18 Interesting Things To Do At Home if Boredom Is Killing You This Lockdown

Are you bored?

I am nonplussed when people say they are bored during the Lockdown.  How can one be suffering from boredom, I say!  There are innumerable things to do if you ask me.  Unless of course, they are among the uninitiated and the tardy.

Well, mine’s not a negative approach, and so I’d rather dwell on the positive things that one can do.  In fact, the Lockdown is an excuse to do more than merely work – at an office or at a business.

What’s on offer?  Time and Virtual Space

The pandemic has offered a world of scope – to resuscitate one’s latent talents.   But what’s so distinct about this phase?  Time, of course!  Travel time is cut in half or perhaps wholly, which offers leverage over time and maybe even over the level of exhaustion from not having to commute to work.

What to do with free time?

What do you do with time hugging you with outstretched hands?  Immerse yourself in health and fitness regimes?  Go through your entire streaming list until there’s just Tiger King left to watch?  How to strike a balance between work “from” home and work “at” home?

Well, here is a list of 18 interesting and fulfilling things to do at home that would give you a thrill, or allow you to be productive plus serve as a fun pastime.

 

1. Zoom / FaceTime Video calling with Family & Friends

Never a perfect time as this to reconnect with primary and extended families.  Not everyone is fortunate to have families live with them, in the same home or city or state or even country.  Zoom virtual conferencing has bridged that gap between the seven seas, if only for 40 free video minutes. 

If your circle is Apple-friendly, FaceTime is an option over Zoom.  How delightful to see the smiling faces of that cheeky nephew or sassy niece and adorable sister altogether on one single screen!

 

2. Play Housie / Antakshari / Happy Hour / App Games

While I am not exactly a fan of Housie, I know of friends who swear by it.  They make Housie tickets online and share it with others.  They host games via video calls, indulge in fun quizzes and even in antakshari, which is a hot favourite in joint family set-ups.

Imagination can run amok with ideas to outdo the others’ ideas.  For one, there is a “Happy Hour” on a Saturday night coupled with drinking games.  These involve games trivia where one has to gulp down a shot of wine after getting the right answer.  It can be comic when one continues to get the right answer and ends up feeling heady.  Of course, there are less potent mocktails to choose from if one isn’t the “spirited” type. 

For the younger lot, there are Apps like House Party and Facebook Messenger that allow gaming activities while simultaneously video chatting.  Both these video calling Apps have inbuilt space for games and activities during these video calls. 

These applications – Messenger for instance – may be downloaded from Play Store (on Android phones) or an Apple App Store (on iOS phones).  By the younger generation, I refer to anyone who has more than a Calling or WhatsApping knowledge of smartphones.  Sounds absurd, doesn’t it – to speak of Gen Z and limited smartphone knowhow in the same breath?

 

3. Cook Online – yes, you heard right

Cook online?!  Oh absolutely; there are online cooking classes galore to guide you in cooking up a storm – from lasagnas to chhole bhatures, pizzas to besan laddoos, pork vindaloo to fish cakes.  Curious to understand how this worked, I tried an online cooking session from Jayshree Deshmukh, of JB Cooking Classes in my locale.  She is available on Zoom/ WhatsApp / Skype / FaceTime and email (mailto:jbenterprise06@gmail.com) to coach you on step-by-step cooking for both, the vegetarian and non-vegetarian categories. 

How could she tell if you chopped the onions and not sliced them?  How would she know if the spice paste were ground fine and not coarse?  All you need to do is to set the phone video to such an angle as to enable her to get a peek of your kitchen tabletop to check if you’ve indeed got the consistency right.  Attaboy!  She even offers helpful cooking tips that cannot be found in detail on internet recipes, and her tips are what makes all the difference.

There are other avenues to learning how to bake or cook or to design in culinary fashion. Skillshare has a step-by-step guide to different cuisines, and even for cocktail making. Some video tutorials are free while the in-depth ones may have to be paid for.  Nothing like a trial course, during the Lockdown.

 

4. De-clutter The Jumble

Marie Kondo has been on a mission to get rid of waste in homes single-handedly.  To be honest, most of us could be guilty of holding onto old scraps or memories.  Well, this isn’t a bid to ask to rid yourself of everything but to do away with the little things that no longer spark joy. 

What better a time – when the world is at a pause button – to make an inventory of items in the loft/attic/larder/under the bed and so on while thinking of things to do stuck at home.  To decide what deserves to stay or be discarded without a second glance. 

