This article was co-authored by Lauren Sanders
and by wikiHow staff writer, Glenn Carreau
. Lauren Sanders is a Professional Matchmaker, Dating Coach, and the Founder of Dating for the Soul. With over four years of experience, she specializes in helping singles find love. Lauren is also the author of Lipstick Faith: A Collection of Inspirational Writings and Life Lessons, You Deserve the World, Rainbows and Strawberries: 100 Devotions for the Brighter Side of Life, and Let's Go Outside Mommy. Lauren holds BS from Dillard University and a Masters from The University of North Georgia.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
This article has been viewed 13,559 times.
Can romance be exciting, even when you’re not in the same room as your date? The short answer is: absolutely. Whether you’re getting to know a new love interest or you’re in a long-distance relationship, you can always get some quality time with your special someone on a remote date. Read on for a detailed list of virtual date ideas, and enjoy a romantic moment with your love interest without either of you leaving your homes!
Steps
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Plan a menu, then prepare a fancy meal while video chatting. Going out to dinner with your date is romantic and all, but you can also have a ton of fun while cooking at home. Decide on a gourmet meal, and stay on a video call with your date while you each prepare it at the same time. Then, when you’re done cooking, sit down and chat as you eat like it’s a normal dinner date. [1] X Research source
- You and your date could even call one another while shopping for ingredients just to say hi, have a little fun, and ensure you’ve got everything you need.
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Chat over a delicious cup of coffee and learn more about each other. Coffee dates are a casual and easy date idea for newer couples still getting to know one another. If you like the sound of a coffee date but can’t meet in person yet, you can always have a virtual date! Schedule a video call with your date, and brew or buy a cup of coffee. Spend the call talking and sipping your coffee like a normal coffee date. [2] X Research source
- Reader Poll: We asked 195 wikiHow readers and 54% of them said that their favorite date conversation starters are questions about hobbies and interests . [Take Poll] So try a question about your date’s favorite activities!
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Share all your favorite movies (and have your date do the same). Movie nights are a timeless date activity; you can still pull them off when you’re not in the same room! Pick a movie (or TV show, if you prefer) to watch, start streaming it at the exact same time—and, of course, stay on a video call with your date while you watch. That way, it’s like the two of you are watching a movie in person. [3] X Research source
- Be sure to grab a pile of movie snacks and a drink before sitting down for your date!
- You can also use apps like Teleparty to coordinate the movie night. After choosing a movie, use the app to watch it at the same time and chat with one another as the movie plays.
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Video-call your love interest and have a casual date in the fresh air. Feeling a little restless? Going for a walk is a great way to get some gentle exercise while spending quality time with your date. Simply video-call them on your phone as you begin the walk so you can enjoy their company the entire time! [4] X Research source
- Try walking someplace you’d really like your date to see; for example, you could walk along your favorite local hiking trail or the picturesque main street in your town.
- Make sure your phone is charged before you go on the walk, just in case.
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Learn more about yourselves as you take different personality quizzes. Whether this is your first date or your fiftieth, there’s always something new to learn about one another—and a quiz can be the perfect tool to help you make a new discovery. Plus, it’s important to understand things like your date’s personality type or love language, so take several quizzes at the same time and compare your results!
- For example, you could take a love language quiz to find out how your date likes to give (and receive) love.
- You could take a personality quiz to learn your date’s Myers-Briggs type.
- You could also take more fun quizzes—for example, you could take a temperaments test or find out which Pokémon you are!
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Get to know your date on a deeper level by having a Q&A session. Sometimes it can be hard to come up with deep, insightful questions for your date on the fly. It can be much easier to ask those questions when you set aside dedicated time for it. To have a Q&A session, simply make a list of questions you’d like to ask your date and take turns asking them during the date.
- Ensure both of you answer every single question—even the ones you ask. That way, you both get as much information as possible.
- You could also make a quiz out of this idea. Prepare a list of questions, but answer them based on what you think your date’s answer would be. The more you get right, the more points you get!
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Enjoy a show from one of your favorite artists with your special someone. These days, plenty of musicians broadcast their performances so fans can watch them remotely—either streamed live or recorded and released after the fact. Find an online concert you and your date can watch simultaneously and play it while the two of you video call one another.
