So you’re
in lockdown. You’ve completed Netflix list and you’re tired of talking about
the news with your flatmate.
Don’t
fret, there are still plenty of free things left to do.
We’ve
collated a list of 50 fun and free things to do using your internet connection
or items you already have lying around to get you through the weeks of
lockdown.
1. Watch a film
Netflix
and Amazon Prime aren’t your only options, and you don’t necessarily have to
pay for a subscription to watch plenty of excellent films.
Openculture
has a great list of 1150 free films you can watch
online right now. If you have an eligible university or library card, you might
also have access to Kanopy which
offers thousands more film options for free.
2. Watch a documentary
If
you’re in the mood for something a bit more cerebral, there are a few websites
that give you access to free documentaries.
Whether
you’re into sharks, revolutions, or serial killers, you’ll find something
interesting to watch during lockdown. Some great sites include Documentary
Tube. Top Documentary Films, and Documentary
Heaven.
3. Write a novel
Is it
time for you to create rather than consuming?
If
you’ve always wanted to write a novel but never found the time or inspiration,
this is your chance. Apparently Shakespeare wrote King Lear in isolation during
the plague, so maybe this lockdown is when you’ll write your opus.
If
you’re not really sure where to start, we have a free course on how to start writing fiction to
get you on the right track.
4. Tour ancient Rome
You
may feel cut off from the rest of the world, but you can time travel.
Current
technology means that you can explore other cities and even other times online,
such as this virtual tour of ancient Rome which
takes you through the forum, capitoline hill, and famous monuments.
5. Write a play or short film
Perhaps
your work is better realised by actors rather than staying on the page? You’ll
be pleased to know that the BBC is on the hunt for original scripts about
self-isolation that they can turn into short films.
If
you’re daunted by that task, you could try out our free screenwriting
course to learn the ropes and (hopefully) catapult you into
stardom after your first film is made.
6. Paint with Bob Ross
Have
any paint and brushes lying around? You’ll be pleased to know that 403 episodes
of the timeless Joy of Painting have been added to YouTube so you can listen to
his soothing tones while you paint happy little trees and enjoy the beauty of
imperfections.
7. Write a song
If you
have a musical persuasion, you could channel your current emotions into a song
or even an entire album of them.
If
you’re not sure where to start a songwriting course could get
you into the right frame of mind, and you can even start making some Spotify
playlists in the meantime to get inspired.
8. Visit the MoMA
A
huge number of art galleries and museums around the world have digitized their
collections and are now offering free virtual tours.
New York’s MoMA is just one of
the incredible galleries that you can visit from your own sofa, where you can
enjoy Pollock and Monet without the crowds.
9. Explore the Uffizi
If
you prefer Botticelli to Pollock, you can tour the Uffizi in Florence,
arguably one of the best collections of Renaissance art in the world.
You
can take your time looking at Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, Caravaggio’s Medusa,
and Titian’s Venus of Urbino without even getting on a plane.
10. Enjoy the Musée d’Orsay
Experiencing
these venues from your home does mean that you can visit multiple galleries
from different countries or even different continents in the same
afternoon.
Paris’
Musée d’Orsay is home to an incredible collection of Van Gogh and Cezanne’s
artistic masterpieces. Take a look around online.
11. Pop into the Tate
Perhaps
once you’ve enjoyed Florence, New York, and Paris, you can come to London to
see the Tate Britain for free.
Although
you’ll miss out on the lovely river walk to the gallery, you can drop in at any
time and see your favourite pieces from the comfort of your own
home.
12. Experience the British
Museum
The
British Museum is home to incredible artefacts from around the
world and is still open to virtual visitors.
Exhibits
that are usually packed are free to roam around at any time, so you can brush
up on your Egyptian knowledge, see the controversial Parthenon Marbles, or just
wile away a few hours.
13. Go to 500 other museums or galleries
If
you’re still looking for more galleries or museums to visit, Google’s
arts and culture collection has virtual tours of 500 top
attractions around the world, including national galleries from around the
world, individual artist museums, and even the Eiffel Tower.
14. Have a karaoke night
Missing
karaoke night with your friends? You can still do it from home.
Apps
like AirConsole let you turn your
smartphone into a mic, and sing your favourite hits with the usual gang and
practice new songs to sing at the bar once lockdown is lifted.
15. Brush up on the latest publications
If
you’ve always been fascinated by academia or a specific area within it, this is
a great time to read the latest publications and get up to speed on the latest
developments with your area.
JSTOR is allowing free access to
thousands of journals during lockdown.
16. Try a fitness challenge
Missing
the gym? There are plenty of fitness challenges you can try out from home, so
you can emerge from lockdown fitter, leaner, or stronger.
You
could try the 100
pushup challenge, squat challenge, or just doing a 30-day bodyweight workout challenge to
stay healthy at home for free.