As for me, I had volumes of books and photographs occupying precious space.  Worse, they weren’t even easy to access when required most.  Put on your favourite playlist or a movie as you tackle shelf after tedious shelf, if only to offer you a musical pillow while working.  The old photographs would bring upon a smile as they walk you through memory lane, but catch yourself short before you get lost in a reverie.

As if magically, you come by a kitchen appliance out of the blue – a grill pan, chopper and high-grade steel kadai that light up your eyes the moment they are discovered.  You could later use the grill pan to churn out a charred grilled chicken and reward yourself with a well-deserved glass of wine soon after.  Or a lassi, if you’re a teetotaller.

 

5. Attend Live Concerts

Join a virtual party, like I participated in with song music producer Charles Siqueira Vaz. Or attend a live concert; yes, I full well know that you cannot walk into a vast arena to see singers personally.  On-screen; however, you could get to watch artists who are a treat to hear – ones like John Legend, Pink and even the types of Sunburn DJs as they perform their collection – live – on Instagram or similar streaming services.

 

I am not sure how long these would be “free shows” without having to pay to attend them virtually.  How to get the best of the schedule of performing artists? NPR Music has categorised music by date and genre and even the platform used by the artist.  That particular website would offer a decent guide to the best concerts around the world.

 

6. Watch Great Theatre

Talking about virtual concerts, the world of theatre isn’t far behind.  There are a host of clips on YouTube with the cast of Hamilton performing the title track and others from Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” Broadway musical. 
The National Theatre in Britain has gone a step further in releasing entire plays from their library.  Currently, they are showing Antony and Cleopatra with Ralph Fiennes.  Their YouTube channel is one such trending place to check what’s streaming.

Closer home, that is in India; the NCPA website offers a host of streaming music and theatrical events.  As I indicated earlier, these are available for free at present, but who knows if it would peg a fee in the days to come.

 

7. Virtual SingSong Party

If you are a social person, with an inclination towards music – there’s no stopping you from joining virtual music parties.  Gather your friends – those with rhythm and vocals – to “zoom into” your screen to sing a song or two.

Guitarists could give strumming company, or even keyboards could keep pace with your song.   If not, there are the good old karaoke tracks to fall back on.  Karafun is a popular choice which offers music tracks with lyrics to guide you.  Zoom video call does all this and more; it also enables you to record the “party” and share it on social media.​

8. Smule Song Recording

Among various Apps for voice recordings, my favourite one is the Smule App which can give you close to Dolby recording sound quality.  I must admit that it comes with one snag, which is a brief time lag.  This could thwart an otherwise perfect recording.  However, if it’s for fun that you want to engage yourself on this App, nothing can stop you from going ahead and downloading the App on your phone. 

You may sing a song – as solo or duet as I did here in the form of the song “Crazy”. 

The App allows you to record your song, and if you happen to like the sound of your voice, you could share it with the “public”.  If, on the other hand, you aren’t happy with the way you’ve sung it, it allows you to keep it private too.  To re-record yet another version of the song is one of Smule’s features.  Versions of karaoke accompanying tracks are also aplenty; choose the one that suits your tempo and range and go for it.

 

9. Learn a Song

Not every song is simple to learn even if you’ve heard it twenty times and over.  There are nuances to every song that you can’t catch when you listen to the original singer.  However, there are song coaches who will stop you in your tracks to correct you if you go off-key, offbeat or even don’t get the swag right if you know what I mean.

For one there’s the Shankar Mahadevan Music Academy which offers a host of choices from Carnatic vocals to Devotionals and much more.

Furtados School of Music is yet another famed school of music that offers interactive online coaching by certified teachers. They employ modern e-learning methods to provide holistic training to their students. 

If you are familiar with your locale, you could find local musicians/tutors who could offer courses online – instrumental or vocals.

 

10. Children’s zone – Visit a Zoo

Ever wanted to see what animals would be like when you are not going to the zoo. Now you’ll get to see them from the comfort of your home.  Several zoos are now streaming live and archival footage that can be viewed anytime.  The Victoria Zoo is the easiest one to stream with YouTube links that can be rewound and viewed at a time of your choice.  When the animals are – believe it or not – left on their own, it is fun to see them going about their habitat.

Some penguins in a Chicago Aquarium were freely allowed to strut around, and that is most certainly an entertaining watch. If you already have a favourite zoo, go on and stream it live.  I can almost visualise your jaw-dropping expressions as you get lured into the screen world of animals.

If zoos aren’t your arena, but nature is, there are America’s national parks that can be accessed using Google Earth.

 

11. Enter the World of Magic

It is not a great time for us, but the silver linings are getting broader by the day. There could not be a better time to enjoy as many fun things to do at home.  Yet another thing that you could add to the list is listening to Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone being read by people associated with the movies.

