Now that we’re almost one year into These Times, it’s no surprise that your relationships may need a lil recharge. Especially if you and your person are deep in the trenches of navigating long-distance (whether it be because of different time zones or social distancing).
But even if you’re just single and want some ideas on WTF to do with a new online dating app match during a thing like COVID-19, help is here.
We’ve curated a list of the best virtual date ideas that will 100 percent be more exciting than, like, sitting on the couch and talking to your partner or Tinder match on the phone for what feels like the millionth time this week.
For your viewing pleasure, here are 17 cute and clever FaceTime or Zoom activities to do from the comfort of no bra. Whomst says virtual dating is any less fun than IRL dates?*
Using Spotify’s new Group Sessions feature, you can 1) Share your fave songs with your date as you’re listening to them or 2) Take your conversations way, way, way deeper by sending each other prompts like “Play a song that reminds you of me” or “Play a song that describes the type of love you’re seeking.”
I promise, this is the easiest, most efficient way to get deep with the person you’re talking to without being super intrusive and creepy about it. One Cosmopolitan writer said here it “single-handedly saved her dating life during quarantine.”
The idea here is that you’re doing things you’d normally do together IRL…just virtually. So since food = the way to everyone’s hearts, there are lots of virtual options to get you and your date cooking. You can try a virtual cooking class with a personal chef from a website like 100 Pleats, or sign-up for a local virtual cooking class near you.
Just keep in mind that this isn’t the best date idea for ~first dates~ since you won’t really be able to talk to each other until afterward.
Hi, yes, use this time to figure out your person’s sun, rising, and moon signs (because, yup, this is literally what we all want). Then look up your ~compatibility~ online and discuss whether you agree or disagree on everything said.
Another option if you really want to test the waters: You can do a virtual couple’s tarot card reading, which can offer up love insights and help you discover ways to better connect with your partner. Just do a quick Google search through virtual tarot card readers and find someone you enjoy.
Ya’ll, I promise, this is The Thing to do on dates. (And I speak from experience.) Take the quiz online and then share your answers with each other as you move from question to question. Not only do you find out their love language—which is super important in relationships—but you can also see how they answer each question in super specific scenarios.
Trust me, I’m 99 percent positive that mismatched love languages are the reasons why people do not work out. Oh, and when you’re done with that, take the apology languages test next.
Make it an all-out black tie date night at home—because sometimes, being all dressed up with nowhere to go is a fun way to remind each other how good you look. If you’ve been in quarantine, use it as an excuse to put on some makeup, slip into your fave dress, and get your S.O. on video chat in their finest outfit.
Don’t forget to set the mood with a jazzy playlist, lots of lit candles, and a bottle of champagne. Then, order each other a ~surprise~ food delivery you can both eat together in front of the camera.
Create a shared Google Doc and continuously compile it with both of your favorite recipes. As a date night, choose a recipe to try making “together” in your respective kitchens, and the partner whose recipe it is can offer tips as you go. Food is love—even if you can’t enjoy the fruits of your labor at the same table right now.
If you like a little friendly competition, there are tons of two-player online games that you can play with your partner wherever you’re located. Cardzmania is a platform that offers tons of online card games, from gin rummy to Klondike. Or you can do a puzzle together virtually, chatting over Zoom as you choose what piece goes where. If your LDR is happening across two different time zones, Words With Friends lets you play your turn whenever you want and keep the game going on your own time.
Send your person a customized care package to show you’re thinking of them from wayoverhere. Ideas: Surprise them with a boozy delivery from Winc or Drizly, then order the same bottles for yourself and “meet” for a drink at 7 p.m. over Skype.
Or get really creative and curate a themed vacation-in-a-box. For instance, if you’ve been dying to go to Hawaii together, mail a package containing a lei, sunglasses, a drink umbrella, and a recipe for Mai Tais—then hop on FaceTime decked out in the same themed garb, enjoy your virtual “vacay” together, and use it as a springboard to start planning your next real couples getaway.
Choose a book that you’ll both enjoy and read it at the same time. Then pick a date to finish it by, and schedule a virtual book club discussion (cheese and wine optional, but highly encouraged). It’s similar to watching a show together but requires more dedication and provokes in-depth conversations throughout.
Set up a collaborative photo album on your phone or Dropbox, then go through the pics while you’re on the phone together. You can curate old snapshots from fun times you’ve had together, or walk down memory lane by including old photos from both of your childhoods and high school glory days.
To really up the ante on your next reunion, create a personalized coupon book for your partner that’s filled with favors and activities they can “cash in” on next time you’re together in person. (If you’re not super crafty, use a website like LoveCoups.) The coupons can be a mix of sexy (“Good for one full body massage”) and simple (“Good for one home cooked meal, doing the dishes included”).
The olfactory sense is strongly connected to memory. Exchange mini bottles of your perfume and cologne through the mail so you can remember what each other smells like. (Then go ahead, spray it all over everything in your house until you’re together again.) The scents will trigger memories, which you can sweetly share with each other.
If you can’t be IRL gym buddies, holding each other accountable for your fitness goals is the next best thing, so sign up for the same virtual yoga or barre class. Or download an app like Runkeeper or My Fitness Pal to track and share your respective running routes with photos.
It’s Netflix and chill, but from afar. First, download Netflix Party, a new Chrome extension that allows two parties to synchronize their Netflix accounts to watch something simultaneously. Pick a show neither of you have seen and watch each episode so you can send text commentary in real time. Then afterward, decide whether you collectively think Carole Baskin really did feed her husband to the tigers.
If you’re planning for a future together, now is a great time to start looking for your dream home. Amid COVID-19, real estate businesses and sellers are offering safe alternatives to open houses with virtual tours of their homes—which you can do with your partner from literally anywhere.
If you’re still in the beginning stages of your search (or maybe you just want to imagine what it would be like to live in a $1.6 million dollar mansion on the beach!), send each other links to homes you love on Zillow and discuss because why not?
Socially distancing from your person is a great excuse to pick up some skills and become experts in something new together. Sign up for an online class together like: learning French, cross-stitching, baking, you name it.
We’re all under the same sky and seeing the same stars, which is high-key pretty romantic when you think about it. Sit out on your deck, get your partner on the phone, and see if you can point out the constellations together. Looking at the same stars from afar will make you feel closer.
*Okay, virtual dating is definitely shittier, but it’s all we’re working with now, so best to enjoy it, yeah?
