It can get tedious doing the same thing everyday whilst the COVID-19 crisis is going on. Here are a few things to keep you busy and entertained online during the lockdown.
Start a blog
Let your creativity run wild and start an online blog. Perhaps you’ve always enjoyed writing or have aspirations to one day becoming a journalist or writer. A blog is a great place to start, and writing regularly will help you to refine your style.
Start a virtual book club
Do friends always come to you for the latest book recommendations? Are you a self-confessed book lover? A virtual book club could be a great way to share your passion and meet new friends who have similar interests to you.
Learn to code
You may have always liked the thought of learning to code, but perhaps you’ve never had the time to explore it. With gigs and festivals being cancelled throughout the summer, learning to code could be a useful way to spend some of your extra time. Even basic coding skills are sought-after.
Learn a language
Dust off your GCSE French or German skills with a free online course. When we are able to take trips abroad again, how good will it feel to be able to impress friends and family by ordering your dinner in the native language!
Take a virtual tour of Rome
If you have had to cancel your long weekend to Rome, all is not lost. Take a virtual tour of the city and visit all those places on your must-see list. Pair with a thin-crust pizza and a negroni to make it feel extra-authentic.
Visit ‘Arts and Culture’ on Google
Missing trips to art galleries, iconic sites and just your culture fix in general? Check out Google Arts and Culture for virtual trips to over 10,000 famous sites to explore in Street View, over 2,000 museums to explore and over 100,000 artworks to view in high definition. That should keep you busy for a while.
Play games on AirConsole
AirConsole allows you to enter the world of gaming without the need of actually buying a console. Use your smartphone as the gamepad and your browser as the console. There are over 140 games to keep you entertained.
Call friends on Zoom & Houseparty
Host a Zoom quiz or schedule a Houseparty catch-up with friends and family to keep in touch. Make it interesting by making fancy-dress compulsory.
Play online board games
Are you the first person at Christmas to get the games box out? Board games needn’t just be for Christmas. Head online and try Tabletopia, a digital platform that allows you to play board games just as you would in real life.
Go visit an aquarium online
Shark Cam, Penguin Cam, Jelly Cam - any of those got your attention? Monterey Bay Aquarium may be shut, but they’ve made it easy to view lots of sea life from the comfort of your own home. Check out their webcams that are streaming the underwater day-to-day live.
Listen an opera performance
The Metropolitan Opera are now broadcasting both Nightly Opera Streams and Opera on Demand. With 700 full-length Met performances available, watch an old favourite again or try something new.
Build a medieval city
What’s not tempting about building your very own medieval city? Play at being in Game of Thrones for the afternoon, and see how you would design your fortress.
Visit a mystery house
A virtual tour of a mansion with a mysterious past. Get some friends on board with this one and all do the virtual tour at the same time, then hold a post-tour discussion via Zoom on theories to solve the mystery.
Meet new people online
Being at home to socialise does have its drawback in that meeting new people is not the easiest thing to do. That’s where Let’s Day In comes in: it offers online events and experiences, and can even match you to like-minded individuals.
Visit a virtual pub
Virtual pubs are springing up all over the place. Log in to one online at the end of a long week for some social downtime. Don’t forget to bring your own drink.
Visit the Zoo
Just like the Aquarium, the Zoos have gone digital too by installing webcams to stream what the animals get up to throughout the day. Check what times are best to pop by at each of the locations on the websites so you don’t miss feeding and training times with the keepers.
www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/webcams
www.folly-farm.co.uk/webcams
www.paigntonzoo.org.uk/explore/webcams
If you enjoyed this post but think there is the possibility that you may well complete all of these and need some further ideas, check out our post on Paid things to do online during the lockdown.
