Singapore is now in the process of reopening, but it doesn’t mean that the danger of the pandemic is behind us. While we are now allowed to mingle and hangout in public places while observing some restrictions, maintaining social distance is still key to our health. Until a successful vaccine is developed, our lives in this new normal should mostly be spent at home.
Luckily, there are plenty of activities that we can do within our own homes. We’ve compiled a list of fun (and free!) ideas to keep you entertained and enriched during this challenging time!
Arts & Crafts
There is something calming about working with your hands. It could be an upcycling project or the Japanese art of Origami. It is an activity suitable for everyone. Not only are there the tougher ones to challenge adults, simple projects can keep the little ones focused too. Check out some tutorials here.
Drawing Games
Few games have been as enduring as drawing games like Pictionary. It is fun, great for all ages and requires just a little bit of thinking. If you are playing with regular pen and paper with members of your household, you can use this random word generator.
You can even play with your friends online. Create a private room on Skribbl.io, it helps you to keep tabs on scores too!
Win Prizes
Many businesses have gone online during this down time and are offering chances to win prizes through fun, simple games. One of them is Ogirinal that conducts free games and quizzes twice a week on Facebook Live.
Virtual Tours
The pandemic has certainly dampened the travel industry and disappointed many enthusiastic travellers. In the meantime, while you are planning for your next holiday, you can take your time to go on virtual guided tours at some world renowned destinations and see if you would like go there for real when the pandemic ends.
Visit museums around the world
Museums worldwide are opening their doors, at least virtually. There’s no better time than now to catch a glimpse of what is inside world famous museums such as The Louvre, British Museum, and Metropolitan Museum of Art
Learn a Skill
The internet is a treasure trove of knowledge and some sites have organized it into a structured course that you can attend for a small fee or even for free. Pop by Udemy or Skill Share to see how easy it is to acquire this knowledge for just about an hour a day.
Exercise
Missing the gym? Bodyweight exercises can be challenging enough if you do your exercises right! The term to search for on YouTube is “Calisthenics” as these exercises are often performed with minimal equipment. Some of our favourite calisthenics workout will really challenge you.
Karaoke
Despite the reopening of many businesses in Phase 2, karaoke outlets remain closed to prevent clusters. If you are missing your singing fix with your karaoke buddies, fret not because the wonders of technology has made it easy to host your own karaoke session with your friends without leaving home. Two of the most popular apps right now are SMULE and Quan Min Party.
Cooking
One of the most daunting parts of cooking is the preparation of ingredients. There are basic cooking skills that you need to know to drastically cut down the time taken for preparation such as basic knife skills. When it comes to cooking, whatever you need to know can be found on the internet. The result of mastering these skills? Healthy home cooked meals in a fraction of the time.
Baking
Compared to cooking, baking cakes and treats do not usually have the time pressure of having to be ready for a meal time. It is a great activity that you can do at your own time and even involve the kids at home. Get the kids to join in by tasking them to whisk or create their own cookie shapes and it is a great way to use up some of the boundless energy they have.
If you are new to baking, start with a simple recipe or even a pre-mix before working your way up to the harder recipes. Here are some of our favourite bakes.
Unsure of what you can or cannot do during phase 2? Visit gov.sg for the latest news and updates.