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Have fun (and get a little competitive) with your date during a game night. Do you and your date both enjoy games? Then spend an entire date facing off in a series of games that allow 2 players. You could play an online video game, a party game, or even find an online card game to learn together. Playing games can help you bond with your date—and engage in some friendly competition! [5] X Research source
- For example, you could play a few online Jackbox Games like Gibbage or Trivia Murder Party.
- You could run around together in games like Minecraft or Fortnite.
- You could play games like Monopoly or try chess online.
- Whatever game you play, make sure you and your date are on a video call as you play so that you can talk to one another.
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Find out whether you or your date can make the more creative cocktail. Plan a date where the both of you can play bartender for a night. All you need to do is research a few drinks you’d like to make—either cocktails or mocktails if you prefer a beverage with no alcohol. Gather all the ingredients you’ll need, get your date on a video call, and mix some creative drinks together.
- If you’re not sure what to make, you could start by mixing your date’s favorite drink!
- Try creating your own cocktails , too. For example, you could each make custom cocktails named after one another and explain the significance of each ingredient once the cocktail is done.
- Surprise each other! Come prepared with a cocktail recipe for your date, but don't tell them about it until it’s time to make the drink—and see how well each of you does.
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Spend an evening drinking, painting, and chatting with your date. It’s fun to get a little crafty every now and again, even if you don’t consider yourself artistic. For a DIY wine and paint night, find a painting tutorial online for you and your date to follow (or just paint whatever you like). Set up a video call with your date, pour some wine, and start painting ! When you’re done, show your paintings to one another. [6] X Research source
- If you like, you could even mail your painting to your date and have them do the same. That way, you’ll both have handmade keepsakes from each other.
- There are plenty of painting tutorials on YouTube. Alternatively, you could use a photograph you took as a painting reference.
- You could also do a themed painting night—like only making art based on Bob Ross painting tutorials, for example.
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Pick out clothes and cool gifts for one another while online shopping. Shopping at the local mall is fun, but shopping online can be just as entertaining when your date is there to chat and joke around with you. While on a call with them, load up your favorite online stores, and do some shopping together. You could even share your computer screens, browse, and pick a few things you think your date would really like.
- Don’t worry about the date being super expensive—you can always set a limit on the money both of you spend.
- For example, if you’d like to shop on a budget, you could place a $20 cap on the amount you both spend. That way, you can look for a thoughtful trinket without feeling pressured to buy anything fancy.
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Take turns reading aloud to one another while on a call. If you miss the sound of your date’s voice, reading together can be a great way to get some quality time with them. Decide which book you’d like to read and which of you will be reading it (or, alternatively, you can both read and switch off with one another). Spend a few hours relaxing and telling stories together! [7] X Research source
- Want to goof around a little? Try doing a dramatic reading of the book, or make silly voices when talking as certain characters in the story.
- You could even form your own little 2-person book club. Once you finish the book, discuss it! Talk about your favorite moments or the characters you identified with most.
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Planning trips can help long-distance couples feel closer. Even if you’re not in a long-distance relationship, it can be really fun to figure out where the two of you might want to go together. Put your heads together on a video call and talk about the types of vacations you’re into, the hotels you’d prefer to stay in, and the activities you’re most excited about! [8] X Research source
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Curating playlists helps you learn about each other's musical tastes. Remember the old-school practice of giving a significant other a mix tape? Well, you can do the modern-day version of that by exchanging playlists with your date. Fill your playlist with songs that remind you of them, songs that make you think of your relationship, or add songs you love and want to share with them. There’s no wrong way to do it! [9] X Research source
- Many music platforms like Spotify and Apple Music will let you create your own playlists and send them to others.
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Make a date at home feel special by dressing up for it. Who says you need a special excuse to put on formal clothes? Any night can be formal if you and your date are feeling it! Slip into some of your nicest clothes, do your hair, and put on makeup (if you wear it). Then, order a delicious meal for yourself and video call your date to enjoy a romantic black-tie dinner in the comfort of your home.
- Set the mood before your dinner date with music, candles, or even a fancy bottle of wine.
