As all of us have now accepted that ‘staying in’ is the new normal, and long-distance has been established as the romance. With the world in a state of total lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, people are bringing creativity even on online dating platforms. We cannot (and shouldn’t) meet anyone in person, but with virtual dates, many have found another human being who would like to get to know them better. They are trying to forge a deeper bond or spend quality time together with virtual dates. But, you can only stare at each other’s eyes on Zoom for a finite amount of time, am I right? Have no fear: Here are 12 virtual date ideas to help you and your boo stay close even when you can’t just grab drinks or go for a walk like you used to.
It looks like even during grim times like these, romance isn’t dead. Yet.
Perk Up Your Love During Quarantine With These Virtual Date Ideas
Virtually Tour Museums
Considered one of the classiest date options, you can visit world-class museums online from the safety of your home. These virtual tours of museums allow you to explore the world’s finest curated collections with your date while both of you are lounging in bed, in your PJs. Get your culture high on your next virtual date night. Most are available as interactive features in partnership with Google Arts & Culture, and others are in a video format. All are free and can be experienced from the comfort of your couch.
Also read: 22 Virtual Tours Of Museums And Heritage Sites – So You Can Travel From Home
Tour Your Home Towns Through Google Maps Or Plan Vacations
Who said you cannot revisit your favourite place even during the lockdown period? Using Google Maps, you and your date can show each other around your respective hometowns. Your love in quarantine should not be limited to just your room. So, virtually travel to show each other favourite summer spots and check out childhood neighbourhoods. Pick a meeting point on the map and take a walk down memory lane with your bae.
If you’re not in the mood to relive old days, you can also plan a vacation by reading up on the cities you’d like to visit, pick hotels or Airbnbs you’ll stay at, go through menus of the meals at restaurants you want to visit, and note the average cost of tickets to plan.
Book Club With Your Boo
Why don’t you get on the same page with your significant other by starting your own two-person book club? Pick anything that fits both of your reading palates and then talk about what you think and feel. That way you can keep each other accountable for your reading goals. If you’ve just started dating, a book can give you some conversational material to rely on instead of random small talk. This could also be a short story, an article or a podcast. Anything that is thought-provoking would work for this virtual date idea, but it’s best to hold off any 500-page book, just yet.
Also read: 10 travel books that will make you want to go on a journey
Sweat It Out Together
If you and your partner like working out, use your dates to stay active. Take an online workout class together or plan a yoga session for your next date so that both of you can keep up your fitness goals! Even though you aren’t physically ‘together’, both of you can keep a check on the other when it comes to regular exercise. Check if your gym or fitness studio offers any free or paid digital content via Instagram Live, Zoom or other streaming platforms, or even their own dedicated app. If not, you can try apps such as Fitbit Coach, Nike Training Club, Aaptiv, Asana Rebel etc that offer easy workout tutorials with minimal to no equipment, that you and your boo can easily replicate at home. There are many tutorials on Youtube too, to help you build a gentle daily work out practice.
Even if you both aren’t interested in hardcore workouts, you can try meditating or light stretching for your next virtual date night. That way you can stay mentally healthy and increase your immunity while staying active.
Cooking Together
Food always brings people closer, doesn’t it? So for this idea, pick any recipe that matches both your cooking skills and palates. Keep up the quarantine romance while making a dish and eating it together. On date night, try to make the selected dish “together” in your respective kitchens, sharing the same space, without crowding it. Irrespective of how good or bad the dish turns out to be (by either one of you) it will be a fun story to tell after the lockdown is lifted.
Also read: Try these 14 delicious and famous recipes released by food brands
Netflix Party
Instead of going to the movies with your significant other, you can now stream a film or binge-watch a show together with the help of services such as Netflix Party. This is Netflix and chill (not exactly chill, if you know what we mean) but, from afar, safely following guidelines. Streaming services multiple viewers to synchronize their Netflix accounts to watch something simultaneously. So, plan a virtual date night where you pick a show or a movie neither of you has seen while sending text commentary in real-time. Although it falls far behind cuddling, it’s one way to watch favourite shows together. If you don’t want to chat, you can also stay on the phone while watching the entertainment of your choice.
Also read: 11 amazing TV shows to watch while stuck at home
Classic Dinner Date
Well, classics are classics for a reason, right? And when it comes to virtual date ideas, you can’t go wrong with this one. Set the stage for a fancy candlelight virtual dinner date. You can also try your hand with a themed dinner date, where you can dress up, cook your favourite dishes and decorate your room according to the planned theme. This plan can also be added to your “cooking together” virtual date idea as well. That way both of you can keep each other company as well as offer tips. Slip into your sexiest outfit, set the mood with a smooth playlist, add your favourite drinks, and just ENJOY!
Plan A Game Night
While stuck inside due to the pandemic, you can play online games with your significant other. Whether you pick casual mobile games or favourites like ‘Fortnite’, ‘League of Legends’ and retro classics such as ‘Super Mario Brothers’, it can be an excellent way to keep the spark alive, especially if one or both of you play video games already. If your partner is up for some friendly competition for your next virtual date night, you can battle it out on any of the tons of online games such as ‘Risk’, ‘Settlers of Catan’, or ‘Battleship’. You can also try ‘Animal Crossing’ for a low-key hang out or do a puzzle together virtually.
Take A Walk Together
If the weather is nice and it is possible (while following social distancing and lockdown guidelines) to enjoy the fresh air outside, take a long virtual walk with your significant other. It isn’t really a date per se, but it can be a nice way to spend some time together while enjoying the outside. You can get on a phone call (even a video call) and take a walk ‘together’ at your respective locations. If you do not want to hold your phone during the video call, you can simply use earphones and send photos of what you see while you’re on your walk.
Learn Something New Together By Taking An Online Course Or A Workshop
As we all are becoming more and more accustomed to spending our days at home, there are only so many movies and TV shows that we can watch or discuss before they get a bit stale. Perhaps, it’s time to pick up a new hobby with your significant other—maybe one that was always put on the back-burner. That way both of you ‘level up’ your skills and make mindfulness a priority without trying too hard. So, as part of these virtual date ideas, you can sign up for an online class together at MasterClass or SkillShare and become experts in something new.
Also Read: 7 Easy Hobbies That You Can Learn During Quarantine
Virtual Happy Hour
On your next date night, treat (both of) yo’ sel (ves) with an elaborate happy hour. Put together a charcuterie board or simple snacks, take out your favourite wine and get ready to just chat the night away. On this virtual date night, get to know each other deeply with a little buzz. If you want to create a feeling of an intimate bar, you can also dress up for the occasion, light a few candles and put on some music to set the mood.
Next Weekend, Whip Out This List Of Ideas To Enhance Your Long Distance Romance
When you aren’t quarantined with your significant other, date nights certainly can look different. And while daily texts or calls can help, it is important to keep the magic alive through unconventional ways. Love in quarantine cannot be just about Facetime or skype dinners, so schedule something fun and memorable to do together with the aforementioned virtual ideas. While it might be intimidating to initiate a virtual date for the first time or even try to propose a more creative date, these are good places to start. Which of these virtual date ideas appeal to you the most? Tell us all about your long-distance dates and the ways you spice them up in the comments below!
