One day you were driving around, doing usual things like going to the grocery store or going out on a date with your sweetheart, and the next thing you know, you are confined to your place and going out to catch a bite seems like the most ridiculous and outright dangerous thing that one could do. COVID-19 has sure changed the very definition of ‘normal’ and has challenged not only us personally, but also our relationships- both romantic and otherwise. This is a trying time, and it is very easy to let things spiral out of your control, but experts advise to keep your usual routine intact, as it gives you a sense of normalcy. Romantic relationships especially are being thrown a curveball and challenging as it might be, couples worldwide are forced to be more creative with their ‘date nights’. 

While couples cooped-up together are resorting to simpler pleasures and slow-living date-nights, long-distance couples are thanking the gods for the internet and e-commerce, because- can you imagine how will it be without video calls or delivering food to your partner’s apartment?! Whether you are quarantined together with your partner or are staying miles apart, married or still dating, there are things you can do to keep it fun and easy. Not only will it give you a sense of anticipation and something to look forward to, but it will also bring you closer than ever. We have curated some fun date night ideas for the couples staying together as well as the ones staying apart. 

Staying together

Fort Night Fridays: While you are stuck indoors, why not invite the cozies in? Build an insane fort in your living room, and go all out. Bring out your sheets, and fairy lights and arrange blankets and cushions inside for comfort purposes. Live your childhood dream by bringing in fun snacks, putting on a romantic movie, and even deciding on a password for the fort. We assure you it will be a ton of fun!

Restaurant Experience: Missing going out for a fancy dinner at your favorite restaurant? Bring the restaurant home instead. Set your table all fancy, bring out your good china, wear a nice dress, and pull out those candles. Go all out and print out your menu in a nice font, and have your wine chilling at just the right temperature. Put on some soothing restaurant music and there you go! Bon appetite!

Weekly World Tours: All your travel plans went down the drain? How does a weekly virtual world tour sound to you? Decide on a country/city every week and a date night themed around it. If you decide on Italy, dress up with something which you deem to be Italian, decorate your living room a little, play some Italian music, and have a nice Italian dinner. You can also do fun Italian themed trivia and finish it with a movie that goes with the theme. Next week, you can pick something totally different!

Karaoke: Go old school and blast some music and sing along! What better way to forget the craziness and feel closer to your sweetheart than singing along to your favorite music and let your crazy out? You can do love duets in the cheesiest way or headbang to old-school rock tunes. The floor is yours, and there is no audience to embarrass yourself around!

Staying apart

Virtual Game Night: Stuck apart and have a mutual fascination for video games? If your idea of fun is shooting down baddies or racing through virtual tracks, set a time with your partner and meet up for a virtual game night. There is something intimate about playing a game together and don’t we all appreciate an escape from reality right about now?

Movie Date on Facetime: The most old-school way of doing virtual date nights ever, but hey, it’s unfailing! Choose a movie together and fix a time. Cozy up on your couch with your glass of wine and some popcorn and snacks and start the movie at the exact same time. Talk and exchange notes through as you would as per usual. After the movie, you can talk about the plot over ice-cream!

Take a Walk Together-Anywhere: You wish you can take a walk in the nearby park together, but that is not happening. The closest thing to that is choosing a 4k virtual walk video, and let it take you both on a walk. Talk your fears, joys, and sorrows out with your partner, as you go through the enchanting forest walk or a beach walk in Hawaii. The experience is not only uniquely surreal, but soothing for your soul, and will leave you content, just like a nice walk would!

Dance Party! When all else fails, there is always a dance party! Make a dance playlist, put on some crazy disco lights, and dance the night away with your partner on Zoom or Houseparty. You can also host a double date and have another couple join in for the dance-off. Nothing like moving your body to some happy tunes to make help you connect and feel happy, we promise!

A crisis like this puts relationships in temperance- testing them out, and either pulling them together or widening the drift further. But history says that love has always burned brighter in times of dread and despair, be it in wars or pandemics. There is a unanimous feeling of being in this together which might bring you closer to your loved one with a solid sense of surety! Together or apart, make an effort to check in with each other, because now is when you will need each other the most, and make memories along the way. And when this will be in the past, you will sit in a fancy restaurant reminiscing about the time you made a fort in your living room together and watched The Office all night. Stay strong lovers, because love will see you through these dark times!