10 Date Night Ideas When You’re Stuck in Quarantine

Regular date nights can help you feel closer and provide a break from the stress.

I’ve been annoyed with my husband lately. It’s pretty normal to feel this way when you spend 366 hours (and counting…) with another living person who won’t shut up about how sad they are their gym is closed (God, help me).

We are bound to get on each other’s nerves during quarantine. Plus we have five people hanging out 24/7 under the same roof (God, help us).

The other day, my friend texted me, How’s it going?

I repeated the same refrain we’re all probably saying: blah blah so tired of being stuck inside blah blah.

Then she asked me something that surprised me: Have you and your husband gone on a date lately?

Uh no, I texted her back, and then I laughed.

“What’s so funny?” my husband asked from the other side of the room.

“Kelly just asked if we’d gone on a date.”

“Yeah, right,” he snorted.

Why not? Kelly texted back. Jake and I had a really nice at-home date the other day!

Haha, I texted back.

No, really, she texted. You guys should do one.

Meh, I texted back.

My husband and I are around each other constantly right now, and once the kids are in bed, all I want to do is crawl into bed myself. The last thing I would want to do is have a date that might require me to, I don’t know, shower or shave or make or do something.

Honestly, the first thought I had was, You know what would make a great date? Once the kids are in bed, he goes to one side of the house, and I go to the other for an hour of uninterrupted silence.

But when I got past that initial thought, I could recognize that regular date nights help me feel closer to my partner and remind me that we’re a team. They can be a break from everything else going on in life, and with everything being as stressful as it currently is, I realized her idea was a great one.

If you too are quarantined with your loved one, here are some fun stay-at-home date ideas.

1. Exercise together

The gyms may be closed (my poor gym rat husband), but that doesn’t mean that you can’t find some new ways to break a sweat together. Go running or walking together around your neighborhood or a local park (keeping six feet between you and others obviously), or throw on your workout gear and try one of these free online exercise classes at home.

2. Have a Candlelit Dinner

Eating by candlelight makes any sort of dinner romantic. It doesn’t matter if you’re eating boxed mac n’ cheese or filets, that candlelight will set the mood for romance. You can make dinner at home or order some take-out or delivery.

3. Host a Dance Party

Nobody is watching in your very own Club Quarantine, so blast your favorite band, artist, or song and have a dance battle. Or, to bring the club scene home, stream some New York City nightlife.

4. Take a (Virtual) Trip Around the World

While you can’t get in a car or on a plane to travel right now, that doesn’t mean you can’t see beautiful or interesting new places. Take a virtual tour of the Vatican and the Louvre, or any of the museums, zoos, and theme parks listed here.

5. Watch a Concert, Opera, Broadway Show, or Movie Together

Cozy up and get your computers or smart TVs ready because there are a lotof virtual viewing options available for you.

Sofa King Fest is a virtual concert series where you can watch quarantined and sheltering-in-place artists perform. The schedule changes daily. Melissa Etheridge is playing tonight! The Met offers free daily performances from the past fourteen years of the Met’s Live in HD series. Tune in at 7:30 p.m. for a new performance every night. Videos are up for twenty-three hours (until 6:30 p.m. the following night) and then they will be rotated out for a new video.

Want to watch a broadway show? Check out BroadwayHD.

If you want a movie, stream something on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime. Also know that new in-theater movies are also available for purchase on Amazon Prime.

6. Do Spa Treatments

You and your partner can throw on some slippers and bathrobes, and make a night of it. Put on mud masks. Slide into a hot bubble bath. Give each other some nice relaxing massages.

7. Have a Game Night

Board games, card games, video games — all is fair as long as you both can engage in some friendly competition. My husband and I love Mario Kart and Mortal Kombat just because they’re fun stress relievers too.

8. Drink and Do Art

Get some wine, pick a topic or theme, and paint or draw something. No judgment. Just time to be silly and try something new. You can also head to YouTube and find a painting tutorial to follow. Once your work is done, hang them up!

9. Make Fondue

Melt chocolate in a pot on your stove or in your crockpot, and dip in your favorite foods. Think strawberries, pineapple, and apples or other snacks like marshmallows, cookies, and maybe even some bacon!

10. Host a Beer Tasting

Buy a few different beers from whatever liquor store in your area is open or offering curbside pick-up. Sip them and discuss your favorites. Include snacks like cheese and crackers and sausages and cured meats to enhance the sampling fare.

For all of these, the important part is being intentional. Make time to spend with your partner. Put your phones away and give each other your undivided attention. You may just end up having a great night. :)

Want a better relationship today? Click here to sign up for my FREE “Relationship Self-Reflection” Worksheet!