Social Distancing Online Entertainment Masterpost
Right, I’ve only been back from uni for 2 days and my mental health has already ✨ 𝓳𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓾𝓹 𝓯𝓾𝓬𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓿𝓪𝓷𝓲𝓼𝓱𝓮𝓭 ✨. I’ve read all the articles so you don’t have to and I thought I’d just make a big-ass list. Keep it going in the comments!
Google Arts and Culture has high quality 360° degree tours of many famous museums, galleries, landmarks, theatres and national parks as well as close up images of artworks and exhibitions from all around the world.
Using street view on google maps you can visit (almost) anywhere in the world, including Disneyland, Hollywood Studios, Kew Gardens, and many other attractions and landmarks.
Interactive world history timeline from the British Museum
Virtual Tours are available of: The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, The Met, The Dali Museum, Blarney Castle in Cork, Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, The Louvre, The Picasso Museum, NASA Langley, NASA Glenn, The Vatican Museum, United States Airforce Museum, Buckinghan Palace, and a list of others here
Or go abroad via a live webcam feed
Monterey Bay Aquarium streams several live cameras on its website and social media
Live Cams are available of: San Diego Zoo, Smithsonian National Zoo, Edinburgh Zoo, Folly Farm, and many others here, here, and here
Play with cats and dogs by remotely controlling a laser or treat dispenser using the Petcube app, it was made for people to check up on their pets while they’re away but anyone can use the live cameras
Play Online Games With Friends
Cards Against Humanity (make sure you’re all on the same server or you won’t be able to find eachother)
The Wikipedia Game (you can play this individually without this website but this is a great way of racing against someone else)
THOUSANDS of other games there are so many websites out there. It may seem a bit old school now but some of the Facebook games are actually pretty good in terms of playing against friends
Keep an eye out on your favourite artists’ social media, many of them are arranging mini live concerts on facebook, instagram, youtube and twitch
Rave allows you to screen share youtube videos as well as other media so you can have a custom festival while video chatting or just chill and listen to the same thing
The Vienna State Opera is live streaming ballet and opera performances for free, as is the Met Opera
Watch Movies And TV With Friends
Netflix party is a chrome browser extension allows you and your friends to watch the same netflix show at the same time and includes a group chat sidebar so you don’t have to keep looking down at your phone
As mentioned above, Rave lets you screenshare netflix, youtube and vimeo
Print some of these online colouring book pages or these colouring pages from various museum gift shops
Zooniverse is a personal fave of mine, it’s a really great citizen science website where you can contribute to different projects by looking at photos from safari camera traps and space telescopes as well as transcribing ancient documents. A really good way to do something positive in this situation
I think this really speaks for itself
Make topical personalised 20 second hand washing instructions using your loved ones’ favourite songs using https://washyourlyrics.com/
Visit some random websites using boredbutton, or the useless web
You Can Do Things In R e a l L i f e Too!
Marie Kondo your clothes and belongings, donate/sell/repurpose/throw away things that do not ‘spark joy’ any more.
Food shortages caused by idiots panic buying can be scary but use this as an opportunity to experiment with ingredients which are available and possibly a bit more out of your comfort zone if you have the time/money to spare.
If you’re with other people, have a huge game tournament spanning several days. play a different game each evening and keep score of whoe wins. when you’ve played all the games you can think of then find a way to reward the winner. If you’re living alone or in isolation, do the same thing with the online games above.
Create an indoor scavenger hunt: write a series of clues linking to different locations around your house and ask your players to stay still for a bit while you hide them, then let them work their way through the clues until they reach the end. if you want to challenge yourself, try to make each clue rhyme.
If you have a pet, try to teach them a new trick
Train up your non dominant hand
Use the millions of home workout videos on youtube
Learn a new language on duolingo (or a similar app if you, like me, are highly suspicious of the green owl’s motives)
Read and watch everything on your list
Actually use some of those art supplies you’re hoarding (I am mostly talking to myself here…)
And so much other stuff!!! be kind to yourself, this is a horrible time for everyone but especially for those of us with crappy mental health. Remember that you are allowed to be stressed and upset, it is a perfectly reasonable response to the situation! keep in touch with friends and family and follow the instructions being given by your health services! we can and will get through this together 💖
