Pandemic-related advisories to stay home and social distance have been leaving all of us with a lot more free time on our hands, especially during the winter season. If you’re anything like me, you find yourself getting bored—a lot. Time you would usually spend out with friends is now lawfully unoccupied. No dinner outings, no bar hopping, no sports games, no bowling, no girls’ nights; pretty much any public excursion is out of the question.
If you are quarantining with your special person, this uncured boredom and a failure to break routine every so often can not only cause your mental health to deteriorate but put stress on your relationship as well. I spent several months in quarantine with my boyfriend, and occasionally, this would happen. Determined not to let COVID-19 restrictions get the best of us, my boyfriend and I came up with a bunch of activities to pass the time together in quarantine.
Here are a few simple and wholesome date ideas for you and your S/O if you find yourselves in a similar predicament!
- Cook a Meal Together
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If you have a hankering for tacos or pizza for the fifth night in a row, it might be time to skip the takeout and go for a homemade meal. Whether you’ve achieved chef-status or not, cooking a nice dinner will not only pass the time and provide a healthier alternative to Door Dashing Dominos to your house, but will offer quality time with your person as well– even if your boyfriend thinks he’s Gordon Ramsey and won’t let you do anything beyond peel the garlic and play Fetch-This-Ingredient. If you’re more experienced in the kitchen, you could learn a new recipe together. You’ll feel proud of your accomplishment, and you’ll get to eat the product of your collective effort—a win-win.
- Board Game Night
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Put on some music or your comfort show and get into the competitive spirit with your partner by playing classic games like Monopoly, Jenga, Risk, Poker, or Uno. Heed my warning: this might get heated. Keep some tissues nearby for the sore loser (me). Again, a great time-passer and a lot of fun.
- Play in the Snow
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Sure, we may not be five years old anymore, but why not act like it? Get some fresh air and unleash the small child in both of you. Go sledding. Have a snowball fight until someone is bleeding like Jim and Dwight in The Office. Accidentally uncover a minefield of dog poop. Build a snowman together and get yelled at by his mom for crafting some anatomically-correct body parts out of snow. It’s all good fun.
- Take Silly Pictures Together
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The game is in the name. It may sound ineffectual, but it’s a great way to laugh a lot and have physical proof of embarrassing memories to look back on later.
- Binge-Watch Some TV
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I know, an obvious choice. But sometimes we get so bored of figuring out what to do that it’s time to put on your new favorite show and shamelessly consume the media with the person you love. Make it a movie night by amassing a collection of snacks to eat while you watch. Plus, who knows? You might suddenly find yourselves 6 episodes deep in a gripping new show that spans 8 or 9 seasons. This will take up more time than you expected (and, probably, can even afford).
- Put Down Your Phones and Have a Heart-to-Heart
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Might sound cheesy, but sometimes the best thing you can do for your mental health and your relationship is to forfeit screen time and spend a few hours listening to your partner’s life stories (likely ones you’ve heard a million times, but what’s wrong with a memory refresher?) or debating the failures of the education system. You might learn something new about your partner, exercise your rusty socialization skills, and it’s always nice to make the person you love feel heard.