Ways to date while social distancing Now is not the time to be taking a date out to a bar, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t go on dates at all. We’ve compiled a list of virtual date ideas so that you can keep getting to know new people safely. Enjoy an old-fashioned phone call. There’s nothing wrong with chatting on the phone, like we used to do in the old days! It’s a great way to get to know someone’s personality a bit better without the pressure of a video or live date. Have dinner via videochat. Bonus if you both cook the same meal, or order delivery/ takeout from the same spot. Double bonus if you both light candles and get dressed up. Watch a movie or TV show. If you both have Netflix, you can use their Party feature to sync what you’re watching. Alternatively, tons of sites are streaming films and shows for free, including the Tribeca Film Festival and HBO. Dinner and a movie. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can plan a themed dinner and movie/tv date. Make Italian food and watch The Godfather. Watch Julie and Julia and cook a recipe by Julia Child. Ask each other questions. OkCupid has over 4,000 questions you can answer about pretty much anything under the sun. Take turns asking each other OkCupid questions and learn more about each other. Have a simple video chat. You don’t need to schedule an occasion like dinner to chat, you can just talk and see how it goes. Bonus: see who can make the other laugh the most with the silliest filters. See a concert. Tons of musicians are streaming concerts for free, including Metallica, Phish, and Erykah Badu. Do some karaoke. Take turns playing a karaoke video, and sing along together! Tour a museum including MoMA, the Met, and the Musée d’Orsay, among many others. Check Google and Arts & Culture, or most museum’s websites for tours and online versions of their exhibitions. Make drinks. Find an interesting cocktail recipe or two with ingredients you both have on hand, and see who’s the better mixologist. Game together. Gaming is a great way to connect, either through a multiplayer video game, online trivia, or apps like Scrabble Go. Watch a ballet. Lots of theaters are streaming performances for free, including the Alvin Ailey dance theater, the Opera Nationale de Paris, and more. Have an old fashioned coffee date. If coffee dates are more your thing, talk to each other on video chat over coffee instead of boozy drinks. If you want to create the right atmosphere, you can stream coffee shop sounds in the background! Tour a national park. Many national parks and botanical gardens are offering free tours, and you can also see some through Google and Arts & Culture. Exercise together. If you’re both into fitness, you can each take turns leading an at-home workout or streaming the same workout video. Watch a Broadway show. Most shows on Broadway are streaming their performances, many for free. Bonus if you both sing along to it! Have a dance party. Video chat or even just put each other on speakerphone, and take turns being the DJ! Read to each other. Bonus if you create your own romantic haiku, but you can share any poetry or passage from a favorite book. Go on a double date. You can invite another couple to join you on video chat. Meeting each other’s friends can really help you get to know each other better. Write each other letters. This is really old school. You can write each other physical letters or postcards, or just send each other long messages online. It’ll be so nice to look back and reread your sweet letters to each other! Take an online class or workshop together. You can find online workshops for everything from flower arranging, painting, cooking, and photography.
