Your office is closed, your kids’ schools are closed, and your favorite local hangout spots are closed, too. You’ve done your part supporting small businesses by ordering takeout. As you queue up the next episode of The Office, you wonder: are there any other things I can do while stuck at home in quarantine?
If you’re like most people, you probably enjoyed binging your favorite shows and finding new favorites. But after a month or more of self-quarantining, you may want to get creative and find new ways to spend your time.
Check out some of these creative ways you can get away from your devices and enjoy some old-fashioned family (or solo) fun!
Jump to:
- Kid Quarantine Activities For the Whole Family
- Hold a Family Quarantine Olympics
- Get in the Zone with Guided Meditation
- Start Your Very Own Small Business
- Learn About Emerging Digital Marketing Techniques
- Upskill
- Learn a New Language on Duolingo
- Try Out Some Quarantine Cooking Recipes & Cocktails
- Knit, Crochet or Sew Face Masks
- Host a Virtual Murder Mystery
- Stargaze Outdoors
- Tell Stories (Or Create a Family Audio-Story Book)
- (Virtually) Visit Museums and Tourist Spots Around the World
- Play Music With the Family
- Tackle Home Improvement Projects or Organize the Kitchen
- Rearrange and Redecorate to Transform Your Quarantine Space
- Solve a Puzzle
- Start a Gratitude Journal
- Write a Blog Post, Screenplay, Poem, Short Story, or Anything Else
1. Kid Quarantine Activities For the Whole Family
Let’s face it: you’re not the only one that’s bored staying home—your kids could use a change of pace, too.
When you’re bored in the house and need things to do during a lockdown, creativity is the name of the game. Venture outside the norm with one of these fun family activities!
- Scavenger hunt: Turn a boring afternoon into a fun event by creating a scavenger hunt! Scavenger hunts will keep your kids busy, thinking, and may even improve problem solving skills.
- Build a pillow fort: You’re never too old for a pillow fort. Relive your glory days and take your kids away from their screens by architecting a family pillow fort! Or, make it interesting by having a competition. You may be surprised with how comfortable it really is.
- Dig out your legos: Technology may give us new opportunities, but there’s nothing like the satisfaction of creating something with legos! Rebuild your favorite lego creations, or start from scratch and build something unique.
- Indoor obstacle course: Get competitive during quarantine with an indoor obstacle course! Using only what you have around the house, create a maze that your family members will have to navigate. Remember to stay safe!
- Board games: When’s the last time you passed Go and collected $200? Take your favorite board games to the next level by creating new rules with your kids. We won’t tell!
2. Hold a Family Quarantine Olympics
One unique way families are getting competitive while quarantined is with family Olympic competitions.
From toilet paper dodgeball, to hydration competitions, and beyond, the possibilities are endless. You can divide your family into teams, or have everyone go solo. Share your favorite family quarantine Olympic events on social media!
3. Get in the Zone with Guided Meditation
Meditation can help you breathe easier and carries numerous mental health benefits. Breathing and concentration exercises can improve sleep, ease anxiety, and reduce chronic pain. During a stressful time like this, meditation can help you be more productive while working, or in other artistic pursuits.
However, you don’t need to be a pro to get started.
Guided meditation apps can walk you through the basics, helping you create a cadence for your own routines down the line. Check out some popular picks like The Mindfulness App, Headspace, and Calm.
4. Start Your Very Own Small Business
You know that dream you’ve always had about putting your unique skills to use and opening a small business? It’s not too late to give it up—with some extra free time on hand, now’s the time to act.
Take a break from your daily quarantine grind and start with some research. Investigate the competition that’s already out there, look into operating costs, consider startup funding options and profit margins. Look through your network of connections to find potential partners, or ask for advice. Even if you don’t open up shop right away, you’ll be more prepared to do so when the time is right.
5. Learn About Emerging Digital Marketing Techniques
With people spending more time on their devices than ever, there’s plenty of opportunity for businesses of all sizes to drum up business through digital marketing. Even if you don’t have any experience, you can break into the field with some free training courses.
You can learn about how to help small businesses boost their bottom line by focusing on SEO, or search engine optimization. Or, you can learn how the online advertising game works. If you’re already spending your time on social media, learn how small businesses sell more through social media marketing.
If you’re looking to learn about digital marketing during quarantine, these are some of the best places to get started:
Many previously paid trainings are now free for the duration of the quarantine, so feel free to look for your own niche trainings!
6. Upskill
Marketing not your thing? Not to worry.
Now’s the perfect time to upskill in whatever field you’re in. If you’re considering applying for a new job once the quarantine is over, upskilling allows you to bolster your resume by making yourself a more versatile, well-rounded and employable candidate.
Try learning new computer programs, software or applications that can help you perform better. Or, dig deeper into the finance side of things. At smaller companies, knowing how to code can be a huge plus, too.
