If you are someone that has been out of the dating game for some time, then the idea of heading out on dates may be terrifying. The dating game has changed a lot in the last few years and the dating process is not the same as it used to be.

In the past, you would usually meet someone at a bar and kick it off from there. This would give you time to talk and really get to know each other, but these days the way you meet people is completely different. You can now expect to meet people over the internet or on dating apps such as tinder. This means that the way you are initially getting to know each other is not that natural and you may feel afraid to meet in person.

When you have said everything to each other online, it can be difficult to start a conversation when you meet in person. After all, you have already asked them most of the basics and there is not much else that you can really discuss.

When you do not have much to say you can often encounter awkward silences during your date and this can ruin the mood. If you have had a lot of dates with awkward silences recently, then you may be dreading it happening on your next date. Here are some ways you can avoid awkward silences on your first dates.

Do an Activity

A big mistake that a lot of people make when they are choosing a place for their first date is going somewhere very quiet. If you are quite a nervous person and you feel like you are going to easily fall into an awkward silence, I would recommend going somewhere that will give you something to talk about.

For example, you could go somewhere that allows you to do an art project together. This is a great way to show each other your creative sides and have a bit of fun. It is more likely that your date will not be great at crafts and so you will have something that you can both laugh about.

When you are doing an activity, you instantly give yourself a topic of conversation to discuss and even if you can not think about something to talk about, you can always just go back to the activity at hand.

You can talk about how much you are enjoying the activity or how hard it is, either way, you will be able to find at least one topic of conversation that could lead to more of a conversation.

Prepare Some Jokes

It is said that one of the easiest ways to break the ice is through humor. Everyone loves a joke and everyone loves a good laugh. You want your date to start off in a good mood and there is no better mood than having a laugh and a joke.

If you are someone that doesn’t consider yourself to be naturally funny, something that you may worry about is not being able to think of jokes to entertain your date. If you are worried about falling flat in your date, here are funny lines that you can relay to your date in order to make them laugh and they are bound to get a giggle.

If you are someone that has spoken to your date before you have met, it is likely that you have discussed some mutual topics that you both enjoy. It is likely that you have a celebrity that you have a shared liking for and you can always find jokes based on that celebrity.

Ask Them What They Like

You may feel the need to take the lead on the date but if you are worried that your date is not going to enjoy it, you can always ask them what they like and ask them to take the lead with the date.

They may have a passion that is actually very entertaining and so to make your date far more interesting you can automatically pursue that passion. For example, they might be someone who loves music and so you guys could head to a concert and see a band that you both like.