Long distance relationships are hard. Like, genuinely hard. Missing someone constantly, dealing with time zones, and trying to feel close when you're hundreds (or thousands) of miles apart? It takes real effort. But LDRs can absolutely work, and they can even be really fun if you know how to spend your time together.
The secret isn't just "communicate more." It's about doing things together that actually make you feel connected, not just checking in. Whether you're a few hours apart or on opposite sides of the world, these 30 long distance relationship activities will help you build something real, have a blast, and stay close no matter what.
Virtual Date Night Ideas
Date night doesn't have to mean sitting across a table from each other. Some of the best long distance date ideas are the ones you can do from your own couch, in your pajamas, with your person on the screen.
Cook the Same Meal Together
Pick a recipe, buy the same ingredients, and cook "together" over video call. Bonus points if one of you is hilariously bad at cooking. That's what makes it fun.
Movie Night with Watch Party
Use a watch party extension so you can stream the same movie in sync. Pause to react, argue about the plot, and share your snack choices on camera. Classic.
Virtual Wine or Coffee Tasting
Order the same drinks (or snacks, or candy) and do a little tasting together. Rate everything and keep a running list of your favorites as a couple.
Take an Online Quiz Night
Find a trivia quiz online and play together. You can compete against each other or team up. Either way, someone's getting roasted for their wrong answers.
Stargazing Over FaceTime
If you're in similar time zones, go outside at the same time and look at the stars together. Use a stargazing app so you can point out the same constellations. It's genuinely romantic.
Virtual Museum Tour
Tons of museums offer free virtual tours. Pick one, screen share, and walk through it together. You'll learn something new and have plenty to talk about after.
Dress Up for a "Fancy" Dinner
Both of you get dressed up, light some candles, and have a proper dinner date over video call. The effort makes it feel special, even from separate apartments.
Read to Each Other
Pick a book and take turns reading chapters out loud over a call. It's cozy, intimate, and gives you something to look forward to every night.
Schedule your virtual dates like real plans. When it's on the calendar, it feels like a real thing you're doing together, not just another video call. Consistency is everything in a long distance relationship.
Games You Can Play Together
Playing games together is honestly one of the best things to do in a long distance relationship. It gives you something to focus on, keeps things lighthearted, and creates those little inside jokes that make your relationship feel like yours.
Play Online Multiplayer Games
Whether it's Minecraft, Stardew Valley, or something more competitive, gaming together is a top-tier LDR activity. Build a virtual house, go on adventures, or just goof around. The shared experience is what matters.
Two Truths and a Lie
Even if you think you know everything about your partner, this game always surfaces surprises. Play it on a chill night when you just want to talk and laugh.
Online Board Games
Sites like Board Game Arena or Tabletopia let you play classics like Catan, chess, or Codenames together. It's way more engaging than just sitting on a call with nothing to do.
Would You Rather
Simple, silly, and surprisingly revealing. Take turns asking each other increasingly wild "would you rather" questions. You'll learn things about your partner you never expected.
Draw Together on a Shared Whiteboard
Open up a shared whiteboard and just doodle together in real time. Draw each other, play pictionary, or leave little notes. It's creative, personal, and actually really fun. (Pookie has one built right in, by the way.)
20 Questions
A classic for a reason. Think of something and let your partner ask 20 yes-or-no questions to figure it out. It's simple but it never gets old, especially when the guesses get ridiculous.
Don't underestimate the power of playfulness. Long distance couples who play together tend to feel more connected than those who only have "serious" conversations. Let yourselves be goofy.
Pookie was literally made for LDR couples
Draw on a shared whiteboard, raise a virtual pet together, share your mood, and feel close no matter the distance
Download on theApp StoreCreative Things to Do
Sometimes the best long distance couple activities are the ones that let you make something together. Getting creative keeps things fresh, gives you shared projects, and produces actual memories you can look back on.
Start a Shared Playlist
Create a collaborative playlist on Spotify and keep adding songs that remind you of each other. It grows over time and becomes this amazing soundtrack of your relationship.