Just
make sure that you don’t push too hard early on, and warm up thoroughly before
you do any exercise.
17. Arrange a Houseparty
If
you still want to meet with your friends – do it at a virtual Houseparty.
The
app allows for large group video chats so you can get together for a drink, a
chat, or just to see some friendly faces for a couple of hours.
18. Get a penpal
You
probably fell out of contact with your highschool penpal from French exchange
but that doesn’t mean you can’t try again.
Connect
with people around the world and see how the lockdown is playing out in other
countries (or ignore coronavirus entirely and chat about the weather).
You
can find
penpals online and get started straight away to broaden your
horizons and make new connections.
19. Try amigurumi
New
hobbies don’t get much cuter than amigurumi – the Japanese art of crocheting
small creatures or characters.
It’s
a cheap hobby to start, and if you already have yarn lying around you can find
plenty of free patterns online, like this one to create a
tiny Freddie Mercury.
20. Cook something new
One
good thing about being home a lot is that you can finally spend time cooking
things from scratch.
You
can find great recipes online, even if you’re on a limited budget. Jack
Monroe’s recipes are specifically created for people on strict
budgets or relying on food banks, while Miguel Barclay is best known
for his one pound meals.
21. Play a board game
Board
game lovers will be pleased to know that there are ways to play your favourite
games online, so you don’t have to wait for the lockdown to end to try out your
new Scythe strategy or to finally play Terraforming Mars with a friend.
Websites
like Tabletopia have
free accounts for players, but you may need to pay to play some of the more
popular or newer games.
22. Learn a language
Always
wanted to speak Italian? Intrigued by Norwegian? Think that Mandarin will
be useful for work, or perhaps German?
Lockdown
gives you plenty of time to dedicate to learning a new language, brushing up on
vocabulary, and testing out pronunciation.
23. Go to the aquarium
It’s
almost impossible to recreate the strange grace and tranquility of aquariums
but not entirely.
Although
they’re closed to the public, Monterey Bay Aquarium have added a number of live
cams to let you keep an eye on the jellyfish, kelp forest,
coral reef, and even the penguins, completely free.
24. Visit the opera
Escape
from the news cycle by immersing yourself in the drama of an opera performance,
without even leaving the house.
After
the closure of non-essential businesses, multiple opera houses like the Met Opera have started
streaming performances. Perfect if you’re a long-time opera lover or even
someone who’s never been to the opera but has always been curious about
it.
25. Deep clean your house
Between
dusty skirting boards, dirty tiling, and stained carpets, your home can offer
days of distraction if you feel like doing that deep clean you’ve been putting
off.
There
are plenty of online cleaning guides if the
task looks too big, and focusing on one room at a time will help you divide up
the work.
26. Declutter your home
Being
stuck at home can make you rethink how much of your stuff you really
need.
Do
you really wear all the clothes spilling out of your wardrobe? And do you think
you’ll really re-read those GCSE essays sitting in a box upstairs? You can
decide what to donate and what to throw out, ready for a full clear out when
the lockdown is lifted.
27. Build a medieval city
If
you loved Sims and Game of Thrones, why not combine the two by building your own medieval city.
It’s a great way to generate fantasy maps for gaming, writing, or just to
wonder whether your walled city should have circular or square
guard-towers.
28. Scare yourself in a creepy library
If
you’ve always been fascinated by the inspiration for Lovecraft, horror films,
and far too many conspiracy theories, you can now read a library of 1,600 digitised horror and
paranormal books online.
The
Ritman Library has allowed free access to these pre-1900 books focused on
alchemy, astrology, and magic, thanks to a generous donation from Dan Brown
himself.
29. Walk through Paris or London
You
can’t jump on a plane, but you can still see some of the world’s most famous views thanks to Google
street view.
Feast
your eyes on Paris from the Sacre Coeur or take a look at the Thames from the
top of the Shard. You can even take a walk along the river and see if Google’s
cameras captured anything unusual.
30. Watch a gig
If
you’re itching to go to a gig or think you’re going to miss festivals this
summer, you can actually watch plenty of them on YouTube. Watch classics like Nirvana Unplugged, Radiohead’s Glastonbury set in 1997,
or Portishead accompanied by an orchestra and
enjoy your own personalised lineup.
31. Go to a national park
Long
walks and open scenery feels like a thing of the past, but you can still enjoy
the view. You can now take virtual tours of America’s national park (or
parks a little closer to home).
32. Stretch out with a
yoga class
If
you’re trying to de-stress and stay healthy during lockdown, you’ll be pleased
to know that plenty of yoga studios are now streaming online classes for you to
join in with.
A
lot of studios are still running paid classes, but others, such as Digme
Fitness, run free live sessions on social media. Perfect for
some low-cost self care.
33. Go to the theatre
When
you can’t go to the theatre, let the theatre come to you.
