspective

The best first dates for women are the "daytime" dates in my humble opinion. Mainly because it's a way to get to know a guy better in a safe and "public" environment with no stress.

First dates should be FUN and not necessarily romantic. I don't think a guy has to pick a bunch of flowers to give on a first date. He doesn't have to go all out for candlelight dinners and violins. The main thing is that a first date is fun, creative, and "inexpensive." You can always spend the money you want on the second date that is if you both decide you want to date again.

I once had a first date with a man who took me to "Shakespeare in the Park". The production was "The Taming of the Shrew." It was delightful. The best part is that everyone brought lawn chairs. Couples and families carried a cooler with drinks and picnic food. We watched the play along with the sunset. My date was a fine person and eager to share his thoughts on the play. I liked that.

He also brought a cooler with him and shared a couple of sodas. He said he wanted to take me out to dinner after the play. I thought wow, how cool is that? He neglected to tell me he wanted to dine at Wendy's for a bowl of .99-cent chili and a side of fries. UNCOOL. Everything was going so well, he was so sweet and impressive, then BAM, a lousy bowl of chili got in the way. A picnic on the lawn while watching the play would have been FAR better.

The idea was a great one--initially. I personally think a first date at "Shakespeare in the Park" is the way to go. In almost every community college or university, there is theater. Check into that and consider taking a first date to a play or musical in your town, OR art exhibit. Some are free and others cost a little, but it's a great idea for a first date. Make sure it's a play or musical YOU want to see, if she likes it as much as you did, chances are she'll date you again. You may want to check the entertainment section of your paper to check out all FREE civic events in your area. The local paper has great "first date" places you can go.