Staying In 19th May 2020 by Stellar Magazine

6 Easy Date Night Ideas For Couples Spending Lockdown Apart

Looking to try something new?

As we reported yesterday, it looks like many Irish couples will spend one third of 2020 apart from their loved ones.

A hard statistic to read, as although change is in place, the exit phases are slow and couples in long distant relationships are feeling the pinch as they could be waiting another two months before they get see each other.

But for now, while we wait for the precious day when we get to reunite with those we care for, to hug and kiss them again, we’re making sure to keep the spark alive by getting creative with our date nights despite being miles apart.

Taking date night up a notch without causing unnecessary faff and hassle, here are six easy ideas for that Friday night digital rendez-vous.

1. Where to next? 

There is no nicer feeling than lying in a sunny country, with your loved one by your side, exploring new places, trying the local cuisine. Travelling is something we probably won’t be able to do for the near future but that doesn’t mean you can’t create the illusion from the comfort of your own home. Take a list of countries that maybe you had planned to travel to or have always loved the idea of seeing, write them all down on pieces of paper, scrunch them up and put them in a bowl. At the start of the week choose one from the bowl and set that as your date night location for that week, during the week you can plan on what meal you can cook together over zoom or facetime, local drinks you could try and what other things you would love to see about that country or location. When date night comes you should dress up as if you are going out for dinner in that country – maybe a beret for Paris or a sun hat for Spain. Not only will this idea give you something to talk about through the week, it will also have you looking forward to those post lockdown adventures.

 

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2. Seeing double 

Constantly being on Zoom or FaceTime calls with just each other can be quiet intense at times. When you would be normally together there would probably be a lot of times where you would be with mutual friends or family members. Just because you can’t meet up with your favourite couple for a double date doesn’t mean you can’t have one! Odds are your friends are going through the same emotions and feelings as you and openly talking about it could really help. Not only with it ease the pressure for you and your partner, it will no doubt guarantee some laughs. You could play drinking games, have a meal or even do an all star Mr and Mrs quiz. Who knows you could even exchange future date night ideas!

3. Art attack

A lot of people associate date nights with dinner, drinks and maybe a movie. However date nights can be anything you want them to be. Why not try and add a little bit of childhood fun to your next date by setting yourself an art challenge.

Set yourselves a task to create a piece of art; it could be a painting of the other person, a drawing of their animal or even a picture of your favourite memory together. Creating these pieces together over zoom will not only be a welcome distraction but will give you something to talk about throughout the call. Now, if you’re worried that you don’t have the art skills, don’t worry that’s probably even better. When you reveal your wonderful creations to each other you’ll probably be in fits of laughter and honestly, what better way to end a date!

4. Did somebody say happy hour? 

Sometimes after a long week all you need is a few drinks and a few laughs to help you wind down and forget about all the madness that’s going on in the world. At the moment going to the pub is out of the question *sigh* but why not bring the pub to your date night? Each week you could choose a different cocktails to try. Not only will you have fun trying to recreate your favourite drink, you also get the enjoyment of drinking all of your creations together after all the hard work! I hear it’s two for one on espresso martinis this Friday?!

 

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5. The vintage date 

Nothing can beat the old classic of a film, dinner and drinks. Why not set a time and both pick a film you’ve never seen before – hop on Netflix Party and watch the film together while making comments in the chat box. After that you could come onto Zoom or FaceTime and have some finger food and drinks, nothing too difficult, we’re thinking sausie rolls and wedges.

This is the perfect idea for when you and your partner may not be in the mood to make a big effort but still want to enjoy some time together. You could even make a list of all the films you haven’t seen and work your way through them!

6. Games Night

If you feel like you want to spend the evening reconnecting and finding out new things about your partner why not try a game of questions such as “2 truths 1 lie”, “never have I ever” or even find a list online of fun questions for couples online – we love this one! These types of questions can let you learn something new about your partner and you never know, it could be just what you need to spice up the date night.

 

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And lastly, if you’re thinking of venturing down a more steamy route, we’ve got all the details on Skype sex for beginners right here.

Words by Nicky Anderson 
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