At Home Entertainment

Now that you have a few weeks of remote learning under your belt, you might be ready for a little bit of self-care or just sheer entertainment. However, having to stay inside and away from people can make that difficult. Given our current situation, how can you see movies with friends or take a favorite gym class?  

In an effort to help us adjust to social distancing (and perhaps some remaining cabin fever), many companies and organizations now offer free or low-cost activities to help you and your family make the most out of this tough situation. There are so many options available that we have only broken down a few here, but at the end are lists of other compiled sources for you to peruse. 

Fitness and Exercise:

Good Housekeeping Magazine has compiled a list of over 25 gyms and studios offering free and extended-trial class programs and many have pledged to provide new content daily, including: Barry’s, Planet Fitness, OrangeTheory, the YMCA, and Peloton. These providers have content across platforms: the YMCA’s hour-long classes are offered on their website, YMCA360, Barry’s Bootcamp’s 20-minute workouts are offered via InstagramTV (still available at Instagram.com even if you do not have an account); and Orangetheory’s “Orangetheory At Home” posts 30-minute workouts to YouTube (@orangetheoryfitness). Whether you are a novice or experienced, or whether you want to catch a workout from your home office computer or from your phone/tablet in the backyard, you have plenty of options from which to choose. Better yet, many of these don’t even need equipment! 

Nature: 

Feel the need to get outdoors, or just want to watch some cute animals? Explore.org has nearly 100 live nature cameras across the world and a documentary library of over 250 films. Similarly, EarthCam provides links to live cams of natural wonders.  Using these sites, you can watch an eagle in Iowa tend to its nest and eggs; chase some waterfalls in Yosemite, or even check in on some otter-ly adorable otters.  Whatever your interest, there are several options to choose from to help you get out of your house without leaving your house.

Entertainment:

Are you missing movie night with friends? Or, need an inspiring walk through a museum? Thankfully, there are a wealth of streaming and virtual options to keep you and your family entertained; for example, Netflix has launched “Netflix Party” (available only on Chrome browsers) so you can create your own virtual viewing party.  Do you love musicals, the opera, or theater?  Hang on to your hats because you can stream free Broadway musicals, the Met Opera, or plays from UKs National Theater.

How about other entertainment offerings? Google Arts and Culture has a robust platform full of cultural offerings, including virtual gallery, exhibit, and landmark tours; curated collections; and other interactive activities. Tour the British Museum; take in a view of the Taj Mahal or Eiffel Tower from the top; or scroll through a mesmerizing collection of some of the world’s most stunning libraries; whether you have a few minutes or a whole day, there is something here to explore. (Our favorite? The “Books: From Scrolls to Screens” collaboration between with Google Books and 43 other collections!) 

For those with kiddos, Audible is offering a selection of free audiobooks for children and Amazon has released over 40 children’s programs to stream (no Prime account needed!). Crayola is also offering free-to-download coloring pages! 

Lastly, Roger Williams University, Forbes, and CNET have curated long lists of other events and resources.  RWU’s Office of Student Life has assembled a long list of resources along topics of Arts & Crafts; Gym, Fitness and Yoga; Virtual Tours, Zoos, Aquariums, and Museums; Music; and Unique and Fun Things to Do (check it out Potterheads!).  In addition to entertainment, the Forbes list includes educational opportunities (helpful for those at home without law school to attend), offers by phone and internet providers, and health and fitness resources. CNET’s list includes sites for free computer games, offers by streaming movie and TV providers, and they too have a list of exercise resources. 

We hope that these resources can help you find something fun to do indoors when you take a break from your studies.