Write Letters to Each Other
Actual, physical, handwritten letters. In the mail. There is something irreplaceable about holding a piece of paper your person touched. It hits different, trust us.
Make a Bucket List Together
Write down all the things you want to do together when you're finally in the same place. Restaurants, trips, random activities. It gives you both something exciting to look forward to.
Learn Something New Together
Pick an online course or YouTube tutorial and learn it at the same time. A new language, cooking skills, guitar, whatever. Struggling together is weirdly bonding.
Create a Digital Scrapbook
Collect screenshots, photos, and memories in a shared album or document. It's like building a little museum of your relationship that you can flip through anytime you miss them.
Start a Journal Together
Share a Google Doc or notebook where you both write entries. It doesn't have to be daily. Even weekly check-ins about how you're feeling create this beautiful record of your journey.
Having shared "projects" gives your relationship a sense of forward momentum. When you're building something together, it feels less like you're just waiting for the distance to end and more like you're actively building your future.
Communication and Bonding
Good communication is the backbone of every long distance relationship. But that doesn't mean every conversation has to be deep and meaningful. Sometimes it's about the little everyday moments that make you feel like you're actually doing life together.
Share Your Daily Mood
Instead of always asking "how was your day?" try sharing your mood in a more visual or creative way. Some apps (like Pookie) let you send your mood so your partner always knows how you're feeling, even when you can't call.
Do a "Life Update" Voice Note
Record a voice memo talking about your day, your thoughts, or random things. Send it when your partner is asleep or busy. It's like a little audio letter they get to open whenever they want.
Ask Deep Questions
Skip the small talk sometimes and go deep. Questions like "What's something you've never told anyone?" or "What does your ideal future look like?" can bring you closer than a hundred "wyd" texts ever will.
Fall Asleep on the Phone Together
It sounds so simple, but falling asleep while you're still on the call with your person is one of the most comforting things in an LDR. You don't have to talk. Just being "there" is enough.
Send "Thinking of You" Photos
Snap random photos throughout your day of things that remind you of them. A sunset, a dog, a meme on a poster. It shows you're carrying them with you even when you're apart.
Quality beats quantity every time. You don't need to text 24/7 to feel connected. A few intentional, meaningful moments of connection throughout the day are worth more than constant surface-level chatting.
Surprise and Romantic Gestures
One of the best parts of a long distance relationship is how much more intentional you have to be. That means when you do something sweet, it hits even harder. These surprise and romantic gestures will make your partner's entire week.
Send a Surprise Care Package
Fill a box with their favorite snacks, a hoodie that smells like you, handwritten notes, and little inside-joke gifts. Getting a package in the mail from your person is unmatched happiness.
Order Food to Their Door
Surprise them with their favorite delivery order when they least expect it. Even just a coffee or a pizza says "I'm thinking about you" in the most practical and delicious way possible.
Plan a Countdown to Your Next Visit
Set up a shared countdown and add little surprises along the way. Notes, photos, or mini challenges for each day leading up to when you see each other again. It builds so much excitement.
Write a Love Letter (Digitally or on Paper)
Take the time to write something real. Not a quick text, but an actual letter about what they mean to you, why you love them, and what you're looking forward to. Keep it honest. That's what makes it meaningful.
Raise a Virtual Pet Together
It sounds silly, but having a little virtual pet you both take care of is genuinely adorable. It gives you a shared "responsibility" and something to check in on together. Pookie has one and honestly, it's the cutest thing ever.
The Distance Is Temporary, Your Bond Isn't
Look, being in a long distance relationship isn't easy. There are going to be hard days when you just want your person next to you. But the couples who make it through the distance? They come out stronger, more intentional, and with a connection that's genuinely unshakeable.
The key is to keep showing up for each other. Try new activities, be creative with how you spend time together, and never stop keeping the spark alive. Every virtual date night, every surprise package, and every "goodnight, I love you" text is building something that lasts.
You've got this. And your person is lucky to have someone who's willing to put in the effort.
Stay close, no matter the distance
Pookie helps long distance couples feel connected with shared whiteboards, a virtual pet, mood sharing, and more.
Download on the App Store