- To mix things up a little, why not surprise your date by choosing dinner for them (and vice versa)?
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Tour a world-famous museum from the comfort of your home. Did you know that museums like the Smithsonian, the British Museum, and the Louvre (along with many others) offer virtual tours online? Some museums will even let you book a live guided tour via video call! Pick a museum to tour with your date, and spend a couple of hours looking through exhibits, imagining you’re right there in the building together. [10] X Research source
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Create slideshows for a surprisingly fun and easy date! First, choose a fun theme you’d enjoy making a presentation about (something your date might find entertaining). Then, create a good old-fashioned PowerPoint around that theme, and when the date rolls around, present the slides just like you would for a business presentation (but, in this case, the topic should be super casual and fun). Example themes include:
- Rating all your past Halloween costumes
- Ranking fast food french fries from best to worst
- Fashion trends you regret
- Things you’d do if you were president
- Sorting your work colleagues as characters from The Office
- Keep in mind that you don’t have to use Microsoft PowerPoint to do a presentation; programs like Keynote and Google Slides work too.
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Create a virtual photo album that you can both add to and collaborate on. Use a storage website (like Google Drive or Dropbox ), a cloud-based photo site like Photobucket , or even social media sites like Instagram to set up the album. Then, spend some time adding photos from the relationship to the album as you reminisce over a phone or video call with your date.
- This can be a special date, not only because you’ll get to spend time together as you work on the album but also because you’ll get to reflect on the best moments of your relationship so far.
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Looking up at the same sky can be romantic, even when you’re apart. For this romantic virtual date, simply go outside at the same time as your date (keeping in touch through a phone or video call). Lay down and look up at the sky somewhere you can easily see the stars, and talk to your date as the two of you stargaze. [11] X Research source
- If you know a thing or two about astronomy, tell your date about the different constellations you see.
- Otherwise, a stargazing date can just serve as a romantic backdrop while the two of you chat about other things.
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Achieve your fitness goals with your date’s help. Are you and your date both fans of regular exercise? Do you both wish you were able to go on invigorating jobs and hikes together? You might not be able to exercise in the same room, but you can still work out at the same time while on the phone with one another; that way, it’s like the two of you went to the gym together.
- Schedule regular workouts together if you and your date enjoy the activity! That way, it’ll be easier for you to follow a routine and hold one another accountable as you try to meet your fitness goals.
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Sign up for a class and build some skills in the time you spend apart. Why not try to learn something new with your date? Find an online class that interests you both, whether it’s learning a new language or mastering the art of baking bread, and sign up. By taking a class together, you can spend regular time together and support one another as you learn. Odds are, you’ll end the class feeling fulfilled and closer than ever! [12] X Research source
- Platforms like MasterClass and Skillshare have plenty of online courses and tutorials for you and your date to check out.
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See who can build the best collection of video clips. You and your date don’t have to be filmmakers to hold your own little “film festival”! Pick a theme for your festival, then spend some time queuing up several short videos that fit under that theme. Then, call your partner and take turns showing videos to one another—and, if you like, debate whose video picks were the funniest or most memorable.
- You could choose any kind of theme for this; for example, your theme might be “cat fails,” “silliest comedy bits,” or “most dramatic movie scenes of all time.”
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Clean out your closet and show off your style with a DIY fashion show. Need to go through your closet and get rid of some older outfits anyway? Before the date, make a pile of clothes you might want to let go of (and have them do the same). Then, video-call each other and take turns putting on a fashion show, modeling all the clothes in your pile, and giving one another feedback on what to keep and what to throw away.
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Get outside and relax in scenic spots together. Who says you and your love interest can’t go somewhere romantic for a date—even if you go to different places? To have a virtual picnic, pack a meal for yourself and choose a nice spot for a “solo” picnic, like a local park or a public beach. Once you set up your picnic and your date does the same, wherever they are, video-call one another and enjoy your meals together.
