For the most up-to-date information about the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO website.
Staying home during this quarantine can be challenging! I’ve gathered some things to do while we’re at home to explore the wider world around us. Hopefully some of these help you feel more connected and part of community, as they do for me.
Tours of Spaces
Tour 500+ Museums on Google Arts and Culture
https://artsandculture.google.com/partner
US National Parks – virtual tours of Kenai Fjords, Hawai’i Volcanoes, Carlsbad Caverns, Bryce Canyon, and Dry Tortugas National Parks
https://artsandculture.withgoogle.com/en-us/national-parks-service/parks
New York Botanical Garden, Virtual Tours
https://www.nybg.org/nybg-at-home/
Learning
Coursera
https://www.coursera.org/
Khan Academy
https://www.khanacademy.org/
Udemy
https://www.udemy.com/
OpenLearn
https://www.open.edu/openlearn/free-courses/full-catalogue
New York Botanical Garden classes and lectures for kids and adults
https://www.nybg.org/nybg-at-home/
Music
NPR is curating an ongoing list of concerts and performances to live stream
https://www.npr.org/2020/03/17/816504058/a-list-of-live-virtual-concerts-to-watch-during-the-coronavirus-shutdown
Metropolitan Opera – one recorded opera available each day
https://www.metopera.org/user-information/nightly-met-opera-streams/
Listen to playlists to lift your spirits
Fitness
Yoga with Adrienne
https://yogawithadriene.com/free-yoga-videos/
Planet Fitness work-in videos posted daily (recordings available)
https://www.facebook.com/planetfitness/
Life Time Fitness video workouts
https://my.lifetime.life/lp/video-workouts.html
Modo Yoga daily livestreamed classes
https://www.instagram.com/modoyoganyc/
Mental Health
Guided Meditations by Tara Brach
https://www.tarabrach.com/guided-meditations/
Meditations and resources by Calm
https://blog.calm.com/take-a-deep-breath
Social Connections
Check in on loved ones and have phone or video chats!
Watch movies or TV together on one of the many streaming services, synced through an app below or just started at the same time.
https://www.netflixparty.com/
https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/25/21191604/watch-movies-friends-online-netflix-hulu-youtube-party-twoseven-metastream-amazon-hbo-scener
TV and Movies
Kanopy is free with a Minuteman library card, or a number of other cards – watch documentaries, classic and indie movies
https://www.kanopy.com/
Books
Libby gives access to your library’s ebooks, audio books, and other digital media. This is the web version but there is also an app.
https://libbyapp.com/welcome
Hoopla gives access to your library’s ebooks, audio books, music, comics, TV, movies, and other digital media.
https://www.hoopladigital.com/
Project Gutenberg – free ebooks, most out of copyright date, so focused on older books. You can volunteer to proofread books too!
http://www.gutenberg.org/
LibriVox – free audiobooks in the public domain. You can volunteer to read books too!
https://librivox.org/
Volunteer or Donate Time and Skills
Make protective masks and covers for medical and care personnel
https://makermask.org/masks/
Video tutorials: https://fast.wistia.net/embed/channel/bj2v0wx7fi
Join a Mutual Aid network in your area – help or get help with groceries, supplies, and more in local groups.
https://www.coronavolunteer.org/
Write thank you notes and words of love and encouragement to service people in your community and around the world!
Dust off that camera, or use your phone and take photos or make other media to share on WikiMedia Commons. Practice your photography and share images with others freely!
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
Make observations of plant, insect, animal life and more at iNaturalist, and contribute to science!
https://www.inaturalist.org/
Tag, transcribe, and comment on documents to make them more accessible at the National Archives Catalog
https://www.archives.gov/citizen-archivist
Transcribe records for the Smithsonian – field notes, photos, log books, manuscripts, biodiversity speciments, and more.
https://transcription.si.edu/
Games
Play Cards Against Humanity remotely with friends (this one’s not for kids)
http://playingcards.io/game/cards-against-humanity
Arts and Crafts
Make uplifting art and display it in your windows for passersby to view
Paint along with Bob Ross
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxcnsr1R5Ge_fbTu5ajt8DQ
Enter a coloring contest!
http://www.makeandmendsomerville.com/color.html#/
Animal Cams
Smithsonian National Zoo
https://nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams
San Diego Zoo
https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/live-cams
National Aquarium
https://aqua.org/Experience/live
Monterey Bay Aquarium
https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams
Aquarium of the Pacific
http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/exhibits/webcams/
Oregon Coast Aquarium
https://aquarium.org/live-cameras/
Seattle Aquarium
https://www.seattleaquarium.org/live-cams
Georgia Aquarium
https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/webcam/ocean-voyager/
Kitten Rescue
https://explore.org/livecams/kitten-rescue
Warrior Canine Connection Puppy Whelping Room
https://explore.org/livecams/warrior-canine-connection/puppy-whelping-room
Kentucky Equine Adoption Center
https://www.explore.org/livecams/currently-live/kentucky-equine-horses
Tons More!
https://explore.org/livecams
Food
Write down recipes you use all the time and share them with family and friends. I do this on Google Drive, where I made a folder with recipes inside and share the whole folder.
https://drive.google.com/
Bake something from The Great British Baking Show, or just binge-watch the episodes and crave eating everything.
https://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/recipes/
Stay well, stay safe, and leave comments with other suggestions or with what you’re doing while weathering this season.