Non-Cliché Second Date Ideas That Are Better Than Dinner and a Movie

If there's an amusement park near you, hit it up. Thrill rides are a fantastic excuse to get cozy.

Take a page from the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle love handbook and bond by giving back to a cause you both care about.

Get a little dressed up and use it as an excuse to feel fancy.

Channel your inner Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze for a sexy pottery-making date.

Even if neither of you have a dog.

You'll be like real-life Cupids.

The couple that gets sweaty together stays together.

You'll be forced to work together and learn a lot about how your date thinks in the process.

Next time the carnival comes through your area (or a state fair or local festival of some kind—any event with a temporary ferris wheel and funnel cake, really), use it as a date night.

There are about a thousand companies that specialize in hosting these events and you'll bond over your artistic talents (or lack thereof).

Free and romantic.

If you and your date are the adventure types, you could go extreme for the second date.

Only the most fun, most whimsical of all 5Ks.

Visit a local car lot and test drive a car you could never really afford.

When it comes to beautiful places to walk and talk for hours, botanical gardens pretty much top the list.

Even if you're not naturally gifted on the dance floor, you'll be able to find the fun learning together.

Hand-holding is 100 percent guaranteed. Need we say more?

A person's go-to karaoke song says a lot about them. Are you more of a ABBA "Dancing Queen" or Gloria Gaynor "I Will Survive?"

Instead of waiting until 8 p.m. (because we both know how excited you are to go on this date), head to a fun happy hour where you both can enjoy cheap drinks and watch the sunset.

Find an over-the-top dessert place you've been dying to try.

Much like their favorite karaoke song, the type of books they're interested in determine who they are as a person. Don't like Didion? Thank u, next.

If it's already cold outside, you might as well get tickets to watch your hockey team play. A little competition never hurt anybody, and you can get cheap seats in the 400s section.

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On the other hand, once spring rolls around there's nothing better than watching some baseball with a hotdog and soda in hand. Ticket prices will be pretty cheap earlier in the season, which starts in March.

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If they enjoy your favorite music, they'll pass the test—and can now go on a third date with you.

Though this could get incredibly awkward (falling into the water, unnecessary feet-touching, etc.), kayaking is the perfect opportunity to test out his or her teamwork skills. If you end up on the complete opposite side of your destination, you know what to do.

If you live in a city where you're lucky enough to experience the incredible views, why not do it with someone new? Find a rooftop bar that fits the vibe (whether that's cozy intimate or more of a crowded scene) and soak it in together. Who says you have to stay at just one bar, either?

Toss around a Frisbee in the park or hit up the basketball court for some one-on-one. Teamwork and the natural endorphins are guaranteed to pull you closer.

If you really vibed on the first date and want to have some alone time beyond your neighborhood or city, plan a scenic drive somewhere with #views. Spread out a picnic or pack some snacks for the ride.

If you want a less stuffy environment than a dinner setting, where there's mimosas aplenty and no pressure to stick around for the rest of the day, try going for a day date to brunch on the weekend. For fellow angsty people, you can at least get the date out of the way and then go about your day instead of sweating it until evening.

Plan a beach date with a group of friends or just the two of you. Pack some snacks and sunscreen at high noon, or head out to the sands for a sunset stroll.