Romantic, socially distant date ideas that are so much better than Facetime

These creative date ideas allow for one-metre distancing at all times

Dating is scary enough as it is without the worry of contracting coronavirus, making pandemic dates especially hard. 

Most hangouts have had to be online via Zoom or Facetime, which typically involve an awkward meet-and-greet and tiresome small talk.

But there are plenty of ways to have a fun and socially distant date. These creative ideas allow for new experiences, endless chatter and some serious craic.

A world-class museum tour

Many museums have moved online since lockdown started, making it easy for you and a partner to take a world-class tour together of museums and galleries all over the world. You can visit the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the British Museum or the Sistine Chapel. 

Or, if you want to see a museum in person, the EPIC Museum and Hugh Lane are reopen as well (with distancing measures in place). Art has a fantastic way of sparking conversations that might not happen otherwise. 

Drive-in cinema or projector party

Drive-in theatres are popping up across the country. It is a great way to get out of the house and see a favourite film with all the fixings (store-bought popcorn, chocolate, jellies). Retro Drive-in, Drive-in Movies at the RDS and the Pop-up Drive-in are all currently hosting outdoor theatres. Tickets typically cost about €30 per car. 

If you’d rather not leave the house, you can create a makeshift theatre in your back garden. Get a few friends to split the cost of a projector and hang a white sheet on the back wall of the house. Then invite some friends and a date over for a low-pressure, group get-together outdoors.

The ultimate cook-off

A brilliant way to help shake off virtual date jitters is by hosting a cook-off challenge. Participants must only use common ingredients from the press (i.e. chickpeas, rice, bread) and create a meal within a predetermined time limit. Whoever comes up with the best meal wins!

You can assign your roommates or family as the judges and watch each other cook over Zoom. Another option, for those less competitive, is picking your favourite recipes and showing each other how to make them. 

A game of golf 

Sick of taking walks or cycling through the park? Try planning a sports game together. Most golf courses are currently open and offer day passes for non-members. For those based in Dublin, Balbriggan Golf Club and Castleknock Golf Club have visitor passes from €20. Just be sure to book a tee time in advance.

Or for less experienced players, you can book an easy game of pitch and putt. Long Meadows in Ballyfermot, Elmgreen near Blanchardstown and Deerpark Golf in Howth all offer great deals from just €5.50 per person. 

Travel-themed night

Bring a romantic holiday home by hosting a travel-themed date night. You can do this virtually, in the park or in the back garden. Just choose a country you wish to travel to that night and arrange the rest of the evening around that theme.

For instance, if you choose France, you could share a French meal (homemade or takeaway) and a bottle of wine while listening to French music, watching a film set in Paris or painting together. Don’t forget to wear your berets!

Sexy scavenger hunt

Get your flirt on by having a virtual, sexy scavenger hunt. There are so many scavenger hunt lists available online. Pick one, send it to your date and either print it out or keep it open on your phone. Then take turns reading an item and whoever fetches it first wins.

For example, ‘something hot’ could be a bottle of hot sauce from the press or knickers from your drawer. There are so many ways to flirt with this one. You could even turn it into a game of strip scavenger, the loser must strip an item of clothing for each list item they were too slow to grab.

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