There are other word puzzles that your kids could play on the website as well.  All that they need to remember is to come back every week as a new chapter unfolds. As a parent, you can also read along with them.  As for me, I read the third chapter with Eddie Redmayne, who plays Newt Scamander.  Now you can boast of that as well.  This is also one of a number of key ways to foster a love for reading in kids.

 

12. Organise Playdates

Children cannot go to their friend’s place at present, but with the power of video calling, there is nothing that keeps them apart.  You could encourage them to play games like Hangman and Dumb Charades with each other.  There’d be more than one mother who’d be thanking you.  If there is a larger group, the children can also do a version of a “show-and-tell” where they may talk about things to do in the quarantine or even showcase any new talent they may have developed.  Juggling is the most “in” thing presently.

 

13. Let them Help Around

The kid’s full attention is now centred on you, and there is no other time like now to infuse them with pearls of wisdom that you have gathered from experience.  Let them understand how to pick the perfect tomato or try the ideal recipe for the tea you like so much.  It will not hurt to let them learn how to dust the corners and how to get rid of stubborn stains.  This is the time to induct them into learning what goes into the functioning of a home.  You can also reward them in the form of pocket money or video time for each task completed.

 

14. Globe trotters – Travel to a New Country

It is not just the zoos that offer live virtual tours; you can now even travel back in time and visit Ancient Rome with Futurelearn. 

With travel bans having locked us in for a good amount of time, the only available avenue for visiting, say The Louvre, is via virtual links.  Or even the Pyramids and the British Museum which has opened their virtual doors to tourists.

 

15. Enjoy Train Rides

Not just monuments – hold your breath – you can also ride on trains like The Flåm Railway, Norway.
Get a cup of steaming coffee together with a book while you travel through these routes.

 

 

16. Write a Blog

I was astounded when I came by a blog written by Krissh Khaneja, a teenager.  Since science is his pet peeve, it was but natural for him to write about Astro and Particle Physics. According to his father, Sumit R Khaneja (a senior banker) this is but a “modest beginning”.   Some modesty, I say!

 

Blogging holds a special place in my heart, for reasons well known.  To see fellow bloggers gives me immense joy because writing can influence the world to a great extent. Unfortunately, reading is losing its old edge – the one that makes the pen mightier than the sword.  The average reader prefers to glimpse through Instagrammed visuals, watch videos and barely takes to reading.

Apart from its immense learning benefits, reading keeps the brain fit and has even been listed as one of the cognitive activities to fight off dementia.  If brain health doesn’t matter, writing offers a form of expression at least, as well as a source of information and education. 

Writing a blog not merely helps document one’s theories or travel escapades or cooking experiments, but it keeps the right brain creative juices flowing.  It motivates and fosters a discipline of consistency and originality.

WordPress is one among those content management systems that enable beginner bloggers to start writing with simple steps.  It is user-friendly and has excellent visual appeal too. 

If there’s even a hint of an urge to get started, don’t let anything make you diffident.  Go on and try it, and you’ll see the world from a different perspective.

 

17. Enjoy a Movie Night with a Friend

Get a bucket of popcorn before you decide to do a movie night within the confines of your living room. So what if we can no longer go to theatres with friends; there’s The Netflix party extension allows you to stream movies from Netflix at the same time with people around the world.  The extension also has a chat option, which enables you to have conversations with your co-movie goers while you continue to practice social distancing and enjoy a movie night at the same time.  Isn’t this an innovative way to end a Sunday evening?

 

18. Learn a new Word

I must share my secret in how I learnt one new word a day.  Not just that, but I used it constructively in at least one sentence a day.  When conversing with people, one could try to make a conscious effort to wedge in that new word to keep it from being a “desultory” one.  Be it “quintessential” or “ubiquitous” or “intelligible”, words can give one’s communication an edge.  In the corporate world, the ones at the top invariably are articulate, which comes with the right use of vocabulary.  A Thesaurus, more than a Dictionary, would be the best bet to improve one’s eloquence.

 

 Tell Me What You Found Useful.

If you let your mind to do a jog, I am sure you’d emerge with better ideas to keep yourself engaged in the Lockdown.  Till then, the above list should help you adjust to the new normal.  I am curious to know which of these activities has acquired your interest. So, do post your comments on the blog site if they have helped you go through the next few days (or perhaps weeks) of Lockdown.  If you have unique ideas, do share it in the comments section and get yourself featured on ensuing blogs. Till then keep the learning curve going together with fun activities!