7. Learn a New Language on Duolingo
Are you planning a trip to take once quarantine is over? Why not learn a new language that will help you communicate once you take the plunge?
Thanks to apps like Duolingo, which breaks down second (or third) language skills into daily, bite-sized lessons, you can easily learn a new language while quarantined. It’ll take some practice, and you’ll have to continue once quarantine is lifted. But, you’ll have an incredible and useful new skill.
Studies have also shown that learning a new language helps improve decision-making skills, memory, multitasking, and more. In many fields and areas, knowing a second language can make you a much better job candidate, too.
8. Try Out Some Quarantine Cooking Recipes & Cocktails
If you’re forced to cook at home, you may as well enjoy what you’re eating. Take a break from frozen food and try your hand at some quarantine cooking recipes.
Your favorite restaurant may be temporarily closed, but you can always try to replicate their dishes by digging up a similar recipe. Or, recreate one of your family favorites. Search for inspiration on Google, Instagram, or Pinterest, and remember: it’s never too late for breakfast food.
Take the fun to the next level by pairing your meals with delicious cocktails (shaken, not stirred).
9. Knit, Crochet or Sew Face Masks
Put your artistic skills to use and help the community by knitting, crocheting or sewing face masks. They may not be a foolproof solution to stopping the spread, but they certainly help.
You can send the face masks to friends, family, local emergency responders, hospitals, and other people in need.
10. Host a Virtual Murder Mystery
Tired of straightforward video chatting with friends and family? Change things up by hosting your very own virtual murder mystery party?
You don’t have to start from scratch—there are some great virtual murder mystery programs that can help you put this idea into play with minimal planning.
11. Stargaze Outdoors
Whether you have an old telescope lying around or not, now’s the perfect time to get outdoors and stargaze. Do some quick research to learn which constellations will be visible on a particular night.
12. Tell Stories (Or Create a Family Audio-Story Book)
The best stories are passed down from generation to generation. Why not dedicate a night to telling your favorite stories from over the years?
Whether they’re funny, scary or just classics, telling stories can be a trip down memory lane for everyone.
If you want to hold onto your stories forever, you can even create a digital family audio story book. Ask members of your family or friends to record the best stories from over the years. Compile a few of the best, then distribute it to your relatives!
13. (Virtually) Visit Museums and Tourist Spots Around the World
Quarantine might prevent you from traveling, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still learn a thing or two. Virtual museum and city tours give you a way to take in new sights and information from the safety and comfort of your home.
14. Play Music With the Family
You’ve listened to plenty of music—why not try your hand at playing it? If you have instruments around the house, try picking them up and giving them a shot.
Whether you get a few chords down or learn entire songs you’ll be that much closer to becoming a pro. Music can have a profoundly therapeutic effect, too.
15. Tackle Home Improvement Projects or Organize the Kitchen
If you’ve been procrastinating putting on that new coat of paint, now may be the best time to strike. Quarantine is a great time to go through your list of home improvement projects.
You can even get your kids involved to teach them some practical around-the-house skills, and take the load off your own shoulders.
While you’re at it, try organizing the kitchen. Putting everything in its right place might make for a smoother quarantine cooking process, too.
16. Rearrange and Redecorate to Transform Your Quarantine Space
If you’re tired of being stuck at home in the same room, why not change things up?
Give your house a fresh look and feel by rearranging your furniture and or/redecorating. It can be as simple as swapping a few couches. If your cabin fever is really taking hold, then try switching up the drapes. Just remember how things were so you can easily go back to normal if you’re craving the old layout.
17. Solve a Puzzle
If you haven’t already, why not put your creative reasoning skills to work by solving a puzzle?
Working on puzzles is a great way to spend time together as a family. Dig out your old favorite, or try your hand at a new one by purchasing one online! If you don’t have any physical puzzles around, give digital puzzles a shot!
18. Start a Gratitude Journal
During difficult times where things go wrong, it’s important to remember what you’re grateful for and happy about. Even with everything going on, you still have friends, family, and great memories to be thankful for.
Gratitude journaling is a great mental health exercise that can help you remember what you appreciate. Reflect on the most important things in your life that are going right, and try jotting down a few things each day.
19. Write a Blog Post, Screenplay, Poem, Short Story, or Anything Else
Some of the best works of fiction were written during quarantine. Who knows—an unknown author could be penning the next classic right now!
Creative writing can be a great distraction from quarantine. It will help you channel and reconcile your emotions, and is quite therapeutic.
If fiction isn’t your thing, then try starting a blog. You can write about anything—your professional experiences, recent travels, movies, food, or your perspective on quarantine. There are no limits, and the more consistently you write, the better you’ll be.
Your House is Your Oyster
During quarantine, the ceiling’s the limit. Take your newfound free time to learn something new, pick up an old hobby, or learn about something you’ve been interested in. Remember to stay safe!