So you’re stuck at home and don’t really want to go out. You’ve completed Netflix list and you’re tired of talking about the news with your flatmate.
Don’t fret, there are still plenty of free things left to do.
1. Watch a film
Netflix and Amazon Prime aren’t your only options, and you don’t necessarily have to pay for a subscription to watch plenty of excellent films.
2. Watch a documentary
If you’re in the mood for something a bit more cerebral, there are a few websites that give you access to free documentaries.
Whether you’re into sharks, revolutions, or serial killers, you’ll find something interesting to watch. Some great sites include Documentary Tube. Top Documentary Films, and Documentary Heaven.
3. Write a novel
Is it time for you to create rather than consuming?
If you’ve always wanted to write a novel but never found the time or inspiration, this is your chance. Apparently Shakespeare wrote King Lear in isolation during the plague, so maybe this is when you’ll write your opus.
If you’re not really sure where to start, we have a free course on how to start writing fiction to get you on the right track.
4. Tour ancient Rome
You may feel cut off from the rest of the world, but you can time travel.
Current technology means that you can explore other cities and even other times online, such as this virtual tour of ancient Rome which takes you through the forum, capitoline hill, and famous monuments.
5. Visit the MoMA
A huge number of art galleries and museums around the world have digitized their collections and are now offering free virtual tours.
New York’s MoMA is just one of the incredible galleries that you can visit from your own sofa, where you can enjoy Pollock and Monet without the crowds.
6. Explore the Uffizi
If you prefer Botticelli to Pollock, you can tour the Uffizi in Florence, arguably one of the best collections of Renaissance art in the world.
You can take your time looking at Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, Caravaggio’s Medusa, and Titian’s Venus of Urbino without even getting on a plane.
7. Enjoy the Musée d’Orsay
Experiencing these venues from your home does mean that you can visit multiple galleries from different countries or even different continents in the same afternoon.
Paris’ Musée d’Orsay is home to an incredible collection of Van Gogh and Cezanne’s artistic masterpieces. Take a look around online.
8. Experience the British Museum
The British Museum is home to incredible artefacts from around the world and is still open to virtual visitors.
Exhibits that are usually packed are free to roam around at any time, so you can brush up on your Egyptian knowledge, see the controversial Parthenon Marbles, or just wile away a few hours.
9. Have a karaoke night
Missing karaoke night with your friends? You can still do it from home.
Apps like AirConsole let you turn your smartphone into a mic, and sing your favourite hits with the usual gang and practice new songs to sing at the bar once you feel like venturing out of the house.
10. Try a fitness challenge
Don’t fancy the gym (or the hefty membership)? There are plenty of fitness challenges you can try out from home, so you can work on your fitness without having to leave the house.
You could try the 100 pushup challenge, squat challenge, or just doing a 30-day bodyweight workout challenge to stay healthy at home for free. Just make sure that you don’t push too hard early on, and warm up thoroughly before you do any exercise.
11. Try amigurumi
New hobbies don’t get much cuter than amigurumi – the Japanese art of crocheting small creatures or characters.
It’s a cheap hobby to start, and if you already have yarn lying around you can find plenty of free patterns online, like this one to create a tiny Freddie Mercury.
12. Cook something new
One good thing about being home a lot is that you can finally spend time cooking things from scratch.
You can find great recipes online, even if you’re on a limited budget. Jack Monroe’s recipes are specifically created for people on strict budgets or relying on food banks, while Miguel Barclay is best known for his one pound meals.
13. Learn a language
Always wanted to speak Italian? Intrigued by Norwegian? Think that Mandarin will be useful for work, or perhaps German?
Why not learn a new language? Online tools give you everything you need to help you brush up on vocabulary, and test out pronunciation.
14. Deep clean your house
Between dusty skirting boards, dirty tiling, and stained carpets, your home can offer days of distraction if you feel like doing that deep clean you’ve been putting off.
There are plenty of online cleaning guides if the task looks too big, and focusing on one room at a time will help you divide up the work.
15. Declutter your home
Being stuck at home can make you rethink how much of your stuff you really need.
Do you really wear all the clothes spilling out of your wardrobe? And do you think you’ll really re-read those GCSE essays sitting in a box upstairs? You can decide what to donate and what to throw out, and perhaps maybe even make some money by selling things you don’t need.
16. Walk through Paris or London
You can’t jump on a plane, but you can still see some of the world’s most famous views thanks to Google street view.
Feast your eyes on Paris from the Sacre Coeur or take a look at the Thames from the top of the Shard. You can even take a walk along the river and see if Google’s cameras captured anything unusual.
17. Stretch out with a yoga class
If you’re trying to de-stress and stay healthy from home, you’ll be pleased to know that plenty of yoga studios are now streaming online classes for you to join in with.
A lot of studios are still running paid classes, but you can also find plenty of free classes online, like those run by Adrienne on YouTube.
18. Solve a mystery
True crime fans can immerse themselves in mysteries or even start solving them. There are plenty of online communities like Reddit’s Unresolved Mysteries, where mystery fans get together to swap theories and combine information to try to get to the bottom of old cold cases.
19. Start a blog
This could be a great time to build your audience, especially if you have relatively cheap, indoor hobbies that you can share.
Interest in pastimes like cooking and board games has shot up over recent weeks – if your hobbies are trending, why not set up a blog and share your knowledge? You can set up a WordPress account and blog for free, and take it from there.
20. Discover your roots
Wonder where your family was in the flu pandemic of 1918?
Tracing your family tree can unearth lost memories or even distant relatives. Start by learning about genealogy and you can discover more about yourself and your background.
