Due to the coronavirus, we’re advised to stay at home as much as we can. This means not only working from home but also ‘going out’ from home… Instead of going to the movies, dining in a fancy restaurant or dancing in a bar, we have to entertain ourselves in our own home. For some people this might seem difficult, but trust us; there are many fun things to do that you don’t have to leave the house for. Safer for you and safer for others. Do you want to know which not-leaving-the-house activities we recommend? Then be sure to read on!
Cook you and your roommates a fancy dinner
Are the restaurants closed or don’t you feel comfortable enough to go out for dinner? Whatever the reason may be, you can also cook a fancy dinner at home; it’s just as much fun! What about a 3-course dinner for you and your partner or roommates? If you don’t feel like cooking (or you’re just a horrible chef), then you can also order a fancy meal at a nearby restaurant. Due to the corona pandemic, many luxurious restaurants also deliver culinary multi course dinners at your doorstep. Top it off with a fancy wine from your own wine climate cabinet to fully enjoy your 5-star meal!
Bring the movies to your home
If you don’t want to go to the movies, why not bring the cinema to your own house? Think about it: a big screen, some tasty snacks, some blankets and pillows on the floor… Sounds pretty cool right? If you really want to do it well, then make sure to arrange this:
- A streaming service (e.g., Netflix, Disney+ or Amazon Prime);
- A mini beamer and projection screen (Dutch: projectiescherm);
- Real ‘cinema snacks’ (e.g, popcorn, M&Ms or Nachos)
What’s mentioned above are the absolute essentials for your own home cinema. One warning: if you get these essentials, you probably will never go to the movies again. Your home cinema is just as good!
Old school game night
Some people think that old school board games are for children, but nothing could be less true. Board games are no longer just for kids, but are also much fun for grownups. Think for example of challenging games like 30 Seconds, Triviant, Exploding Kittens and Monopoly. These games are great for rainy days or cosy evenings.
Which not-leaving-the-house activities do you fancy?
Youtube Yoga
A great and healthy activity that you can do at home is yoga. There are tons of great yoga videos available for free on YouTube. And even if you are new to yoga, they often offer a series of videos with the basic explanation.
I personally always do yoga at home when for some reason I have to miss my yoga class. But now at least I try to do yoga every other day. The videos I watch are Yoga With Adriene, Yoga With Tim, Yoga Dose and Yoga With Kassandra. They give a good explanation and have endless videos that are available for free. All you need to get started is a yoga mat. Become flexible!
Start writing
A perfect way to clear your mind is to start writing. Keeping a journal can clear your mind. You can write about your day, your concerns, about the plans you’ve made, about what you want to do next summer. Let your mind wander into your perfect fantasy land and write it all down to enjoy later. Or let your thoughts go over all your concerns and empty them all onto the paper. A great way to create space in your head.
In-house painting
Being creative is a great way to distract you. Coming up with creations, colors and patterns is distracting and the hours fly by! Depending on the creativity of your mind, you can start from scratch on paper or gift yourself a coloring book for adults or a paint by number canvas.
Reading or join a book club
This may sound like a very simple hobby at home. But it can get really exciting when you put a spin on it! If you are not in contact with many people, it can be a lot of fun to share a book together! Text your best friend (s) and choose a book together. Start reading and run a regular book club. This can be done via Whatsapp, video calling or simply by telephone. Discuss your favorite parts of the chapter, your least favorite character, and your expectations for the rest of the book.
Talking about it regularly makes it more fun to keep reading regularly.
Have you been curious about a comic book or graphic novel for a while? Have you dreamed about mangas? Now is the time to read them! Order the song that most appeals to you (the drawings are usually beautiful!), And just start with the first. If you’re lucky, you’ll get hooked and have hundreds of follow-up songs waiting for you!
If you don’t want to order something right away, ask around with your family or group of friends. Chances are they have something lying around.
Puzzles all day long
Go to the nearest thrift store (or order online) and find a nice big puzzle. There are many puzzles that are both fun and a little challenging. Pick a scene from nature, flowers, some animals or maybe even a Disney castle! Anything that appeals to you can be fun to puzzle with!
Choose a puzzle of at least 1000 pieces, so that you keep yourself busy for a while. Or go all out and order a huge puzzle of 24,000 pieces!
Calligraphy
The perfect handwriting does not exist… Or does it? Calligraphy is a visual written art. A special calligraphy pen is used to make the most beautiful letters. With enough practice, your handwriting will look like that of a medieval princess! (did they write a lot?) All you need is a calligraphy pen, some ink and paper. After this, everyone wants you to write their birthday cards!
And a nice side note to the home isolation, you can send calligraphic letters to all of your family and friends. They will love it!
