As the period for social distancing continues to grow, we realize that going to your favorite restaurant, watching a movie in the theatre or attending a party was more about socializing than just visiting these places because you liked them. It has almost been a month since we last saw our friends and while we considered it impossible during the normal routine, it is happening to us right now and there is not much that we can do about it.

One aspect that is also suffering a lot because of social isolation is dating. No longer can you swipe right on a Tinder profile and go for dinner to find a potential partner for yourself.

Source: Huff Post

However, that does not mean that you have to give up on dating altogether. We all saw the TikTok couple who found ways to work their dates out with a little creativity and this is exactly what dating experts and coaches think you should do to make your dating life interesting during the quarantine.

Now obviously if you don’t live together, it is difficult to just keep Facetiming each other with nothing else to do on the side so here’s a list of activities you can practice with your date if they live far away.

Museum Tour

Source: Digital Trends

So many online applications are now offering virtual museum tours so if you are interested in art and history, you can always go to the websites and sign up for one of those. “With the power of some amazing connecting apps, such as Zoom, you can share your screen and share the experience of visiting the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Sistine Chapel all while in the comfort of your own homes. Art has an incredible way of provoking questions and sparking conversations that might not happen otherwise,” says Meg Rector, dating and relationship coach at One Fish Dating

Share Old Photographs

Source: Family Education

So you know how your parents bring out all your embarrassing childhood photographs when your potential partner visits your house for the first time? Well, you can do the same thing but using a video call and provide entertainment with your awkward fringes in high school and adorable baby pictures. Samantha Rodman, a psychologist and couples therapist says, “Anything that shows your significant other more about your unique history is great for closeness and connection.”

Play 36 Questions

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Since you can’t go out anymore, it is the best time to get to know your significant other on a deeper personal level. Talia Goldstein, founder of matchmaking company Three Day Rule suggests “getting comfortable, perhaps with a glass of wine, and asking each other questions from The New York Times’ “Questions That Lead to Love” or read a chapter from John Gottman’s “Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love.” This will help you in building an emotional connection which is more than important right now.

A Virtual Movie or Trivia Night

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Going out for a movie is impossible but there are applications that allow you to sync your streaming services and have a virtual movie night together. Pick up a film that you both love and chat online like you normally would during a movie. You can also find hundreds of trivia online related to multiple movies so maybe after you’re done with the film, you can quiz each other.

A Lego Competition

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You can also conduct a competition online via video call and make lego masterpieces. Goldstein suggests that you should “order a few sets of Legos and be in your own version of the TV show ‘Lego Masters.’ Give yourself a time frame to create a masterpiece and then show it off to your partner.” This quarantine has allowed all of us to find creative ways to fill our time. Plus, it brings out childlike enjoyment, which we could all use right now.

Board Games

Source: Health Fitness Revolution

This is how most of us have been passing our time and it is more fun than anyone could have ever imagined. So download scrabble, monopoly or Ludo and challenge your partner to the game by bringing your competitive side out. Rodman says, “It’s fun to challenge and even ‘trash talk’ each other. A fun level of competition can be invigorating for your relationship.”

Take an Online class

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If you are a student, then you already have plenty of classes to attend online but we guarantee that learning a new skill with your partner online will be quite fun. For instance, Yale is offering one of its popular classes online called “Science of WellBeing” so you can attend the virtual seminar together and discuss the findings of the researchers taught during the class. Furthermore, Nikon is offering free photography classes and if that is something you and your partner are interested in, then sign up for it today!

Cook the Same Meal

Source: HuffPost Canada

Quarantine period has turned everyone into a chef so why don’t you take it to another level and cook a dish with your partner. Choose a recipe that you both can follow and check whose result comes out to be better. This would be a fun way to enjoy each other’s company while simultaneously engaging in another activity so you wouldn’t get bored of the conversation.

Start a Book Club

Source: ebsco

Now is the best time to pick up your old habits of reading and nothing is hotter than an intellectual conversation between two people who are interested in the same subject according to Rodman. So download a book and read a little bit of it every night if you or your partner is a slow reader. You can watch a documentary related to the book and discuss the aspects mentioned in it to keep your conversations interesting and healthy.

So these are some of the fun activities you can undertake while still living in social isolation. Meeting new people right now is almost impossible so if you already have a relationship, this is how you can make up for the lost time. If you both are busy with work or online classes during the day, then make a schedule or set aside one or two hours that you can spend together online so when you come out of the social distancing, you do not have to work on your relationship all over again.