J and I have always found new ways to connect over the years, and the following is a list of date ideas to try whether you're in a LDR or not! It's fun to try new activities together and expand your interests.
*Note: this list is not in any particular order!
1. Go for a walk together! This might sound simple, but the amount of people who forget the benefits of a good walk might surprise you. When J and I are not in the same place, we schedule times of day when we can both go for a walk at the same time while on the phone! And of course our visits together often have lots of walk involved.
2. Movie night! During our time away from each other in 2020, J and I made a list of films accessible to us on Netflix and Prime Video to watch together. We would try to watch a movie every Friday (night for J, morning/afternoon for me) while we weren't working. You could also include snacks, chats afterwards, or even ask each other questions about their thoughts on the film. We also use an app called WeWatch that allows you to pick movies and see which ones you've matched your partner on. It helps choose something to watch if neither of you have an idea.
3. Draw together on paint! J and I have so many pictures saved on our computers and discord of various paintings we've completed together. We've tried this activity in two ways - one where we both choose an image for the other to paint and they are placed side by side in the end. For example, I might choose a drawing of a pokemon for J to attempt to draw by himself on paint, and he would send me the finished version with the original next to it.
The other way involves some teamwork... one partner paints an unknown image while the other describes the chosen image to them. For example, J might choose a picture of a cartoon character for me to draw (without me knowing) and he has to walk me through each step of what I need to draw.
Either one of these versions of painting together is fun and ends in lots of laughs. You can choose themes for the images and put music on in the background! Make it your own.
4. Have a meal together! Ok, so this might be more LDR directed, but it's still worth listing! J and I would choose a day to watch an episode of a TV show and eat a meal together. Because we have an 8 hour difference, this means I would be having brunch while J had dinner but it worked! We would share a photo of our meals to each other and enjoy some down time while watching TV. You could also try making a meal together, if your time difference allows it!
5. Read a book together! J and I both got the boxsets for the Harry Potter books in 2018 and would read at our own pace, wait for each other to be on the same chapter, and then discuss our thoughts or comments on what we've read. Choosing books with a movie adaptation also means you'll have something to watch on movie night too!
6. Watch a TV show together! It's fun to choose a show either one or neither of you have seen! For example, J and I have watched shows like Skins (UK) and Sherlock (BBC) together because neither of us had previously seen them. Or we've watched shows like Parks and Recreation, Lost, and The Office (US) where one of us had already seen it before.
7. Make a digital scrapbook! This is an idea I had in 2020 when J and I were feeling a bit down about not seeing each other. It could work no matter your relationship status! We used Google Slides to make a highlight for each year. For example, our 2020 main slide includes games we played, a song we liked, etc. And then following that, the PowerPoint is filled with pages of photo, short stories or memories, and imbedded videos! I like this idea because you can see what you two have been up to over the course of a year and have something to look back on. We made one for 2016 all the way to 2020, with some years being split into two to prevent the document from being too bulky.
8. Celebrate a holiday/event in a game! Because I've already made a post dedicated to games to play together, I'm avoiding listing that here as well. But! This is a great idea for when you can't be together for a special event. One year I designed an Easter themed fair on Minecraft for J. I made booths and stalls, a petting zoo, a horse trail, and more! It was super fun and gave me something to do at night while he was sleeping, and a great surprise for when it was complete.
9. Try a virtual escape room! While it isn't quite the same as the real deal, J and I tried a virtual escape room once and it was pretty fun! We used this website (for free) https://www.ltipl.net/resources-and-services/digital-escape-rooms/
There are also ones online that you can pay for, like The Escape Game (but I've never tried that one).
10. Tour museums or watch animal live cams! There are tons of resources online that allow you to see inside famous museums, zoos, and aquariums form the comfort of your home. We've checked out the San Diego zoo's cams a number of times... it's just something fun to do every once in a while! You can even add other activities to it, like listening to music, just chatting, or drawing together while you watch.
Hopefully this (incomplete) list of date ideas and activities inspires a new adventure for you! Let us know in the comments if there are things you and your partner like to do, or if you try any of these ideas.
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