First dates can make for some tricky planning. You want to get to know your potential new partner but it's also important to keep things casual and fun. While meeting for coffee or dessert is a reliable way to go, activities might be a better option if you want to take the focus off of table manners or the conversation.

Here's a roundup of fun activities for a first date in Toronto.

See also:

The top 10 restaurants for a first date in Toronto
The top 10 dessert spots for a first date in Toronto
The top 10 coffee shops for a first date in Toronto

Crash a gallery opening
Want to experience Toronto's art scene beyond the confines of the AGO? Plan your date for a third Thursday to scope out the art scene on Dundas West. The ambiguities inherent in contemporary art will provide plenty of fodder for conversation with the cheap or free beer and wine acting as ample lubricant.

Play shuffleboard at Track & Field Bar
Head to College St. to showcase your skills at Toronto's first lawn games themed bar. Be sure to show up early to stake a spot on their shuffleboard waitlist. Whether you know what you're doing or plan to just muddle through it's a low pressure affair to assess your date's coordination and sense of fun.

Get a coffee education
M Square Coffee and Pilot Coffee Roasters are just two of the many options to put a twist on the typical coffee date. Even if the chemistry between you fizzles you'll at least be better equipped to date baristas in your future.

Attend a Pocket Concert in a stranger's living room
A crowded and loud live music venue isn't ideal for first dates, so make it a bit more intimate and unique by heading to a Pocket Concert inside someone's home.

Try a twilight picnic at Casa Loma
The regal Toronto landmark is beautifully lit at night to enjoy a private picnic for two. Pack a basket, a cheeky bottle of wine and a blanket and find a cozy spot with Casa Loma in the background. If nothing else comes from the date, you'll at least have some pretty cool Instagram posts.

Build something together
There are several workshops and maker spaces around the city where you can head to build a memory and a craft. 3D printers, tool workshops and libraries are here to help ensure your date has a unique and constructive experience.

Catch an independent theatre production
Forego the song and dance of the theatre district for a more intimate experience at one of the many independent theatre spaces around the city. You'll spend less money and watch more challenging work.

Do a trivia night
Do you have a mutual interest in Dr. Who or are you both major pop culture buffs? Battle against other couples and teams at one of the many bar trivia nights around the city. A great way to get the conversation ball rolling on a first date.

Score a strike at a bowling alley
If you're gonna strike out, it may as well be at the bowling alley! Keep things casual and fun at Danforth Bowl (or your favourite Toronto bowling alley) and play some old school 5 pin bowling in a vintage-y basement alley. Plus everyone looks a-dork-able in bowling shoes.

Get competitive with a game of pool or billiards
This the perfect excuse to get nice and close to your potential new partner when you teach them how it's done. If competition brings out the best in you, you'll be sinking this date into the corner pocket.

Thanks to Lavalife for sponsoring this post. Enter their contest for a chance to win a dinner and a movie night out for two.

Photo by Andrew Williamson.