Recorded
performances are nothing new, but some platforms like Marquee are
offering free trials so that you can see whether it’s something you’d want to
watch on a more regular basis.
34. Visit a mystery house
Even
more esoteric attractions are now offering virtual tours – you may not have
heard of the Winchester Mystery House, but it’s
certainly one of the stranger homes that you can explore online.
Built
by Sarah Winchester after receiving instructions from her deceased husband (and
a changing cast of other ghosts), the former-7 storey mansion is an
architectural oddity and has plenty for you to see.
35. Have a work out
Keeping
active will make a big difference to how you feel during lockdown – physical
activity should help you sleep better and lift your mood, even if you’re stuck
in the same room for most of the day.
You
don’t need any equipment for a good workout, and there are plenty of free
online videos to take you through a routine. Check out Joe Wickes’ 7 Days of Sweat to
get started.
36. Solve a mystery
True
crime fans can immerse themselves in mysteries or even start solving them.
There are plenty of online communities like Reddit’s
Unresolved Mysteries, where mystery fans get together to swap
theories and combine information to try to get to the bottom of old cold
cases.
37. Volunteer
Sometimes
the best way to get out of your head is to help other people. You may have some
local groups that are focused on helping the vulnerable or isolated during
lockdown.
If
you’re quarantined or would rather reduce your contact to the absolute minimum,
you can volunteer as an online listener with schemes such as 7 Cups to
help other people through this tough time.
38. Start a blog
This
could be a great time to build your audience, especially if you have relatively
cheap, indoor hobbies that you can share.
Interest
in pastimes like cooking and board games has shot up over recent weeks – if
your hobbies are trending, why not set up a blog and share your knowledge? You
can set up a WordPress account
and blog for free, and take it from there.
39. Learn first aid
It’s
good to be prepared for an emergency, especially when urgent care centres are
overwhelmed or you may not want to leave self-isolation for a relatively minor
injury.
You
can learn basic first aid online, for
free with FutureLearn.
40. Discover your roots
Wonder
where your family was in the flu pandemic of 1918?
Tracing
your family tree can unearth lost memories or even distant relatives. Start by learning about genealogy and
you can discover more about yourself and your background.
41. Understand nutrition
Comfort
eating during lockdown is understandable, but won’t help you enter summer
happier and healthier.
Understanding
nutrition and how food affects your body, health, and mood, will help you make
better decisions for your overall wellbeing and even better use of your current
food cupboard.
Our Food as Medicine course is one
of our most popular courses and has helped thousands of people better
understand how what they eat affects how they think and feel.
42. Meditate
Meditation
and mindfulness doesn’t just help people stay calm – practitioners around the
world rely on it to help them focus, remain present, and appreciate what they
have.
It’s
a simple concept that can be hard to master, but you can start
now, at home, and see if it works for you.
43. Plan a holiday
If
you’re lucky enough to have a job that lets you work from home for this time,
you’ve probably saved money on your commute and buying lunch each day.
Why
not calculate how much you’ve saved through the lockdown and put it towards a
holiday?
You
can plan a staycation at home, catching up on all the things you’ve missed, or
go further afield to experience something new.
44. Have a kitchen dance party
You
can definitely have too much screen time. If workouts aren’t your thing or you
just miss a good dance, put together a list of your favourite songs and dance
around your kitchen.
Don’t
worry, nobody’s watching!
45. Sew a teddy bear
Recreate
a favourite childhood toy or just upcycle some old clothing by sewing your own teddy bear.
As
long as you have some fabric that you can use (perhaps some socks or an old
t-shirt) and a small sewing kit, you can get started.
46. Improve your
communication skills
Worried
that being home by yourself is eroding your communication skills?
You
can actually improve them while you’re at home to help you smooth over
workplace tensions, excel at group work, and add in-demand soft skills to your
CV.
47. Upcycle old clothes or accessories
Got
a wardrobe full of clothes that you hardly ever wear? Or lots of basic staples
that lack personality? You can update, reuse, or upcycle everything from old
t-shirts to shoes and garden pots. Just figure out what you’d like to use and find
a project on Upcycle That to get started.
48. Read or listen to a book
If
your new year’s resolution was to read more, you can definitely achieve that
this year.
You
can finally tackle the huge stack of novels next to your bed or (if your
bedside is actually pretty tidy) you can find something interesting on Many Books.
If you prefer audiobooks, try out Audible for free.
49. Start a virtual book club
Want
to chat about your book afterwards? Start a virtual book club!
You
can agree on free books and get together for a chat and yet more
recommendations. It’s a great way to stay in touch with friends or make new
ones.
50. Try bird watching
You
might have heard that nature is taking back cities on lockdown, from wild boar
in Italy to goats in Llandudno. If you want to get a little closer to nature,
you can start with your own back garden (or balcony). Resources like eBird can
help you get started.
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