Let’s face it: Being quarantined is hard. If your social, volunteer and work life was pulled out from under you to prevent the spread of COVID-19, there’s a chance you’re feeling pretty bored. One can only tolerate so much Instagram scrolling and Netflix binging before it’s time to find a new hobby. To maintain social distancing, though, whatever hobbies you choose need to be done from home with few supplies. Here are a few fun and free hobbies you can pick up today with nothing but the Internet and some enthusiasm.
Gardening. If you have a bit of land or even a few pots on your patio, you can start a garden. Grocery stores carry seeds and sometimes carry potting soil in the spring, so pick some up and try your hand at growing flowers or vegetables. Waiting for those little sprouts to pop up will give you something to look forward to and they’ll cheer you up when you’re feeling down.
Cooking. All the restaurants are closed, so now is the ideal time to learn to cook. Find a fun recipe online — you can even find video tutorials on YouTube — and completely destroy your kitchen while trying to bake a fancy dessert or cook a healthy meal. Grocery stores are still fair game in most areas, so you should have no problem getting your hands on the ingredients.
Learning a language. There are tons of language tutorials online. Find some you like and challenge yourself to learn a few new words every day. If you have family members living with you, invite them to get involved as well.
Exercising. Walking and hiking are great outdoor options for socially distant exercise, but there are plenty of exercise routines you can do at home if leaving isn’t an option. Search out videos for yoga, Pilates, CrossFit or Zumba. Not only are these activities fun, but they can improve your mood and your health.
Stargazing. Find a map of the constellations, park yourself on your back porch and spend time getting acquainted with the stars. When you have the chance to be social again, you can teach everyone what you’ve learned about the night sky. For an added bonus, research the history of the constellations and how they got their names.
Online scrapbooking. With websites like Shutterfly, simply upload your family photos and you can spend hours creating personalized scrapbooks. There’s no worry about getting supplies. When you’re finished, you can choose when to have them delivered to your door.