The novel coronavirus has forced most of us to stay at home to prevent it from spreading further. However, being cooped up at home for an extended period isn’t exactly the idea of fun for many people. But staying at home doesn’t have to be boring. There’s actually an abundance of things you can do to have fun and keep your sanity. Let’s dive in.
1. Practice Playing an Instrument
That old guitar collecting dust in the corner? Pick it up and learn how to play a new song. If you have any musical instrument lying around, now’s the time to brush up your skills. If not, buy the one you’ve always wanted to play but never really had the time to learn.
2. Experiment in the Kitchen
If you have a big family to feed, you’re probably spending a lot of time in the kitchen every day. But if you live alone or with someone who does all the cooking, now is as good a time as any to spice things up finally. Pull up your grandma’s recipes or find some online and experiment until you’ve mastered preparing lots of delicious meals.
3. Learn a New Language
Learning a foreign language can be incredibly satisfying, not to mention useful. How cool would it be to order food or get a cup of coffee like a local when traveling abroad? If you have a knack for languages, download an app like Memrise, Duolingo, Babbel, and give it a go. There are also tons of YouTube videos you can watch to hear native speakers’ pronunciation.
4. Rearrange Your Furniture
Who says you can’t refresh your home without new furniture? A simple rearrangement will breathe new life into your home, making it look and feel like a completely new place. While moving stuff around, remember to turn up the music. Have some fun while giving your home a makeover.
5. Feng Shui Your Home
Feng Shui is all about bringing positive vibes into your home. So, explore all the best practices for creating good Feng Shui in your home, preferably before rearranging all the furniture.
6. Learn Basic Coding
Yes, we’re all about learning new things. Why not? Learning something new can make you happier, and it’s good for your brain. Coding is the path to one of the best careers in the world. If you find it enticing, go to Codecademy, freeCodeCamp, or any other websites for learning to code. These two offer free coding courses, so you can get a taste of it to see if it’s right for you.
7. Work Out
If you’re struggling to maintain a healthy weight these days, you’re not alone. Most of us have the same problem, since we move less, mostly when getting up to get more food. How to work out without any gym equipment? Find videos on YouTube and get your fitness on. Do a 30-minute intense cardio workout or go for a quick run if you can. Getting off that comfy couch and burning calories will make you feel (and look!) much better.
8. Start Doing Yoga
You may think yoga is boring, but it can actually be incredibly calming. And it’s perfect if you don’t want to do an intense workout. What’s more, it comes with plenty of benefits. It’ll help you tone your body, strengthen your muscles, and improve breathing, metabolism, energy, and heart health.
9. Read a Good Book
If you’re a bookworm, you’ve probably read a couple of books in self-isolation by now. If not, now’s the time to get round to it. Entering the magical world of books will help you grow, and keep your sanity during the quarantine.
10. Learn Amigurumi
Amigurumi is a Japanese art of crocheting tiny yarn animals. Head to Google to check out some photos and videos. You’ll be positively surprised at how adorable they look! It’s very simple to make them, and you can find a wealth of different patterns online. If you have kids, you can be sure they’ll fall in love with cute little amigurumi creatures.
11. Solve Mechanical Puzzles
Mechanical puzzles can be quite challenging. Some may take you days to solve, but it’s important not to get stressed out. Most of the time, you simply need to think outside the box to find the solution. Whether you manage to solve it or someone else from your family beats you to it, one thing’s for sure – you’ll have a lot of fun.
12. Make a Travel Itinerary for Your Next Vacation
You certainly can’t wait for the Government to give the all-clear so that you can finally get out of the house and travel again. So, plan your next vacation in advance. Get out the map, choose the first place you want to visit and find all the best things to do, sights to visit, and places to stay.
13. Binge-Watch Your Favorite Shows
What would we do without Netflix, HBO, Amazon, and all the other streaming services? There’s no better time to catch up on all the shows or rewatch your favorite ones. Netflix and HBO even have new browser plugins that allow you to co-watch with friends. So, invite your besties, set up a virtual theater, get the popcorn ready, and press play!
14. Organize Family Game Nights
Every night can be a game night. You can play good old-fashioned board games, cards, charades, Cards Against Humanity, Pass the Bomb, and so much more. Solving massive jigsaw puzzles will also completely eliminate the boredom.
15. Make a Time Capsule
Opening a time capsule a decade or two from now will be incredibly exciting. So, get a stainless-steel container and fill it with photos and various keepsakes. You can also write a letter to the future you or anyone who opens the time capsule.
16. Have a Spa Day
Treating yourself with a relaxing spa day at home will give you the much-needed self-care for feeling better. Improve your skin and hair with revitalizing face and hair masks, and give yourself a mani-pedi. At the end of the day, light some scented candles, and have a nice bubble bath.
17. Play Online Multiplayer Games
There are tons of those you can play to pass the time and have fun, but the best part is you can play them with friends. World of Warcraft, League of Legends, and Dota are some of the most popular online multiplayer role-playing games you can give a go.
18. Take Virtual Museum Tours
Thanks to Google Arts & Culture, you can virtually walk through more than 2500 breathtaking museums and galleries around the world. You can explore the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the MoMA in NYC, and many more.
19. Host a Virtual Cocktail Party
Just because you can’t go to an actual party right now doesn’t mean you can’t bring a party to you. Get your friends on FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, or any similar app and sip on delicious cocktails together. Listen to music, play games, catch up, and laugh out loud.
