We have all been at home for a while now. By this point you
may be out of shows to binge on Netflix, or maybe you have cleaned and
organized your entire house or are just tired of being cooped up. Fortunately,
there is now a lot you can do virtually. It is easier than ever to stay
connected to family and friends. Our children have transitioned to remote
learning, and you may have transitioned to working from home. Companies have
even begun to offer their online products to consumers for free during this
pandemic. Below are some of the free activities we thought were worth sharing.
Take a tour of a National Park
Google
Earth has virtual tours of some of the most popular National Parks. You can
take a tour of Acadia National Park in Maine, travel over to Yellowstone in
Wyoming, and then head to Yosemite in California without leaving your couch.
There are 32 parks total to explore.
Enhance your photography skills
Nikon is offering their online
photography course for free until April 30th. They have something for everyone and every
skill level. Some of the classes included are Getting Started with Your Nikon
DSLR, The Art of Making Music Videos, and the Fundamentals of Photography. The
best part is most of the courses are not exclusive to Nikon brand cameras, any
DSLR should work.
Try a new exercise program
Just because the gyms are closed doesn’t mean your goals
have to stop. Plenty of places are offering free trials to their programs/apps.
Orange Theory is
posting free workout videos everyday that require little or no equipment so
they can easily be done in your home. Past videos are also available on the
page, so no need to worry about missing a day.
Catch a show
While you may not be able to venture out to the theater, The Metropolitan Opera is bringing the
theater to you. Each night they are streaming a different opera. If you aren’t
a fan of opera don’t worry, Andrew Lloyd Webber announced he will be streaming
his hit musicals for free on his Youtube channel.
He is the mastermind behind some of the biggest the Broadway shows such as Phantom
of the Opera, Cats, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Raincoat
and more.
Take an Ivy League class
Have you always wanted to go to an Ivy League school but
couldn’t afford it? Well, now you can! There are over 450 courses you can take
for free. They cover a wide variety of topics such as computer science,
programming, business, social science, personal development and many more. You
can find a list of courses here.
Explore a new museum
Google Arts and Culture is offering virtual tours of some of the most famous museums in the world. You can take a tour of Musée d’Orsay in Paris, The Met in New York, the British Museum in London and even the White House. With all the options available, there is something for everyone.
Play some trivia
Tuesday – Saturday at 7:00 pm a quizmaster from Trivia with
a Twist hosts a trivia session via Facebook Live. They have been offering a
variety of trivia topics each night from general knowledge, Harry Potter,
The Office, Friends and even Tiger King. Head on over to
their Facebook page to
see the current schedule.
Learn a new language
Rosetta
Stone is offering free access for the next 3 months for students of all
ages. They have a wide variety of languages to choose from like French, German,
Spanish, and Russian. Sign up is quick and easy.
Learn to play guitar
Fender,
one of the most recognized guitar brands in the world, is offering 3 months of
free lessons for guitar, bass and ukulele. Lessons can be streamed anywhere on
any device. Don’t wait to sign up though, this is only available through April
20th.
Discover a new book
Just because the libraries are closed doesn’t mean you can’t
discover new books. The Dayton Metro Library offers a wide variety of items online. You can get e-books,
audiobooks, e-comics, magazines and access to learning databases. All you need
is a library e-card.
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