The quarantine of the coronavirus, a period of isolation recommended by the health agencies, is keeping adults and children away from their duties for an indefinite period until the spread of Covid-19 is controlled. To occupy free time during pandemic days, it is possible to take advantage of online solutions that will ensure entertainment and, in some cases, knowledge. Large companies have provided free courses, streaming movies and series have been released at no cost and museums in several countries are offering virtual computer visits especially for the isolation season.
Among other pastime options is the possibility to do exercises at home, without the need for gym equipment, learn a new language, a musical instrument and develop recipes for cooking. To help pass the time during the Covid-19 quarantine, Techidence has put together ten activities to do at home using free websites and applications.
1. Learning to play an instrument
There are websites like imusic-school that provide a vast catalog of free videos with professional musicians teaching amateurs how to play musical instruments. You can learn guitars, pianos, drums, singing, harmonicas, double basses, violins, flutes, clarinet and even less popular devices such as the Chinese instrument and cello. The videos explain, in tutorials, several techniques and tips for beginners and advanced musicians.
2. Watch movies and series
Streaming services are the favorite pastime of many people. In this period of isolation, several platforms have made their complete catalog, or part of it, available for free to users who have no subscription. Thus, it is possible to watch famous movies and series without having to pay.
Amazon Prime Video offers a 30-day free trial for the user to try the application. The catalog includes films just out of the cinema, such as the live-action versions of Alladin, The Lion King and Toy Story 4. Original series and movie classics of various genres are also available for the entire family.
In addition to these options, Netflix, HBO Go, Mubi and Starz Play are still streaming alternatives with extensive catalogs of films and marathon series. Through Google Play Films, you can also rent or buy famous productions to watch on your computer or mobile.
Some Pay-TV operators have also released several channels for free to current users due to quarantine. They have made available more than 70 broadcasters at no cost to all subscribers, such as Discovery, Paramount, Sony, among many others.
Read: 13 Apps to Watch Movies and Series Online
3. Listen to podcasts
If you don’t want to be stuck on TV, an alternative is to listen to podcasts. The programs are making success and currently, there is a great diversity of subjects such as politics, education, sports, technology, science, celebrities, humor, among many others. The podcasts have the varied duration and can be listened at different times of the day, in computer aggregators or with the freedom to listen on the cell phone, in apps for Android and iPhone (iOS), such as Spotify, Deezer, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.
4. Take online courses
Another possible activity for the quarantine of the coronavirus is to take online courses. Udemy is also offering dozens of free courses for the quarantine period, in the areas of Communication, Business, Programming, Marketing, Behavior, Sales, among others. To find the options, just search, open the search filters and select the option “Free”.
5. Do physical exercises
You can also take advantage of your free time to exercise at home since it is recommended not to go to the agglomerations of the gyms. Several free applications offer ready-made workouts that don’t need devices to be performed, working on specific muscle groups and using common objects to perform the movements. The series is shown in explanatory videos, in which professionals make the movements for the user to reproduce in practice, wherever they are. Among the options are the Nike Training Club, 8Fit and Home Training, all free and available for Android and iPhone.
6. Meditate
Meditation can be a relaxing activity for users who wish to control the anxiety of being in social isolation. Free apps, such as Zen and Meditopia, available for Android and iPhone provide meditation sessions with breathing movements, relaxation exercises, and soothing music.
7. Try new recipes
Quarantine time can be filled in the kitchen. A site like Allrecipes provides thousands of recipes to reproduce at home. The dishes are explained on video or through text tutorials, with the detailing of the ingredients and step by step. It is possible to find sweet, salty recipes, for starters, main course and dessert, as well as healthy options, sauces, and side dishes.
8. Review old photos
How about taking the time to revisit old photos? Google Photos and iCloud gather all the files registered in your account and that is stored in the cloud, allowing you to relive important moments with the family. Recently, Google Photos released a feature that shows memories from previous years at the top of the screen, allowing you to view the memories more easily.
Also Read: What is OneDrive? Learn how the Cloud App works
9. Make virtual visits to museums
Several museums offer virtual tours of their works, which can be freely accessed during the quarantine period. Through Google Art and Culture, it is possible to visit more than 500 museums in the world, including several Brazilian units, viewing works of the most diverse artists and periods of history, with rich detailing of information.
10. Learning a new language
Duolingo is a mobile site and application that offers small foreign language classes for free and can be useful to spend learning a new language while filling the time. It allows you to learn English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, among other options, through daily vocabulary and grammar lessons using texts, images, and sounds. The service works in a game format, in which the user must advance in stages, achieving objectives and learning at the same time.
We hope you love the activities, if there are more things you can inform us in the comment section.
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