All right, I admit it. I am not an uber-creative Pinterest mom, and I have certainly felt the impact of Washington’s stay-at-home order in response to the COVID-19 health crisis. Social distancing guidelines remain in effect through May 4th, leaving us Washingtonians adapting our work-from-home routines for school, work, and well, life.
If you’re like me, your new normal is nothing like your old one, and it is challenging to juggle business and family matters without feeling a tinge of claustrophobia. I’ve scoured the web for engaging, innovative ideas to balance my family’s Stay Home Stay Healthy initiative without feeling like we’re under house arrest.
This post outlines a list of resources I’ve found helpful while planning personal and family entertainment, education, and, most importantly, mental relaxation.
Virtual Museum Tours
While we’re not presently able to step foot into museums, a few well-known ones have posted their collections online for us to enjoy!
- British Museum in London
- Guggenheim Museum, New York
- National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
- Musée d’Orsay, Paris
- National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul
- Pergamon Museum, Berlin
- Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
- Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
- J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
- Uffizi Gallery, Italy
- Museu de Arte, São Paulo
- National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City
- The Louvre, Paris
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Online Concerts and Shows
Musicians and performers galore! Performers are some of the hardest hit by closures of venues and cancellations of festivals; however, there is a flip side. That is, many musicians have taken their talents right to your living room, offering free or low-cost concerts that viewers can stream online. Here are a few ways to enjoy a night at the opera or your favorite folk singer without changing out of your pajamas or leaving your couch.
- 15 Broadway Plays and Musicals You Can Watch On Stage From Home
- Stream the Met Opera nightly for free
- Check out STAGEIT for access to “Shut in and Sing” events and online concerts
- NPR is keeping a live list of Virtual Concerts which is updated daily.
Cook Something New
Everyone’s kitchen is getting extra love these days, which can be stressful when your culinary skills are subpar. I’m still waiting for my skills to reach Food Network status. Until then, practice makes perfect as they say. Learning new recipes and techniques is a great way to ameliorate just how much you miss your favorite eatery. Here are some resources for improving your chef capabilities.
- Top Chef University
- The Kitchn’s Cooking School
- Basic food techniques from the BBC
- Online cooking school from The New York Times
- Healthy Cooking Classes from Texas A&M
- Kitchen Chemistry online course from MIT
- Delia Online Cookery School
- How to Cook from Better Homes and Gardens
- Binging with Babish has weekly recipes, and a series of “Basics”.
- Learn how to make Sourdough
Working Out, Not Missing Out
Finding the motivation to exercise is hard when your new gym is your old guest room. BUT remember, physical exercise zaps anxiety, improves mood, boosts brain health, and helps you sleep. Here are some resources to inspire you to keep moving!
- Take an online YMCA Class with more than 60 to choose from. Free sign up!
- The Peloton App free trial has been extended to 90 days, and no, you don’t need the bike!
- CrossFit has a number of free beginner workouts on their website.
- Planet Fitness is doing a daily live stream on Facebook at 6 PM Central. These are also available on demand on their YouTube channel.
- If you have a back yard or porch, get some fresh air!
Virtual Field Trips
How about visiting the famed Monterey Bay Aquarium, not tired yet? Then head over to the Great Wall of China before lunch. Virtual field trips are a great way to explore the World’s far between gems and spark the explorer’s spirit. My family is planning a Yellowstone trip post COVID after being inspired by a video tour of Old Faithful.
- San Diego Zoo
- Yellowstone National Park
- Explore the Surface of Mars
- Live Animal Cams at the San Diego Zoo, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Zoo Atlanta, Houston Zoo, Georgia Aquarium, Smithsonian National Zoo, Reid Park Zoo, Ouwehand Zoo
- Live farm cams from Farm Food 360
- The Great Wall of China
- Boston Children’s Museum
- Pompei
- Colonial Williamsburg
- Ellis Island
Get Lost… in a Good Book
How about escaping reality without involving Netflix or Hulu? It doesn’t get any better than steeping your favorite tea, wrapping up in a warm blanket, and turning the pages of a good book. Though libraries and bookstores are closed, other options exist that can get you that literary fix.
- Audible.com have a large selection of free children’s books available for streaming
- Start a Virtual Book Club with friends and meet using FaceTime or WhatsApp Video
- National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) usually takes place in November of every year but they’ve put together Camp NaNoWriMo to keep young writers occupied if they are out of school. Learn more on Facebook.
- How about building a photobook from that trip you went on?
- Just The Right Book! is a service that sends you customized book recommendations and supports local bookshops at the same time.
- You don’t need a Kindle to read eBooks. Visit the Kindle Cloud Reader or download the App to read books on your phone.
Creating Community
One of the most common things to see on social media these days is pictures of computer screens during virtual meetings or social hours. Social distancing does not mean social exile. With modern technology, it’s easy to stay connected to family and friends. Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or Facetime –all offer free video or voice calls.
- Have an online cocktail party with friends or family using Facebook Live or Google Hangouts. Zoom is not just for business these days.
Get Into a New Podcast
You can find a podcast about almost any subject. There is something for everyone – and I’m sure there is a chatroom or two where you can connect with fellow listeners to discuss the episodes. Below are a few Podcasts that piqued my interest, leading with cooking, of course!
Food.
