Thinking of first date ideas can be difficult, and you may decide to do something active like taking your date out for a night of bowling.
If you’ve never taken a date bowling before, then you may wonder if it’s an ideal place for a date— let alone a first date.
Here are 10 reasons why bowling is a good first date idea.
Is Bowling A Good First Date? (10 Reasons It Is)
1. It’s Casual
One of the most important reasons why bowling is a good first date is that it’s casual.
A first date should be casual.
It’s the date you go on to learn about one another and determine whether your interests, hobbies, and lifestyles mesh well together.
There shouldn’t be a lot of focus on future plans.
Instead, the date should allow you both to exist in the moment and have fun together.
Bowling provides that environment.
It gives you both something to focus on while you learn about one another.
It also doesn’t raise the stakes too high.
That’s important for dates who may be a little shy or unsure of themselves or the idea of being with you.
If you go all-out on a date, then they might feel guilty later if they’re not feeling a vibe with you.
To ease their guilt, they might go on a few more dates with you all the while knowing that they’re going to walk away at some point.
Bowling keeps the date casual which allows both parties to easily walk away if they’re not feeling a connection with the other person.
If you don’t want to stress yourself or your date out, then having your first date at a bowling alley is an ideal location.
2. It’s Adaptable To Different Budgets
Sometimes, you may not have a lot of money to spend on a first date.
If you still want to take your date somewhere special and have fun, then the bowling alley is a great choice.
That’s because you can spend as much or as little as you want at the bowling alley.
When you bowl, you basically pay for each game.
If you only have enough money to pay for a single game, then the date can come to an end after that game.
You will both still feel as though you accomplished something since you were able to bowl a round together.
You can also extend the length of the date by taking breaks and talking to one another.
If you do have a larger budget, then you can pay for more games.
You can also get food at the snack bar that most bowling alleys have.
Some bowling alleys also have an arcade where you can splurge even more.
Since you can spend as much as you want, going to the bowling alley is great for a first date.
You don’t even have to let your date know that you only have so much money to contribute.
It can save you a good deal of embarrassment.
If your date wants to pay half of the bill, then you also don’t have to feel guilty because bowling is relatively inexpensive.
Neither of you is spending too much money to have a great time together.
Bowling is a good first date option because it can be done with almost any kind of budget.
3. Fun For Beginners And Professionals
No matter your skill level, you and your date are going to have fun bowling.
If neither of you has ever bowled before, then going bowling is going to be a riot.
As long as you both have the right mindset, you can laugh at each other’s failed attempts to get a strike.
If one of you is particularly good at bowling and the other isn’t, then a bit of tutoring can even happen.
That gives you both an excuse to get a bit closer, too.
If you happen to both be very skilled at bowling, then a different kind of fun can happen.
You can engage in direct competition to see who wins.
You might even have a bit of fun by raising the stakes with a bet or wager.
The point of a first date is to have fun and learn about one another.
No matter if you’re a beginner or you’ve been bowling for years, you can enjoy bowling with your date.
The only real problem that could occur is if someone is a sore loser.
If someone doesn’t like losing, then making the game a competition may not be a great idea.
You can salvage the date by choosing another benchmark to hit instead of directly competing.
For example, you might decide on a certain number of points that you both will try to reach.
There’s no direct competition if you play this way.
Instead, the focus is on getting as many points as possible.
This isn’t a time to show off either.
While you can show off your skills a little, you don’t want to come off as arrogant or cocky.
Instead, use your skills to help teach your date if they’re willing to learn.
Otherwise, don’t try too hard and instead focus on getting to know them rather than playing the game.
Bowling is a good first date idea because it can be fun for bowlers of any skill level.
4. You Can Get Food
One of the reasons bowling is a good first date is that it has everything you could possibly need in one fun setting.
You have a fun activity, a place to relax, and you also often have a place where you can get food.
Most dates usually include getting food at some stage.
It’s the perfect opportunity to focus on one another without any distractions.
Bowling alleys are no different.
In most cases, bowling alleys have a snack bar where you can buy simple food items.
They usually have menu items like hot dogs, burgers, and ice cream.
It isn’t anything elegant or fancy, but it will keep you both fed and give you a chance to relax and talk to one another.
Most bowling alleys also have a place where you can eat, and some even provide a small table at your lane.
While it won’t be the most romantic setting with children running around, it serves its purpose.
A good time to get food is about halfway through your time at the alley.
If you know you’re planning to play two games, then you can also choose to get food at the end of the first game.
You shouldn’t eat and play.
Instead, treat them as two different activities.
While eating, be sure to ask your date questions about themself and pay attention to what they’re saying.
Once you’re both finished with your meals, you can return to the game.
Bowling is a great first date idea because you can often get food at the alley instead of having to leave the alley to find food elsewhere.
5. You’ll Get Some Exercise
Getting exercise may not seem like your idea of a great date, in general, but it can be beneficial.
Exercise releases endorphins.
Endorphins are the neurotransmitters that are behind feelings of pleasure and love.
As such, by engaging in something exercise-related, your brain is also releasing endorphins.
Not only does this mean you’re going to have a more enjoyable time bowling, but it might mean that you and your date may become more attracted to one another.
You can think of it as a way to kickstart the butterflies in each other’s stomachs.
Bowling certainly offers plenty of exercise.
It involves holding, carrying, and throwing a heavy ball.
