5 First Date Conversation Starters

Childhood memories. Talking about their childhood almost always puts people in a great nostalgic mood. If you and your date belong to the same generation, you can bond over childhood memories because you most probably watched the same cartoons and TV shows, listened to the same bands (oh, 'N Sync, where have you gone?), etc. Sharing funny and even embarrassing childhood memories will certainly help you break the ice. If you don't want to talk about your childhood for some reason, you can reminisce about your college experiences.

Celebrity crushes. Talking about your crushes with a person you're on a date with might seem weird, but celebrity crushes are totally harmless (unless you or your date have an honest-to-God shrine dedicated to your/their celebrity crush, which is really creepy). Talking about your strange but endearing celebrity crushes can be quite entertaining. However, you should refrain from discussing your crushes on people you actually know or your horrible exes on the first date.

Guilty pleasures. Everyone has a guilty pleasure, whether it is reality TV, junk food, Swedish pop music, B movies, reading Cosmopolitan, or sleeping in on weekends. Most people find their guilty pleasures embarrassing (they are called guilty for a reason), that's why it is a good idea to discuss them on a first date. This discussion will help you learn what kind of person your date really is underneath their carefully constructed first-date facade. Keep in mind that if you expect your date to talk about their guilty pleasures, you should be ready to talk about yours.

Zombie apocalypse. Zombies are the new black. Filmmakers and showrunners offer us more and more movies and TV shows about zombies, from Shaun of the Dead to Warm Bodies, from World War Z to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, from The Walking Dead to iZombie. Everyone has watched at least one zombie movie, out of curiosity if nothing else. However, we don't want you to discuss zombie movies with your date. We want you to ask them how he or she would deal with a zombie attack. A heated discussion of the most effective zombie apocalypse survival strategies is way much better than awkward silence.

The boldest thing your date has ever done. Even the most outgoing people might feel a little intimidated on a first date. Asking your date about the boldest thing they have ever done is a trick that (hopefully) will help boost their confidence because thinking about our accomplishments and victories is good for our self-esteem. Besides, the way your date answers this question will help you understand what kind of person they are (more specifically, whether they are humble or prone to boasting, how high or low their self-esteem is, etc.).