Entrepreneurship
- How I Built This stories behind the world’s best-known companies
- 99% Invisible design and architecture
True Crime and Scandals
- Disgraceland musicians behaving badly and getting away with murder
- Generation Why
- My Favorite Murder
- Small Town Murders
- To Live and Die in LA podcast of the year winner associated press
- Slow Burn season 1 Watergate, season 2 Bill Clinton impeachment, season 3 Tupac
Entertainment & Lifestyle
- Armchair Expert the messiness of being human
- Reply all how the internet shapes us
- How Did This Get Made?
- LeVar Burton Reads – The Best Short Fiction, Handpicked by the Best Voice in Podcasting
- Overheard at National Geographic
- Mobituaries Mo Rocca shares an irreverent but deeply researched appreciation of the people (and things) of the past who have long intrigued him.
- Tannis is a fascinating horror mystery podcast series.
- Song Exploder behind the scenes how a song is made
- Hearing the Pulitzers is a piece-by-piece, episode-by-episode exploration of the winners of the Pulitzer Prize in Music
Storytelling
- Risk – A podcast where people tell true stories they never thought they’d dare to share in public.
- This American Life – Journalistic storytelling with a new themed episode every week.
- The Moth Radio Hour – One of storytelling’s most loved Podcasts, often recorded live.
- Snap Judgement – Snap Judgement, like This American Life and The Moth, shares dynamic short stories with the addition of a great musical score.
Comedy
Binge Watch Something New
Netflix and Amazon Prime have boosted their list of titles recently. Have you already watched all of their shows? Don’t panic. I have too. Below is a list of other viewing platforms you can try out.
- PlutoTV is always free and has 250+ of free channels to choose from. This has an App for Android or Apple devices, as well as working on your smart TV.
- XUMO is a free (ad-supported) service with 200 channels of movies, TV shows and kids’ entertainment.
- Sundance Now has a 30-day free trial with the code SUNDANCENOW30. This service offers thrillers, True Crime, and Dramas.
- Shudder has a 30-day free trial with the code SHUTIN. Shudder specializes in horror movies and thrillers.
- UMC has a 30-day free trial with the code UMCFREE30. UMC has the best in Black film and TV.
- Acorn TV has a a 30-day free trial with the code FREE30 and is full of British and Australian TV shows
- Crunchyroll has a 14-day free trial and access to Anime
- Philo is a cable alternative that has a 7-day free trial then it’s $20/month for 59+ channels.
- Sling TV is another Cable alternative and has two packages available
- IMDb TV is an ad-supported movie streaming services
Educational Activities for Kids
Distance learning was not on the parent duties list when my husband and I decided to have children. Finding educational activities for our boys outside of their school’s lessons is no easy feat, and I continually worry about their increased amount of screen-time. Thankfully, not all screen-time is bad screen-time. Here are a few educational activities to keep kiddos’ synapses firing and free you from screen-time guilt.
- Scholastic Remote Learning
- Science Mom will have daily Science lessons on YouTube and Facebook every weekday at 10 AM central time.
- Art and Craft tutorial daily with McHarper Manor via their Facebook page
- Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems, Education Artist-in-Residence at the Kennedy Center
- 16 Card Games That Will Turn Kids into Math Aces
- 75+ Entertaining and Educational Activities for When You’re Stuck Indoors
- Virtual Lessons from Discovery Education
- Education Companies offering Free Subscriptions right now
Have Fun With the Kids
Are you running out of creative ideas for the kids? I’ve got you covered! Below are three easy, activating things you can do with your children that are sure to keep them occupied for hours.
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Create a YouTube Art Lesson with The Art Sherpa
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Learn how to create Pop Art
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Create an indoor/outdoor scavenger hunt. Below are two I’ve used.
Food Delivery and Local Businesses
The stay-at-home orders have been especially hard on our local restaurants. Here are a few delivery options for when you and your kitchen need a break.
- The Spokesman Review published a full list of Spokane restaurants offering delivery or curbside pickup.
- Instacart lets you shop online and order from 15 different stores including Hen House, Target, Price Chopper, Costco and Sprouts.
- Prime Now delivers from WholeFoods.
- Uber Eats is currently offering $0 delivery fees on all orders. Uber Eats is a convenient way to order food, but you can save money by ordering directly from restaurants.
- The Rocket Market has curbside pick-up and converted its bistro case to contactless. Reach in and grab your own soup or salad!
- Imperfect Foods is a food delivery service that services the Spokane area. Not only do they deliver produce and pantry-staples every week (or every other week), but they reduce food waste and support food banks in the process.
- Pantry Fuel is a local business whose culinary team creates new healthy meals each week, then delivers them fresh and ready-to-heat-and-eat.
Mental Breaks
Be sure that your well-being is on your maintenance list. We must take good care of ourselves to better support those we love. Whether you need a break from being at home or the dispiriting news cycle, it is essential you take some time for YOU. Mindfulness guru Jon Kabat-Zinn, says “You should meditate for at least 15 minutes each day. Unless, of course, you don’t have the time, then you should meditate for 30.” We all need mental breaks. Below are a few options to help you relax and recharge.
- Watch 3 Minutes of Cats Playing with Dominos
- Meditate with apps like Meditation Studio, Brain.FM, or this Five Minute Meditation when you need a quick break.
- Stay connected! Put a phone-date on the calendar so you can stay connected with friends from afar.
- Play frisbee or catch in the backyard.
I hope this helps! Stay healthy and well!