It works your arms, core, wrists, shoulders, and a few other muscles in the rest of your body.
Not only do you enhance your strength by lifting and throwing the heavy bowling ball, but you also work on your balance.
You can only use one hand to throw the bowling ball down the lane.
Because of that, only one side of your body carries the weight of the ball.
You have to work on your balance to keep your opposite foot on the ground while handling the bowling ball.
There’s also an element of stamina and endurance to bowling.
You have several frames to work through before the game ends.
You’ll be carrying and throwing the ball in each frame.
You’ll need to ensure you stay strong each time it’s your turn with the ball.
Because you’re getting a decent level of exercise through bowling, your brain will start to release endorphins.
Bowling is a good first date idea because it helps the production of endorphins.
6. You Can Have Complete Privacy
If you want to make quite the impression on your first date, then you could book the entire alley for your date.
This is a very expensive thing to do, but if you want you and your date to have complete privacy, then it’s possible.
Not every bowling alley will close down for just two bowlers, but many of them do allow you to rent the alley for a night.
Some alleys, like Pin Chasers, even allow you to hire a DJ for your event.
This is a great way to show your date how serious you are about getting to know them.
Another reason it’s beneficial is that it removes noisy children and other bowlers.
Bowling alleys tend to be the go-to place for children’s parties, for example.
Children can very easily ruin a first date.
They might run back and forth, distracting you and your date, while you’re trying to have an intimate conversation.
Babies might start crying and wailing which can ruin the mood that you’re trying to set.
Even older bowlers can become annoying.
You might even have other people competing with you for your date’s attention.
They might also just be loud and obnoxious.
By renting the alley out, you can give yourself and your partner complete privacy.
You’ll be able to enjoy the game in a far more relaxed manner.
It makes the alley feel a little more special, too.
If you do decide to bring in a DJ, then you and your date can even dance when you want to take occasional breaks from bowling.
Bowling is a good first date idea because you can sometimes rent the alley and make the date feel extremely special.
7. It Breaks The Ice
A problem with first dates is that it can be difficult to break the ice.
There may even be moments throughout the date where someone says something rather awkward, and things get a bit weird.
Without something to break the ice, the date might as well be over.
Bowling is a great first date idea because it gives you everything you need to break the ice at any time.
Instead of rushing right into an intense conversation, for example, you can keep things relaxed and casual by focusing on the game.
You can then start to talk about interests and other topics while you play.
All the while, you’ll be warming up your conversational and flirting skills, and maybe even warming up to each other.
When it comes time for a break and some food, you’ll both be ready to have a more intimate and serious conversation.
Naturally, if you have an awkward moment, then you can always quickly focus your attention back on the game while you recover from the faux pas.
Since bowling alleys are usually lively places, you also always have something to talk about.
Even if neither of you knows what to talk about next, the alley, itself, offers several topics in its own right.
This ensures that the communication keeps happening throughout the night and no one feels awkward and stuck sitting in silence.
Bowling is a good first date idea because it can help break the ice and keep the conversation going.
8. There Is Plenty To Do
A problem that some people run into on first dates is that the activity that they’re participating in can become boring after a while.
If they’re doing the same thing for hours, then it can become stale.
It doesn’t leave a very good impression.
The great thing about bowling alleys is that they provide you with plenty of things to do.
While the main attraction of the alley is the lane and bowling, there are usually other activities, too.
Arcades are the most common additional feature in bowling alleys.
You can find an assortment of games that you and your date can play.
You may even want to try your hand at the claw machine to see if you can win your date a prize.
There’s also food and dessert to eat which can take up some of your time.
Some bowling alleys also have other games like pool or have a secondary building devoted to things like a bounce house or laser tag.
If you sense that your date is growing bored with bowling, then the bowling alley has plenty of other activities that you can do together.
Bowling is a great first date idea because there’s always something to do that keeps the date from becoming stale.
9. There’s Glow Bowling
If you can time your date right, then your first date at the bowling alley could happen when they have a glow bowling night.
Glow bowling is a bit different than standard bowling.
The alley won’t be lit like it normally is, but instead, it will be lit by blacklights.
It’s a bit more fun because there are bright colors everywhere.
The music usually changes, too.
Glow bowling adds a bit more fun to the date.
It can make it that much more memorable.
Bowling is a good first date idea because you can go glow bowling which can make the date unforgettable.
10. You Can Avoid Overly Competitive People
A final reason bowling is a good first date is that it can give you a glimpse into whether you’re date is overly competitive and not fun to be around.
Bowling can give you a glimpse into their personality.
If they’re hypercompetitive, then you might find that they don’t quite mesh with your personality.
On the other hand, if you’re hypercompetitive, too, then you might realize that you both can have a lot of fun with one another.
You can also determine if they’re graceful winners or losers.
If they can win and lose with grace, then you’ll know that they don’t take games too seriously.
Rather, they likely care more about the experience they are having with you.
However, if they’re not graceful winners or losers, then they might try to make you feel bad for winning or losing.
That’s a big red flag.
Bowling can help you see some of your date’s personality quirks which can either give you the confidence to keep dating them or to cut them loose early.
Conclusion
One of the best places you can take your date is the bowling alley.
As a first date option, bowling allows you to scale your budget, easily break the ice, and determine certain qualities about your date’s personality.
If you need to plan a first date, then consider taking your date to your local bowling alley.
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