There is no doubt about it. These are some pretty strange times we are living in. Toilet paper and hand sanitizer are completely flying off the shelves. Costco lines are literally miles long. Schools are being shut down, and group functions are being prohibited. There are no sports, and events all over the world are getting cancelled.
And it’s understandable. We want to protect the ones we love the most. Practicing social distancing can help our health care system do its job more efficiently and more effectively.
What is social distancing?
Social distancing is a non pharmaceutical approach to stopping the spreading of sickness by maintaining limited contact with others. This includes not going to large public gatherings, working from home, and staying indoors more often than you normally would.
The goal of social distancing is to lower the probability of you getting sick or the chance that you pass something on to someone else. By doing this, we can help slow down the spread of the coronavirus which will put less stress on our hospitals and medical centers.
All that being said, a lot of us are sitting here asking ourselves, “What do we do now?”
Whether you’re staying in with your spouse, significant other, or family, many of us are wondering how we are going to pass the time. So, we’ve come up with 10 ideas for you and your loved ones to do while you wait out the virus. And no, not one of them is “binge-watch your streaming app.”
Plan Your Dream Vacation
Okay, so traveling is basically a no-go for the time being. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take a trip around the world from your couch! In fact, now is the perfect time to plan your dream vacation.
With someone you love, plan a dream vacation together, researching every step of the way. First, decide where you both want to visit. Have you each write 10 places in the world you want to visit. If you both have a shared location, choose that one! If not, find a way to compromise. Is there a way you can visit one spot from each of your lists on the same trip?
Once you have your location, start planning! Figure out travel, landmarks you each want to see, unique local restaurants or cuisines you want to try, and all the things you’ll do during your trip.
When you have that list, figure out what the cost of everything will be, down to the penny. Search for what clothes you will bring and what items you’ll want to remember to pack.
Finally, schedule your itinerary. Create a schedule for your dream vacation. You’ll definitely want to optimize your time so you can see as much as you can.
We know what you’re asking yourself. Why am I doing this if we cannot even travel?
Two things. First, eventually, we will get back to “normal.” And, when you go to plan your next vacation, you may find yourself way ahead of the game because now you have one already planned out. Boom!
More importantly, however, you are getting a chance to spend some quality time with someone you love while learning more about the world, even from afar. Just because you may feel trapped at home doesn’t mean you can’t explore and learn!
Relive Your Childhood
This isn’t precisely binge-watching your streaming app, so just hear us out. With all the excellent streaming services out there, chances are you’ll be able to find a popular show or cartoon that you watched as a kid. Now that you have some time on your hands, relive some of that nostalgia!
With your partner or your little ones, plan a day of “retro cartoon” watching. Grab some popcorn (or whatever snacks you have in the pantry) and have a night of laughing and quality time together.
Rewatching some of those episodes is sure to bring back some fond memories of when you were younger, but you’ll also get to share some of those things with your kids or family. Again, this is a moment for you to bond with each other.
Have a Date Night (in a Box)
If you are staying in with your significant other or spouse, take this opportunity to grow closer together. Sure, you may not be able to go out for a date night, but luckily, we have something even better: date night in a box! Sound strange? Let us explain.
Crated with Love is a date night subscription box that creates fun, unique, and off-the-wall date nights to help you and your partner laugh and grow closer together. Each box comes with its own unique story and includes all the items you’ll need for your date night in.
One month you may be scaling Mount Everest, and the next might have you escaping a deserted island together. There’s a new adventure every month!
Best of all, the games included focus not only on making you laugh but also giving you both unique ways to increase your bond. Plus, no need to run to the store. It gets delivered right to your door!
Visit Crated with Love to get your first box for just $15 with the code STAYIN!
Take a MasterClass
MasterClass is a service that allows you to learn from some of the most prominent experts in their field. From Steph Curry to Gordon Ramsay to deadmau5, MasterClass has unique classes to help you learn some wild and crazy interesting skills.
Find one that really interests you and spend some time learning from the best. Even when you are stuck indoors, you can still teach yourself new things, and what better way than from the absolute best?
Even if you don’t choose MasterClass, find some YouTube videos or any other site that will help you learn a specific skill. Take this opportunity for growth!
If you are with a loved one or with your family, find a class that you can all take together! That shared bonding time can not only help you learn a new skill; it will also help you strengthen the relationship with those closest to you as you work together.
Create Your Own Recipe
Those grocery stores are getting pretty hectic. So, if you don’t want to test your luck (or patience) by hitting the local store, create a new recipe only from the ingredients you have in your pantry.
Now is the time to test some wild and wacky flavors! Release your inner Emeril and piece together the most delicious, at-home cuisine.
Want to play a little game with the family? Have everyone rummage through the kitchen and find five (and only five) ingredients for their own recipe. Move around the kitchen and have each person whip up their own culinary masterpiece in 30 minutes. Once the 30 minutes is up, everyone’s plate must be wholly garnished and ready to serve. One by one, have everyone taste each other’s dishes, then vote on the favorite.
It’s like competing in your very own at-home reality cooking show! Bam!
Rummage Through The Attic
We all have it. That one box WAY in the corner that no one has touched in at least 15 years. Inside are treasures from the past that you have completely forgotten about. Well, it’s time to open it up and see what adventures await!
Find a box of you and your loved one’s old stuff and go through it together. Talk about the memories attached to the items and tell any stories that might be associated with them.
This can be the perfect way to create what we call discovery. That is, new things you can learn about someone you love. You may have already heard these stories, but even reminiscing and remembering them can open up the opportunity to learn (or relearn) some things about them.
Become an Expert on Something Completely Random
What’s one thing that you have always been interested in? Yes, something completely random and totally out there. Do you love medieval knights? Do you have a strange fascination with the Renaissance? Are you OBSESSED with penguins?
Whatever it is, take some time now to learn everything you can about a subject that interests you. Sure, you may never use this information ever again, but expanding your mind is always something worth pursuing, especially on something that you really enjoy. Who knows? You might just find a new hobby!
Find a Long-Lasting Board Game to Play
Whether it’s Dungeons and Dragons, Risk, or the most intense game of Settlers of Catan ever, find a long-lasting game you can play with the whole family.
Each day, play a little more. See how long you can make the game. While you play, use this time to reconnect with each other. A little competition is great, but better is the quality time you will get to spend together!
Reorganize Everything
For some of us, this might not be considered “fun.” For others, however, this is the PERFECT way to spend a day indoors.
What is the one room in the house that needs the most attention? It’s time to take it down! Move everything out; all the furniture, all its contents, everything!
Spend some time rearranging the room to give it a new look. This is also the perfect time to get rid of those things you don’t need and donate those things that might be beneficial to another family.
Once you’ve knocked out that room, move on to the next! See if you can reorganize the entire house! It will be so much cleaner, and it’s like living in a new place. Neat!
Finish a 10,000 Piece Puzzle
Here is our challenge to you: find the puzzle with the most pieces you can! None of this 500 or 1,000 piece nonsense. No. Find the most epic puzzle ever and spend some time with the family completing the whole thing.
While you work on it, put on some light music, and spend some time talking. As with most of our ideas, this one is perfect for creating some quality time with your loved ones.
Ready? Here is an 18,000 piece puzzle available on Amazon. You have been officially challenged! We TRIPLE DOG dare you!
Conclusion
Things may be a little out of the ordinary, but consider this time of uncertainty as an opportunity for growth. A time to grow your mind and a time to build the relationships of the ones around us.