Dates at home can be very romantic and help your relationship flourish even during a pandemic. You can have an enjoyable time without the fancy restaurants and places you wish you could go, but are no longer safe.
Try these quarantine date ideas for sharing a wonderful time with your partner and making simple enjoyments more memorable.
Romantic Ideas for Dates Indoors
Serve breakfast in bed.
One of the most romantic ways to start the day is breakfast in bed. Prepare a tray with fresh squeezed juice, seasonal fruits and breakfast pastries. Decorate it with a small vase of cut flowers. Read the newspaper to each other or browse through vacation brochures.
Stage a movie night.
Select a romantic film you’ve both enjoyed in the past or pick a title you’ve been waiting to see together. Make a bowl of popcorn more elegant by adding some olive oil and rosemary. Curl up under a soft cashmere throw.
Give each other a couple’s massage.
Invest in a massage table or use your bed. Buy some scented oils and wear plush robes. If you want to learn some new techniques, browse around your library for a video or instructional manual.
Share a candlelight dinner.
Set the table with your best china and silver. Arrange fresh flowers and candles. Prepare your favorite dishes or select a recipe that sounds romantic like seafood paella for two. Finish up with champagne and chocolate covered strawberries.
Make your own ice cream sundaes.
It’s easy to have a good time when you’re eating ice cream. Buy some gourmet flavors and toppings. Melt a little dark chocolate and milk for a rich hot sauce. Slice up some fresh fruit. Spoon your sundaes into fancy glass bowls.
Watch an opera.
If you can’t afford to go to the opera, you can bring the opera to you. Record an opera performance on your local PBS station or get a video from the library. Select a romantic title like The Marriage of Figaro and read the libretto together.
Have a campfire.
Sit side by side in matching with blankets and roasting sticks. If you don’t have a fire pit, you can bring it inside. You don’t need to go to the woods or even outside to make it feel like you’re camping. You can roast marshmallows over your fireplace or stove, or you can even microwave them. Add chocolate and a graham cracker, and you’re good to go.
Go camping.
Pitch a tent in your backyard and break out your sleeping bags. You can tell each other ghost stories or pick up a pocket book of poetry. Bring out some mugs of hot cocoa topped with gourmet marshmallows in exotic flavors.
Plan a date night based on a cuisine theme.
For this date, create a theme around whatever you are cooking or eating. If you are having tacos make some margaritas. If you make spaghetti, create an Italian bistro setting with candles and a special tablecloth. You can recreate the scene from Lady and the Tramp.
Play games.
Go back in time with a fun game you used to play when you were younger. You can each pick a game that you haven’t played in a while or even make up a new game. When you’re ready to take a break, snack on your favorite childhood stacks.
Promise each other a rose garden.
Start a rose garden together that you can watch grow in the years ahead. It’s surprisingly easy even for inexperienced gardeners. Prepare the soil a few days in advance to get the messy steps out the way. Then you can enjoy planting your flowers together and watering them daily during the important first weeks.
Take a bubble bath together.
You can recreate the scene from pretty woman or the notebook. Maybe you play a specific character while setting the scene. Don’t forget bubbles and candles.
Have a dance party.
Music is something that has been found to create a feeling of cohesion or social connectedness. Find some music that you both enjoy and dance around being silly or serious.
Play some Rock Band music.
Or play something that you both can sing along with. It will boost your mood and make connection easier to continue the date into the night. ;)
Create a scavenger hunt.
You and your partner can take turns creating little clues that you can hide around the house. One clue leads to another. You can see if you know what your partner’s most prized possession is (“the next clue is hidden with your most prized possession”).
It’s all about making the time and being willing to try.
Romantic dates at home can help you learn about your mate and bring you closer together even if you don’t have a lot of money to spend. Plan activities that you both enjoy and use your imagination to make every moment together even more special. You can sit down and create a list of your own ideas.
If you need help reconnecting or don’t even know how to go about asking for a date I offer specialized marriage therapy and couples counseling at my Harrisburg, PA location. You may be interested in learning how a couples intensive or a couples boot camp can provide your marriage the relief you seek in a concentrated burst.
