Weekends inside… Easter ‘holidays’ round the corner… Unfortunately, due to the current circumstances many of us had to cancel our planned holidays and activities, to avoid the risks of getting and spreading the virus, and flatten the curve. Call it a ‘staycation’, call it a ‘holistay’, what’s important is to try and make the utmost of your time at home. Amongst others, the EU platform ‘Creative Europe At Home’ offers some suggestions to occupy your days and stay entertained online.
First and foremost stay connected with family, friends and colleagues, be it in the next street or anywhere across the globe. Organise a group chat, pick up the phone and call an elderly relative who is not tech savvy. Get in touch with old friends, it can mean the world to them too. And remember, you may be alone at home, but you are not alone in this.
Whether you do live alone or with your family, there is a variety of activities for all ages available on the web. Here’s how you can kill time creatively.
Discover some cultural activities online
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Have you been dreaming of visiting the Louvres? Are you a fan of Van Gogh? Have you ever been to the Uffizi Galleries? This is your chance!
Take a cyber trip to European cities like Paris, Rome, Madrid, and Amsterdam and satisfy your artistic senses through virtual tours of art galleries and museums(link is external) from the comfort of your sofa.
Music to your ears…
Like everything else, La Monnaie in Brussels closed its theatre, postponing all productions and events until further notice. Opera lovers need not despair however as the theatre is hosting ‘The Virtual Season’ displaying their operas online(link is external)!
Whether you’re into classical music or not, immerse yourself in this beautiful interpretation of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”. The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra came together virtually from their own homes, to perform this masterpiece for you to enjoy within the four walls of your own home – it’s guaranteed to give you goose bumps!
The #TogetherAtHome campaign also offers a series of free concerts performed by award-winning artists on their Instagram Live feeds.
Read e-books
The likelihood is that your local bookstore has also closed and you don’t want to be risking taking a trip there anyway. A number of open sources for ebooks(link is external) are available. Several organisations and libraries have made ebooks available to the public, both to keep people entertained and to help students who are studying remotely during coronavirus shutdown. Audible books(link is external) are also available freely.
Play online games with your kids!
There are several games you can play with your children online. You can also find a series of EU games and quizzes that are good fun. There are games for different age groups and at different levels.
Host a Zoom party
It looked like little Harry’s birthday party would have to be cancelled this year due to isolation. However, a London-based drama group saved the day for Harry via a video chat-based celebration on the app Zoom. No matter how young or old, you can do something similar if you have a birthday coming up or you wish to celebrate Easter with your loved ones! Watch Harry’s party(link is external).
And Clap!
Everyday at 8pm, people around the world are gathering outside their balconies and windows to applaud health carers working tirelessly on the frontline.
Other pass-time options available online include 360-degree tour of vacation havens, zoo-streaming, plunging virtually into an aquarium, and many more…
It may not be your usual kind of holiday but all this reflects a sense of solidarity in various forms in these trying times, and much appreciation goes to the minds behind these ideas!
Stay safe, stay home, sit back and enjoy!
European Union
