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Video date ideas for the coronavirus pandemic

Show of hands: How many “free date ideas in Toronto” listicles have you read? How many of them started with “go to High Park”?

Unfortunately – or fortunately, depending on how you look at it – Toronto’s No. 1 destination for romantic hand-in-hand strolling and gratis cherry-blossom gawking will officially remain closed to visitors during the trees’ brief bloom this year, in order to cut down on the inevitable rubberneck crowds. (City staff confirmed to NOW this week that the cherry blossoms will be broadcast via livestream, because this is just how we live now.)

But for all you broke daters out there – the ones who aren’t quarantining with a partner, and also haven’t broken up with the now-inconvenient person they were casually seeing back in the before-times – there is a silver lining to this situation: Pretty much anything that can be considered a date is technically now free!

Which brings us to this question: In this new age of digital-only interactions, what really counts as a date? Technically, all you’ll be doing is hanging out with another person via webcam – but cabin fever is running at fever pitch, and there sure to be are times when you want to do something – anything – other than just making conversation. If you’re looking for couples-y activities to do from afar – other than sex, because that’s a whole separate list – we’ve got a few ideas.

Watch a movie

It’s a classic date activity for a reason! Plus, with the entire entertainment world converting itself to a streaming model, there’s bound to be something the both of you want to watch.

To sync up your viewing experiences seamlessly and eliminate the need for “three, two, one, play” futzing, Netflix Party is a Chrome extension that lets you synchronize your Netflix with someone else’s while conversing via text chat.

Maybe what you want to watch isn’t on Netflix, or neither of you have a subscription? There’s always the huge trove of free Canadian flicks available via the NFB site, or free streaming services like Kanopy, Hoopa and Tubi.

Take in some culture

Everything’s closed, but countless events – concerts, plays and more – are heading to a livestream format. If theatre’s your thing, you can check out Stratford’s free online film fest of 12 of Shakespeare’s plays, which runs through July. The City of Toronto is hosting a livestream concert series, as is the National Arts Centre. Art galleries and museums have even begun offering virtual walkthroughs and collections online.

NOW’s events section has an up-to-date listing of panels, concerts, and other virtual events – click here to see what’s on.

Hit the club

We’re not in San Junipero – at least, I’m pretty sure we’re not – yet “virtual nightlife” has gone from seemingly dystopian concept to a very real, vital space for partygoers and performers alike. The best-known virtual club far is Club Quarantine, a recurring Zoom party that’s played host to everyone from local DJs to Charli XCX. But digital nightlife also encompasses trivia nights, karaoke and even drag shows. (Glad Day just rolled out a whole slate of daily programming available via Zoom.)

Play a game

If your tastes run toward lightly-corny old-school games like Pictionary, video chatting platform Houseparty has plenty of built-in options right on the app. (Houseparty also allows other friends to hop into your “room”, though, so be sure to hit “lock” if you don’t want to be disturbed.) A lesser-known but more multifaceted option is Kosmi, which lets you play card games, watch YouTube videos together, and even run classic game emulators. Check out our full breakdown of the best free video chat platforms here.

For the more gaming-inclined among us, you can also go multiplayer on your platform or console of choice. With Animal Crossing dominating both social media and the casual gaming market, hopping over to that special someone’s island while conversing over the Nintendo app’s voice chat is as close as you’ll get to going on a romantic vacation together for a while. (Good date present: Flowers you yanked off a plant on your way to the airport. Better date present: Tarantula.)

Cook together

Here’s one for the culinarily-inclined couples among us. Pick a recipe that suits both of your culinary skill levels, gather the ingredients, set up the webcam, hang in your respective kitchens, then sit down at the same time to enjoy the fruits of your labour. Check out this free open-source cookbook or these Toronto cooks’ Insta feeds if you’re in need of ideas.

Order in

If you’re in the same general neck of the woods, you could order delivery (or takeout) from the same restaurant at the same time and have a mock-night out. Are surprises more your style? A fun idea might be to have the other person order a surprise dish for you on their app and have them delivered to you, and vice versa.

If you really want to class things up, you could always buy someone a drink (or a large quantity of drinks) via delivery. Local bars have begun rolling out delivery cocktail kits, you can mix up at home, while beer delivery might be a more price-conscious option. If all else fails, you guys can just watch that video of Stanley Tucci making a negroni again judging from my Twitter timeline, it’s got the whole Internet in the mood right now.

Watch the High Park cherry blossoms on livestream

You knew it was coming.

@nataliamanzocco

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