With social distancing and stay-at-home orders creating the new normal, many of us are looking for new activities or projects we can take on while staying home. We’ve compiled a list of 10 things you can do from your house, from child-friendly projects to solo activities.
GET CRAFTY
Probably the most obvious, but also one of the most fun, simple and flexible activities. Take supplies on hand and create something new. Break out coloring books for the kids or adult coloring books for you. On a nice day, grab the chalk and the kids and hit the sidewalks. If you don’t have what you need, check with local stores to see if they offer any take-home kits or curbside service. (Unique Creations on High Street in Jefferson City has been offering DIY kits with pottery pieces, paint and brushes included. Check out their Facebook page for more.) Or try out a new subscription box — there’s endless options. If you’re looking for some guidance, many options have opened up free trials or tutorials during the pandemic. Bombay Sapphire partnered with interior design company Hunker to present Create From Home, a series of free tutorials on how to create different items for your home, from a hanging magazine holder to door tassels. The liquor company has also partnered with Skillshare to provide a free two-month membership trial to Skillshare’s collection of online classes in anything from illustration to video.
BAKE (OR COOK) SOMETHING YUMMY
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This can be done on your own or with loved ones. Break out a favorite recipe. Or try something new. One stay-at-home trend has been to bake bread, and there’s many options if you want to try that out for the first time. (London-based bakery Bread Ahead is streaming baking classes on its Instagram page, though you will have to make some conversions from the metric system.) If you want to try recipes for meals and desserts, plenty of chefs are sharing videos of how to make all kinds of food, with many posting on Instagram. (Italian chef Massimo Bottura is hosting #KitchenQuarantine on his Instagram daily and professional baker Christina Tosi hosts an Instagram Live series called “Baking Club.”)
ENJOY THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Sisters Mia, in front, and Danielle Sansen roll out their bicycles for a long ride which included the trail at Noren Access. Photo by Julie Smith
Social distancing and stay-at-home orders don’t mean you can’t enjoy the outdoors, especially as spring fully blooms in Mid-Missouri. Set up a nice seat in your backyard or front porch and enjoy the scenery or take a book (or a drink). Enjoy a nice walk in your neighborhood, keeping a safe distance from any passersby. Just don’t flock to public spots, as we all need to continue to do our parts to slow the spread.
DIGITALLY EXPLORE DESTINATIONS
If you’re starting to really need a break from the usual sights around your home, try a digital exploration of any number of places. Zoos and aquariums around the world are offering live streams to some of the most popular exhibits and animals. Google offers an arts and culture feature at artsandculture.google.com that allows users to check out some of the best museums and cultural sites that exist. Google Earth also allows you to explore 31 national parks and Skyline Webcams enables you to see tourist destinations from all over the world. You can even view the Paris catacombs online.
HOST AN ONLINE COCKTAIL HOUR
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Miss grabbing a drink with friends after work? Make plans to meet up through one of the many options available, including FaceTime, Zoom and Skype, and have a drink together. Set a good time with your chosen party and get your desired drink ready. (Even better, try making a new cocktail for the occasion!) Then chat and enjoy the face time with loved ones and a sliver of normalcy.
RESEARCH YOUR FAMILY ROOTS
If you’ve ever wanted to explore your family’s history and learn all you can, there is no better time than now. With the Missouri River Regional Library temporarily closing the doors to its physical facility, many databases are accessible to library members from home through the library’s website. That list expanded recently to include Ancestry.com, which is normally only available at the library itself. This service can be used at home by library members only temporarily, as a service during the pandemic, so take advantage while you can.
TRY AN AT-HOME SPA DAY
Whether it’s a simple relaxing bubble bath (maybe with some candles, music and a good book) or a homemade face mask with items from your kitchen, take some time for yourself. This pandemic is a stressful time for everyone, and it’s important to remember self-care. So take a little time to relax, whether it’s meditation, a hair or skin treatment or just disconnecting from everything for a few minutes. (Search online for a variety of at-home treatments that can be done with items on hand. Coconut oil makes a great hair treatment, and honey and lemon combined can make a healing face mask.)
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MAKE A PINATA
A perfect project to take on with kids! This simple project is brought to you by the Auberge Resorts Collection, luxury hotels from all over the world, which has posted instructions for the project on its website. All you need is cardboard, string, tissue or recycled paper, tape and scissors.
HAVE A MOVIE NIGHT
Make movie night special, even if you can’t go to the theater or have friends over like usual. You could make your own backyard theater using a projector and a space to hang a sheet. Or make a whole bunch of popcorn, in a variety of flavors (try making it on the stove in a flavored olive oil, then top off with your favorite spice blend) to have a tasting during the movie. You could even host a long (or short)-distance group movie night using Netflix Party, an extension available only for Chrome browsers that synchronizes playback on multiple screens and adds a group chat feature.
SING WITH STRANGERS
You may have seen social media from large cities and places in Europe that show everyone banging pots and pans or singing at an appointed time. If you would like to join others in song, there’s several options that don’t require you leaving the house. During this strange time, many virtual choirs have started. There’s the Sofa Singers, which brings hundreds together through Zoom for 45 minutes of simultaneous singing. Or try Lifefulness Live, which seeks to connect people in the same area to sing together through the online platform.
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