As most of the United States continues to enforce stay-at-home orders and we all practice social-distancing, many of us may struggle with boredom, confusion, and anxiety at home. During this time, it is important to stay positive and keep your mental and physical health up, and thanks to the internet, you can. Thanks to virtual events and creative brands, you can still participate in fun events, stay fit, learn new skills, and visit your favorite places, all from the safety of your home.
Here’s a list of seven fun & free things to do in quarantine:
Attend a virtual poetry slam
Da Poetry Lounge hosts its weekly open mic night via Zoom. On a regular night, lines to the event are long, seating is limited and attendees must pay a $10 cover charge. The Zoom Open Mic is free and you can enjoy the poet’s performances from the comfort of your couch. We call this a win!
Take a ballet class
You can now attend virtual dance classes while safely practicing social-distancing! Westside Ballet offers free classes for dancers of all experience levels, including floor barre via IGTV. Faculty members and Westside Ballet alumni dancers, including Melissa Barak, lead classes to help us keep moving during this quarantine.
Take a virtual tour of America’s most beautiful national parks
Spending time in nature is a grounding and humbling experience. Being stuck at home doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the breathtaking magnificence of America’s wildlands. Self-guided and ranger-led tours of parks including Alaskas’ Kenai Fjords National Park, Bryce Canyon, the Grand Canyon, Volcano National Park, and Yellowstone can be accessed through Arts and Culture with Google and Google Earth. Tour highlights include virtual kanyoing excursions and birdwatching!
Take a free Ivy League Class
Since quarantine started, Yale University has begun offering its popular course, The Science of Wellbeing, for free! Students learn how to be happier in life. Yale psychology professor Laurie Santos created the course in response to rising levels of student depression, anxiety, and stress. The uncertainty of the COVID-19 outbreak has left many of us anxious and worried and this course provides students with skills to manage negative feelings and activities to rewire the brain to think more positively. You can sign up here.
Learn How to Introduce Yourself to a Deaf Person
The pandemic has brought many of us closer and strengthened our communities. Unfortunately, some people feel consistently left out due to the linguistic gap between hearing and deaf people. Use the social-distancing time to bridge that gap and learn the fundamentals of American Sign Language. Free Hearts offers a gratis three-day online retreat for people who are interested in learning sign language.
Advance your cooking skills
Need ideas for dinner recipes? Every day at noon, Osteria Francescana’s restaurateur Massimo Bottura invites you to cook with him on Instagram! The Italian chef-patron of the three-Michelin-starred restaurant creates delicious hearty meals such as Hummus, Artichoke and Pasta Fagioli for his new show Kitchen Quarantine.
Admire the work of your favorite artists!
Being quarantined doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on admiring your favorite museum’s exhibitions! Some world-famous galleries, including Musée d’Orsay, Guggenheim Museum, Uffizi Gallery ,and the Getty offer free virtual tours. If you’d rather deep dive into your favorite artist’s work, check out the Frida Kahlo and Banksy exhibition.
All set with having fun but struggling to stay motivated while working from home? Click here.
