It was marked on your calendar – the beach, the mountains, the ski trip, the college tours. Or maybe it was the anticipation of a week off work, and some quality stay-cation time at home. Whatever you had planned for spring break, it got abruptly turned on its head, and now we must find another way to spend those precious days away from the grind.
But all does not have to be lost! Here are some fun virtual ideas to schedule during your “vacation.”:
ART ALL OVER
Some of the most famous museums on earth have opened their doors to their faraway guests, such as:
The Louvre – Paris, France
The Smithsonian – Washington, D.C.
Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza – Madrid, Spain (site can be converted to English)
The Guggenheim – New York, New York
The National Gallery – London, England
The Wolfman Museum – Asteroid, Space
VIRTUAL VOLUNTEER
Despite the quarantine, many organizations are still in need of help:
Red Cross – monitoring needs and sharing resources online
The Smithsonian – transcription “volunpeers”
Goodwill– local opportunities available
You can also do personalized searches on:
THE SHOW MUST GO ON
With theaters currently shuttered until this crisis is over, many have shown their creativity by providing entertainment with the help of the internet:
Dad’s Garage – social distancing on their Twitch page
The Alliance Theatre – many fun things to see on their site, including a “virtual” spring break camp
The Center for Puppetry Arts – digital learning on their Facebook page
Cirque Du Soleil – amazing acrobatics – and they even have a virtual reality app!
Broadway – regularly-updated list of live streaming theater offerings
National Theatre in London – their YouTube Channel will begin offering free, full-length plays every Thursday
MUSIC TO YOUR EARS
There’s more to tunes than just listening to the radio. Check out these unusual sources of melody:
Radio Garden – just click on a green dot to hear what’s currently playing all over the world
Radiooooo – this site lets you listen in on other countries AND other eras
Soundscape – create your own soothing rhythms and harmonies
Watch the DJ – have a “house party” in your living room with these beats
SWEAT IT OUT
Release some stress and keep your body healthy by taking advantage of these exercise freebies:
Core Power Yoga – a variety of classes and meditations
Yoga Works – instructors from all over the country
Orangetheory – cardio from the privacy of your own home
24 Hour Fitness – options for all levels
Class Pass – requires an app download, but then you have thousands of options
TRAVEL THE WORLD
The trip was cancelled, but the experience doesn’t have to be. Now you can go somewhere that wasn’t even on your list:
Google Earth – go anywhere, anytime
Map Crunch – pick a country and they will plop you in a random spot to explore
GeoGuessr – they choose the location; you guess where you are
Nasa Worldview – see what’s happening on Earth from space
San Diego Zoo – live cams of very cute animals
DISCOVER A NEW READ
No doubt there is a lot more reading going on around the world. Mix things up by trying something new:
Goodreads – extensive site dedicated to bookworms everywhere
Which Book – choose what you look for in a good story, and they will match you up
Riffle Books – answer some questions to get connected with books and people
Library Genesis – if you already know what you love, look it up and download it here for free
What’s your favorite online family fun? Please share below!
These are all amazing! Thank you for including the list on how to virtually volunteer. That’s so important for people to do right now and so wonderful when you are at home anyway!