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Test your puzzle-solving skills by completing a virtual escape room. Escape rooms are puzzle adventures; normally, you and your teammates get locked in a room and must escape in a certain amount of time. While you might not get physically locked in a room when you do it online, you and your date can still book a virtual experience and win the game by solving a series of riddles and puzzles! [13] X Research source
- Plenty of escape room companies nowadays offer virtual escape room games over Zoom as well as in-person experiences. Simply find a game you and your date can do together and make a reservation for two.
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Try a classic icebreaker game to learn more about one another. The rules of Two Truths and a Lie are simple: on your turn, tell your date three things about yourself. Two of those things must be true facts, and one must be a lie. Then, let your date try to guess which of the things you said was a lie—and when it’s their turn, you can do the same. See which of you can guess correctly most often!
- For example, you could say: “I have never broken a bone” (true), “I’m allergic to shellfish” (false), and “I pour milk before I pour cereal into my bowl” (true).
- If your date guesses your statement about shellfish is false, they’d get a point. If they guess one of the other two, you’d get the point for successfully fooling them.
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Spend your date playing a silly game and laughing over the results. Take turns filling out Mad Libs, which are essentially anecdotes with certain words left blank. When it’s your date’s turn, ask them to suggest a word for each blank space without giving them any context for the surrounding sentence. Then, when all spaces are filled in, read out the completed Mad Lib and giggle over how goofy it’ll likely sound!
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Find out which of you can create the more delectable dessert. Do you and your date both have a sweet tooth? If so, this could be the perfect virtual date. While video-calling one another, pick a recipe to try (or each of you can choose a different recipe) and bake your creations at the same time. When you’re both done, compare the results! You might not be able to sample one another’s handiwork, but you can still admire them.
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Order a mystery meal for your date and have them do the same. Want to try something new for dinner? Then try ordering surprise dinners for one another. Have a mystery meal delivered to them at the same time that they have one delivered to your home—but don’t look at what they got you until it’s time to eat. When you’re both ready, video-call each other, unwrap your food, and eat together.
- Be sure you take any and all of your date’s dietary preferences and restrictions into account and have them do the same.
- Only use this date idea with a partner you trust—you may not want to give your address to someone you don’t know very well yet.
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Teach one another new dances or cut loose with some freestyle moves. Do you and your date both enjoy dancing? You can still dance together, even if you’re not in the same room! Create a playlist of your favorite songs (including a mix of your date’s favorites) and get on a video call together. Then, simply dance the night away together!
- If you and your date are experienced dancers, you could take turns teaching each other different dances or look up dancing tutorials online to try. Otherwise, there’s nothing wrong with showing off your freestyle dancing skills.
Expert Q&A
Tips
- Dress to impress even on a virtual date! Think of a virtual date as any other in-person date and dress for the planned activity accordingly.Thanks
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about dating, check out our in-depth interview with Christina Jay, NLP .
References
- ↑ https://www.teenvogue.com/story/date-ideas
- ↑ https://www.teenvogue.com/story/date-ideas
- ↑ https://www.columbiaspectator.com/spectrum/2021/02/08/virtual-date-ideas-for-a-covid-19-safe-valentines-day/
- ↑ https://www.teenvogue.com/story/date-ideas
- ↑ https://www.columbiaspectator.com/spectrum/2021/02/08/virtual-date-ideas-for-a-covid-19-safe-valentines-day/
- ↑ https://www.ualberta.ca/youalberta/2021/02/10-creative-virtual-date-ideas-no-netflix-party-required.html
- ↑ https://fearlesslyfeminista.com/2020/05/06/pandemic-dating-10-virtual-date-ideas/
- ↑ https://www.teenvogue.com/story/date-ideas
- ↑ https://www.ualberta.ca/youalberta/2021/02/10-creative-virtual-date-ideas-no-netflix-party-required.html
- ↑ https://www.columbiaspectator.com/spectrum/2021/02/08/virtual-date-ideas-for-a-covid-19-safe-valentines-day/
- ↑ https://www.ualberta.ca/youalberta/2021/02/10-creative-virtual-date-ideas-no-netflix-party-required.html
- ↑ https://fearlesslyfeminista.com/2020/05/06/pandemic-dating-10-virtual-date-ideas/
- ↑ https://www.ualberta.ca/youalberta/2021/02/10-creative-virtual-date-ideas-no-netflix-party-required.html