With most restaurants, fitness clubs, and shopping centres closed due to COVID-19, you may find yourself struggling to come up with activities to do while stuck inside; but not to worry, here are 10 fun ways to beat your boredom and still practise social distancing:
- Stay active
- Get fit by following along the YMCA of Greater Toronto's free daily virtual workout sessions led by experienced personal trainers on Facebook Live.
- Get some fresh air
- As the weather gets warmer, take advantage of your balcony and pull up a comfy chair! While you're out there, call up a friend or catch up on some reading.
- Boost your mental health knowledge
- Stella's Place is offering free one-on-one counselling by phone and video chat to people aged 16 to 29 in Toronto. Call 416-461-2345, ext. 0, or email connect@stellasplace.ca to book a virtual appointment.
- A psychology professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough is hosting a free online course to help people manage their mental health during COVID-19.
- Start a book club with your friends
- Order a new book and set up weekly video calls with your friends to discuss each chapter! Local bookstores currently offering free deliveries within the city include Flying Books, Book City, Anansi Bookshop, The Beguiling, and Type Books.
- Try a new recipe
- Feeling patriotic? The Food Network has a recipe series on its website called the "Great Canadian Cookbook," featuring favourite meals from each province.
- If you learn better by watching, check out video cooking tutorials on Buzzfeed's Tasty YouTube channel.
- Throw a Netflix party
- Getting ready to binge an episode of Tiger King? Invite your friends to join in by downloading the Netflix Party browser extension on Chrome.
- Host a game night
- Get into the competitive spirit with your pals by downloading the House Party app, a video chat platform that has several free games available.
- Watch live concerts online
- If you're a music lover, watch free concerts online by Billboard, NPR, and CBC. There's also the Together at Home virtual concert series on YouTube, hosted by Global Citizen in partnership with the World Health Organization.
- Take virtual tours of museums and zoos
- Many Canadian museums and exhibits are offering free virtual tours, including Virtual Museum, Royal Ontario Museum, Ripley's Aquarium Shark Camera, Art Gallery of Ontario, Calgary Zoo's Panda Cam, the Canadian Museum of History, Vancouver Aquarium, Google's Top 10 Museums, and National Gallery of Canada.
10. Volunteer to help a neighbour in need
- Have extra time to help deliver groceries or necessities to a resident who requires assistance? Email info@greenrockpm.ca with your contact information to be added to our volunteer list.
- SPRINT Senior Care is looking for volunteers to assist with packing and delivering food donations and conducting wellness checks on isolated seniors in our community. If you are interested in volunteering, please call 416-481-0669 ext. 1204 or email volunteer@sprintseniorcare.org. If you are a senior interested in receiving one of these services from SPRINT, please call 416-481-0669 ext. 1225.
Think of another fun activity to do during COVID-19? Snap a pic and tag us on social media so we can share with the Greenrock community! Remember, we're all in this together.