20. Enjoy a Movie Marathon
Watch the best classic movies of all time, escape to the wizarding world of Harry Potter, or go on an epic adventure through the Middle Earth in The Lord of the Rings. The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter alone provide a good 27 hours of fun, so you can enjoy them for days.
21. Give Back to the Community
Volunteering to help those in need during this challenging time is one of the best things you can do. You can make care packages for the elderly who can’t leave their home at the moment. If you can’t or don’t really want to leave the safety of your home, you can ask other volunteers to pick up and deliver the packages.
22. Take Up Painting
You can’t know if you’re good at something until you’ve tried, right? Painting might wake up the artist in you, so give it a try. Who knows, you may be an undiscovered genius.
23. Learn How to Solve a Rubik’s Cube
Solving a Rubik’s cube may seem too complicated, but it’s actually very simple. There’s an algorithm for each layer of the cube, and just a few of them are a bit complex to learn. You can learn how to solve it in a day or two (yes, really!) and show off to your friends the next time you’re all video-chatting.
24. Take a Free Online Course
We’ve mentioned coding, but you can actually enroll in thousands of other online courses. Whatever interests you, there’s probably a course for learning it for free.
25. Spring-Clean Your Home
Keeping your home clean is now more crucial than ever. So, do a little spring cleaning to refresh and declutter your home, and make sure you and your family stay perfectly healthy.
26. Donate Clothes to Charity
If, while spring-cleaning your home, you find some old but well-kept clothes you no longer wear, donate them to charity. There are plenty of people who may desperately need them, so you’ll make their life a lot better.
27. Bring Nature Inside
Enrich your home with as many plants and flowers as you can. Not only will your home look wonderful and fresh, but the air will also be clearer.
28. Listen to Podcasts
Podcasts can be so addictive. There are hundreds of them out there, so do some research to find the most interesting ones. Many are also kid-friendly and educational, and they can be perfect for putting your little ones to sleep at night.
29. Reconnect with Distant Relatives
Call your relatives and grandparents to see how they’re doing. They may be scared or stressed out because of the pandemic, so be there for them, even if it’s just over the phone or through a webcam.
30. Support Local Businesses
Small businesses have taken the biggest hit due to the coronavirus, and many even closed their doors permanently. You can help local businesses stay afloat by ordering take-out, books, flowers, and any other necessities that you normally buy.
31. Adopt a Pet
Animal shelters are home to quite a lot of dogs and cats waiting to find their new home. Adopting a kitten or puppy won’t just make them happier; it will also change your life completely. If you can’t adopt, you can offer to keep one or two until the quarantine ends. But chances are you’ll instantly fall in love with the little creature and actually keep it.
32. Plant a Veggie Garden
Growing your own vegetables means 24/7 access to organic food. And spring is the best time to plant the seeds! You can also plant various herbs that will come pretty handy in the kitchen. Of course, this applies if you have a yard and enough space in it for the garden.
33. Meditate
If you’re struggling to keep your sanity during quarantine (although all these activities will solve that issue), you should try meditating. It can be difficult at first because you need to clear your mind completely and focus only on your breathing. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll forget all about the stress and take your mental health to a whole new level.
34. Start a DIY Project
Making stuff with your bare hands can make the time fly. Depending on the project, you may be crafting something for days, which is ideal during this time. You can build a birdhouse, sew clothing items, make jewelry, scented candles, flowerpots, coasters, or even a gazebo for hanging out with your family. You have all the time in the world to make almost anything now.
35. Get Your Finances in Order
This may not be a fun activity, but it can certainly be useful. If you have a credit card with no interest on balance transfers for a particular period, transfer your balances as soon as you can. Pay down any debt you may have, and consider switching to a new credit card with better benefits. You should also put some money aside to make an emergency fund. And don’t forget to file your taxes.
36. Listen to Audiobooks
Listening to an audiobook can take you to a different dimension. Audible and many other sources now even offer audiobooks for free, so download your favorites and enjoy.
37. Stream Live Music Events
Music really feeds the soul. You’ve probably seen videos of people singing and dancing to music out on their balconies all over the world. It helps them get through this difficult time just a little bit easier. You can join virtual concerts and live streams of various DJs if you miss all the music festivals that have been postponed until next year.
38. Tour National Parks
Just like you can tour worldwide museums online, you can also take virtual tours of national parks. Go to Google Earth, and you’ll find plenty of beauties that you can explore from the comfort of your home.
39. Explore Space with NASA
NASA is constantly sharing awe-inspiring photos of our galaxy, including photos of our beloved planet taken from space. You can also check out mesmerizing 360° videos of a solar eclipse, and other exciting stuff. You can even take a virtual walk on Mars, thanks to the photos that NASA’s Curiosity rover has taken over the years.
40. Organize a Scavenger Hunt
Who doesn’t love a good scavenger hunt? If you have kids at home, this is a perfect opportunity to keep them occupied for a while. Hide various small items around the house and give your kids come clues for finding them. Depending on how many things you hide, you could be having a tremendous amount of fun for hours. You certainly realize now that staying at home truly doesn’t have to be boring. There’s so much more you can do with your time to make it more exciting, but start with these activities for now. Hopefully, by the time you’ve gone through all of them, you’ll finally be able to get out of the house. Until then, stay safe.
