Anniversaries, birthdays, and the need to connect with your partner doesn't stop during the quarantine. What has stopped is the option to enjoy lots of date night staples, such as getting tickets to a show or concert, catching a movie, or enjoying an intimate dinner in a restaurant. With limited options and safety concerns, It's time to get creative to continue to grow your relationship.
First, set the mood. Even if you are stuck in a home the two of you share every day, adding new decor for date-night can make a world of difference. Lower the lights, put some new candles on the table, add string lights around the room, or try a new table cloth or plates to give the home you're accustomed to a new vibe.
1. Enjoy an outdoor picnic
Finding yourself alone in nature, enjoying a delicious meal together, and having a great conversation can be wonderfully romantic. Add to the charm by taking a page out of the popular Diner en Blanc events, where participants sign up for a dinner, wear all white, and receive the event's location minutes before the event starts. Try telling your date a few hours before your evening out about what you are doing and where you are going.
Do your research beforehand to find the perfect picnic locale. Reader's Digest offers a list of top picnic spots in each state in America, including the Clinton Presidential Library in Arkansas, Hammonasset Beach State Park in Connecticut, and Lincoln Park in Illinois. Time it right and you can watch the sunset together.
Bring a large blanket, two beach or lawn chairs, if you think you will need them, and pack plastic dishes and cutlery. Be sure to spread out and social distance. This also makes the experience more intimate!
2. Try a night at the drive-in
The novel coronavirus outbreak has left many movie theatres closed, making the classic date-night staple, dinner and a movie, a thing of the past. In its place, however, several pop-up drive-in movie theaters have opened up to fill the void. Pop-up drive-in movie theaters reportedly opened in New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, California, Maryland, and Texas, among many other states. Nearly every state in the United States has a drive-in movie theater, according to information from the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association. As of October 2019, there were 305 operational, permanently constructed, commercially operated drive-in theaters in the United States and Puerto Rico, with 549 movie screens among all of the sites. You're bound to find one within a driving distance!
Enjoy a nostalgic evening by bringing a blanket, popcorn, and cozying up for a fun night under the stars. If you have a car with a sunroof or a convertible, take it to the theater to get a glimpse of the night sky.
3. Plan a cycling adventure
Bike riding is an ideal way to enjoy fresh air and sunshine while spending quality time together.
Mix it up by cycling to a fun destination! Is there a brewery you always wanted to try? Map out a route, bring water and a bike helmet, and ride!
Many breweries offer take-out drink options during the COVID-19 outbreak or the option to sit outside and enjoy a cold one in an outdoor seating area. Some areas, including Sonoma County in California and Willamette Valley in Oregon, offer bicycling winery tours. Many other regions, including in Colorado and Oregon, have brewery bicycle tours.
If you are in a historic area, try a self-guided tour of historic monuments. Washington, D.C., has several self-guided cycling tour options. You can also seek out a quirky roadside attraction or a place of interest near you, such as a lighthouse, and plan your route. Several apps, including Komoot, can help you plan your cycling route.
5. Learn together
Have you always wanted to learn to speak French, cook Italian cuisine, or learn to throw pottery?
Here is a chance to have a new experience with your partner, have fun, and learn as you go.
To plan your at-home learning experience, search online for classes you and your partner can take. Start your search by checking out websites like The Chef & The Dish, which offers online couples cooking classes, and Show Her Off online dance classes for couples. There are also endless YouTube tutorials you can use.
Be sure to prepare by researching well in advance the materials you will need. Make it more fun by asking your partner to suggest a few things they've been aching to try, choose one, and surprise them the night of!