What Do You Like to Do For Fun: Dating Answers and Questions

When you meet someone new you often look at the question, what do you like to do for fun in dating, as answers can not only give you a better idea of what the person is like but – more importantly – what you can do with them to put them in the most positive frame of mind.

So we take a look at how to ask that question in the right way and in different methods to approach the topic that can provoke more thoughtful responses.

Understanding the purpose of the question “What do you like to do for fun?”

When you’re trying to get to know someone better, you want to create an emotional space that lends itself to bonding. And it’s easy to see why we’re often at our most emotionally open when we’re enjoying ourselves with another person.

Also, when you ask, what do you like to do for fun in dating, answers are about more than just planning the right activity for them. It also gives you key insights into their personality, values, how they occupy their lives and whether you have compatible interests.

Crafting authentic answers

So what’s the best thing to say when someone interested in you wants answers to what do you like to do for fun in dating? The important thing to remember is this isn’t a test you can fail, even if the answer isn’t exactly what they were looking for. It’s important to make sure that your answers aren’t dishonest or just you bragging.

Let’s look at some tips:

• Be honest. When sharing a personal interest, ask yourself, have I pursued this recently or is this just something I wish I were more interested in?
• Try and use the activity to highlight positive aspects and creativity within your character.
• Talk more about how the activity makes you feel rather than just the mechanics of your interests.

Balancing detail and brevity

When you’re on a date you’re often also trying to figure out how to start a conversation that will go somewhere. This can sometimes make us carry on a bit too long in hopes of keeping things moving because we tend to have a lot of conversational ammo on those topics.  

It’s important to practice restraint here and leave things open-ended. Don’t get too into detail. Only share the broad strokes and see if they carry on the conversation. Think of a conversation like fishing, you want them to come to you.

Here are some examples:

• “I recently decided to try out hiking and it’s really changed how I look at nature.”
• “I’m in a quiz team with some of my work friends. Do you ever do anything social with your colleagues?”
• “My favorite thing is to travel. The best place I’ve ever been to is Barcelona in the spring.” 

Incorporating enthusiasm and passion

When someone asks you, what do you like to do for fun in dating, answers are often not just evaluated by the other person based on their content, but also on how you talk about those things that spark and feed the flame of your passions.

Not only do we tend to respond better to enthusiasm in conversation but it can often positively improve the tone and pace of your conversation through a concept called social mirroring. The more enthusiasm you express, the more comfortable they’ll be and it will likely create a similar response of joy and enthusiasm in them.

Being passionate about your hobbies and interests isn’t just a trick about how to be more interesting. Rather, it indicates that you dedicate this same emotional energy and attention to everything important to you in life. It’s an important indicator of how you’d approach the idea of them in a relationship.

Adapting answers based on the situation

You need to adapt questions to the context you’re in and how well you know the other person. “Do you think you like painting because your father liked it so much before passing? ” may be a bit heavy and overly familiar for a first date ice cream on the promenade but would come across as thoughtful and empathetic on later dates.

The right questions to ask to get to know someone when on a date should generally be steered by your take on the current conversation.

• First dates should be about amusing each other and also digging for basic dating information like questions about their daily routine or zombie outbreak game plan. For example, “Are there any of your hobbies you wish you could do professionally?”
• During later dates, you should be passed the straight facts and should be moving on to their interior lives. For example: “What was your first memory of skiing and what aspect do you think first spoke to you?”

Fun activities to mention

You might not have a good idea of what things you’re interested in or perhaps even believe you don’t have interesting activities or hobbies.

But when someone asks you, what do you like to do for fun in dating, answers don’t have to define you or be a litmus test of your value. Be honest but also be liberal. Many things like travel or outdoor activities can be goal interests that you hope to explore later when you have more free time.

Here are some more examples of interesting activities:

• Make sure it’s an interest they can easily share in, like exploring museums.
• An activity that expresses a certain aptitude and physicality like playing squash.
• Something that sounds exciting yet relatable like wanting to travel to see all the natural wonders of the world.
• A hobby that gives an unusual insight into who you are and what makes you unique like a hobby learning analog photography and processing film yourself. Offer to teach them some time. 

Examples of creative answers

Here’s how to keep a conversation going in a positive direction with good responses to, “What do you like to do for fun?”

• Instead of saying you like cooking try: “I like exploring Mexican and Mediterranean cuisines because they use such prominent taste profiles.”
• Instead of saying you enjoy modern art, open it up like: “I always go to the Guggenheim right after they open because it’s so quiet and I can explore it as slowly as I want.”
• Instead of saying you enjoy pick-up basketball, say: “I like to play pick-up games because I get to meet new people I wouldn’t normally and my weird teammates are fun to hang around with.”
• Instead of claiming to love travel, get specific. Like: “I love the first time you get lost in a city. It can be scary at first but that’s when you truly get to know a place.”
• Give them an interesting tidbit about your hobby like: “I try to do some gardening every weekend. A study found that gardening regularly actually improves your life span.”¹

When asking what do you like to do for fun in dating, answers mean everything

When trying to find answers to “What do you like to do for fun in dating?” Remember that it’s an opportunity to showcase one’s personality and interests. But also remember that it’s part of a healthy conversation and healthy conversations go both ways, are interesting for both parties and a shared experience you shouldn’t try to dominate.

So before your next date, give some serious thought to what your interests, hobbies and passions are and how to communicate them in an interesting, open-ended way that invites conversation or even better yet, may be a platform for a fun activity for your next date.