Thanks to COVID-19, we’ve been asked to stay at home and practice social distancing to flatten the curve. While I’m happy to do my part, I do find myself missing parts of my regular routine. I didn’t realize how much I valued leisurely trips through the grocery store, catching up over lunch with friends, planning my next vacation, or so many other parts of my day-to-day life.
One thing I’m really missing? Date nights. There’s no such thing as dinner and a movie out during COVID-19 – but there are still ways you can go on a date and enjoy each other’s company! You’ve just got to get creative.
Not sure what you should do for your next date night? Here are some fun and romantic ideas for couples in quarantine:
Bring Your Favorite Restaurant Experience Home
Do you frequent the same local spot when you go out to dinner together? Order your favorite dishes to go and set the scene in your dining room with a tablecloth and some candles. Alternatively, you can try to recreate your favorite date night dishes together! Try making homemade pizza, sushi rolls, or your favorite pasta dish. You can find lots of tutorials on the internet to guide you.
Have Some Fun During Game Night
There’s something about playing games together that makes for a perfect date night! You can go old-school and bust out Scrabble, Risk, or a good old-fashioned deck of cards, or challenge each other to your favorite computer or console game. Now might even be a good time to bring out those adult games that you’ve been dying to play but just haven’t had the time for. Even if you aren’t any good, you can still have a ton of fun!
Plan a Romantic Paint and Sip
Even if you aren’t the most artistically inclined couple around, you can still have a ton of fun putting some paint on canvas and drinking your favorite beverages. Place an order for some paints and canvas from Amazon or another e-retailer, then turn on Bob Ross or find a virtual tutorial and follow along to recreate a work of art. Pour a glass of your favorite wine – or mix up your favorite cocktail or mocktail – to enjoy while you paint your masterpiece.
Take a Virtual Trip
Disappointed that you had to cancel your next vacation? Make up for it by taking a virtual trip on your next date night. Pick a destination, plan a meal you’d enjoy at your faux destination, put on an appropriate soundtrack, and spend some time exploring via Google Maps, Youtube travel videos, or your favorite destination-specific hashtags on Instagram. Who knows – you might even find yourself planning a potential trip once this is all over!
Hold a Tasting
For a fun and interactive date night that’s easy to enjoy at home, plan a tasting of your favorite food or beverage. You can go fancy with cheese, wine, coffee, or high-end chocolates, or have some fun tasting a variety of hot sauces, potato chip flavors, pickles, ramen noodles, or another favorite treat. Create scorecards, hold a blind tasting, and see what comes out on top. You’re only limited by your own creativity here!
You don’t have to put date night on indefinite hold thanks to COVID-19. Instead, it’s more important than ever to break the routine and have some fun with your partner. Put one of these date night ideas to good use, or come up with another way to spark some romance at home!
