13 FREE and FUN Activities To Do When Stuck at Home
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAcS3G_PEfQ
As you are well aware of (and most likely tired of talking about) we are in a global pandemic that has vastly changed our lives. Our once busy schedules, packed full of work, activities, classes, and meetings, are not full of… well, nothing much. Possibly a trip to the grocery store and conference calls if you’re working from home. But other than that, all activities and many jobs outside the home are no longer allowed.
Because of this, you may find yourself with extra time on your hands. Considering many people are no longer allowed to leave their home, I would assume you might be bored, un-motivated, or wondering what on earth you’re supposed to do with your time now.
While it’s okay to feel a bit “off” during this time (we’ve gone through a lot of change!), I encourage you to not let yourself get in a “funk” for too long. If you are wanting to stay healthy and SANE during this time of quarantine, here’s a list of my favorite things to do that will help you stay proactive and healthy while stuck at home.
BAKE/COOK
If I’m being honest, I don’t love to bake or cook. If I was loaded and had a personal chef who could whip up healthy meals and baked goods for me every day, I would be happier than a clam. (Are clams even happy by the way? Who came up with that saying…?)
However, I realize that is lazy and my money can be better spent elsewhere 😉 And I’m not loaded, so it’s not even an option anyway, ha!
Even though I’m no Rachel Ray, when I haven’t been on my feet teaching all day long (hello third grade teacher!) I find cooking somewhat more enjoyable. I especially feel pleased with myself when I make a healthy, delicious meal from scratch and my husband loves it. I’m ALWAYS on the hunt for simple meals that taste delish. And when I have the extra time to search them out on the internet and in my cookbooks (like during this quarantine), I feel more inclined to put time and effort into my cooking.
It’s during the crazy, busy work weeks that I’m like, “Okay Trader Joe’s, how many 3-5 ingredient meals do you have for me this week?” But now that I have more time, I can cook better meals without feeling drained. Can anyone else relate? Please tell me I’m not the only one.
Also, last week I made banana bread and it was a very good choice. Easy to make, and so yummy!
DIY Projects
Are you an artistic and creative person? If so, I commend you and want to be you.
Seriously, I’ve always wished I was blessed with an artistic ability, but it’s simply not in the cards for me. I’ve tried. I’m the girl who got a “B” in my high school art class when the teacher only gave “As”. And the sad truth is, I tried really hard!
But that doesn’t keep me from DIY’ing every so often. This past week, I created a fun DIY project and even though my mother so lovingly asked what I made and then politely didn’t comment further after viewing my project (LOL), I still enjoyed creating something new. And if you are good at being creative and DIY’ing (heck, even if you aren’t), this is the perfect time for that!
LEARN
Read:
I’ve been able to read much more in my free time, which I’ve really enjoyed. In the morning, I’ve spent more time than “normal” reading God’s word and not rushing through my Bible study time. Right now, I’m reading the book of Matthew and the book of John. I’m also working on memorizing Romans 8, thanks to the April Scripture Challenge with Allie Stuckey.
I’ve also been enjoying reading books for fun, both educational nonfiction and entertaining fiction. I love to read, but definitely put it on the back burner when my schedule is busy. These slower evenings have allowed more time for reading, which I’ve really enjoyed.
Duolingo App:
I started using the Duolingo App for Spanish many years ago, and recently picked it back up. It’s free, which I absolutely love, and in the past week I’ve already successfully passed 225 lessons. The lessons only take about 2 to 5 minutes and I feel like I’ve already learned quite a bit of Spanish. If you are interested in learning a new language, I highly recommend the Duolingo app.
Podcasts:
I’m honestly not a huge podcast listener, but my favorite podcast as of late is called Relatable by Allie Beth Stuckey. She does a great job informing her listeners of the current times and doesn’t get caught up in what the media says and believing everything to be true without evidence. She is a positive light to listen to, and articulates her thoughts well. Allie is a conservative Christian, so she may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re interested, I highly recommend you check her out.
Skillshare:
I just recently signed up for Skillshare (the free version), so I’m just dipping my toes into the courses they offer, but so far I’ve been really impressed! Skillshare offers both a free version and a paid subscription version, and provides hundreds of classes and workshops on all kinds of different topics. I’m currently interested in taking blogging and YouTube related classes, but there are a wide variety of courses that may spark your interest.
Exercise
Being at home 24/7 doesn’t provide many opportunities to exercise without effort. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been sitting on my butt a lot more than normal lately! Now more than ever, if you want to stay active, you have to consciously make the decision to do so.
Walk/Jog:
Every day, I’ve been taking Chloe, my labradoodle, for a walk outside. Some days, I even work up the gumption to go for a jog. (I’ve really enjoyed it!)
Home Workouts:
And at least 3 days a week, I’ve been completing a home workout. I usually do home workouts that Whitney has created and posted on her instagram page. They are perfect because you only need dumbbells, or sometimes only your bodyweight! Anyone can do them in their home, so it’s the simplest way to get a good workout in.
Clean!
Okay, it’s time to come clean (no pun intended). I am one of those unique individuals (I was going to say freak.. but hey, we’re not freaks!) who LOVES to clean. Or maybe, I just love a clean home, so that requires cleaning often? I think it may be more the latter, but regardless, this time of quarantine is fantastic for us cleaning-crazed people.
Usually, I want to clean often, but can’t do a full on, deep-clean until the weekend. Now, I can clean whenever I want! It’s been great. And keeps me from sitting on my booty all day long, too!
Quiet Time
I want you to think back to the last time you sat in still, calm, quiet. No background noise, music, tv, phone…nothing. If you haven’t been in the quiet in a long time (I hadn’t!), I highly recommend you do. Journal your thoughts. Pray. Spend time in the silence and ask God to speak to you. I promise you, it will be a beneficial use of your time. You may not walk away with a revelation (or you might!), but we could all use some quiet in our lives.
Games!
I used to love a good TV show with my husband before bed. But lately, I’ve been wanting to branch out and find different things to do in the evening after dinner. Games (and puzzles) are what we are currently into! We’ve loved playing some of our favorite games together, like Ticket to Ride, Dominoes, Scrabble, Monopoly Deal, and Uno. And recently, we had a great idea to buy a huge puzzle and spend time putting it together. We’ve loved it! It’s been a fun way to spend quality time together and unplug.
If there’s one thing I’ve noticed about being quarantined, it’s how much more time I spend staring at screens. Partly, because I’m teaching from home and have to teach and grade all work using a computer, and partly because I have more time to pick up my phone and scroll. I’m getting more and more sick of screens, and LOVE finding other things to do with my spare time instead of staring at a screen. Anybody else agree? If you do, all these things I’ve listed above will help you unplug a little more, and stay sane and healthy during this time at home.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this list and found some useful ways to spend your time in the upcoming weeks. Let me know in the comments below you’re favorite way to spend your time during this quarantine!
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