Social Distancing Doesn’t Need to Be Boring: Fun (And Safe) Activity Ideas From the CoSchedule Team

Being cooped up during quarantine has not been doing wonders for the state of mind. How can we shake things up a bit and make our boring, lazy days a bit more interesting? No need to think about different activities you could be doing from home; we’ve done all the hard work for you. Here are some ideas from the CoSchedule team.

mberry

Picture this: you put a tablet on your tongue for about five minutes. Afterwards, you eat sour things, and they taste sweet. Think pickles, vinegar, and lemons. Sweet things taste sweeter. They call it “taste tripping,” and it’s pretty fun and wild. Bonus — it’s something you can do indoors.

Bonfires

Bonfires are always and must-have. Take advantage of some of the warmer spring days and break out the hotdog and s’mores gear!

DIY Ninja Warrior

Create your own obstacle course in your backyard, and you’ve got yourself a personalized Ninja Warrior episode!

This would be another great opportunity to play with your dog outdoors while you watch your family become ninja masters.

Sunday Drives... Anytime

It can be nice to get out of the house on colder days, throw on some tunes, and drive around town. Maybe even try driving to different parks and get out to some new areas you haven’t seen before.

Hikes

Don’t underestimate the number of hiking trails there are around your area. Lace up your hiking boots and check out some of your options here.

Charades

What could be a more classic activity than playing a game of charades? Boot up your devices and connect with friends or family over Zoom, Skype, or Discord, so everyone can be in on the fun! Just remember to mute yourself if you're eating exceptionally crunchy snacks with your airpods in.

Fibbage

This game is pretty funny, and also fun — if you like trivia. Fibbage is easy to play with people in multiple locations; you can video chat with multiple people so they can view your screen, and it’s all laughs from there. Recommended with a beer in hand.

Board Games

If you have board games, it kinda feels like you’re bringing it back to the turn of the century when games like Monopoly were being invented and board games were all the rage. Ticket To Ride is a lot of fun and a favorite amongst the CoSchedule team. Another cool game is the Jackbox Party Pack series. There are SO many different games to choose from, and they never get old! All you need to do is create your Jackbox room, enter the four-letter code that is prompted, and invite up to eight friends to join you by syncing with their personal devices. On another note, if you want to learn the true origin of Monopoly and how it is nothing like how the inventor wanted it to be, listen to this podcast.

Cards Against Humanity

This probably could have fit under board games, but you can play a party game for horrible people online with friends for free.

House Projects

Tackle the projects around your home you’ve been neglecting or haven’t had time to complete. There’s no time like the present! Some easy ideas might include:
  • Painting a room
  • Installing new shelves
  • Refinishing wooden cabinets
Here are 40 more low-budget ideas to improve your home.

Family Bonding

This is a good time to talk with your kids and catch up on whatever it is they would like to share with you. Sometimes a normal work day can take away from spending quality time with family, so chat with them about challenges, milestones, hopes, etc. You could also create a world map for your family and stick colored pins in the map of where you’ve been and where you would like to go someday.

Virtual Happy Hour

This is another fun opportunity to virtually connect with people you’ve been out of touch with. Hop online and enjoy some drinks and snacks while you catch up with those you miss the most.

Yoga

You can try out virtual yoga from home with Alo Moves. They offer a free trial for beginners, so you can decide whether the at-home yoga idea is right for you before purchasing a subscription.

Crossfit

For the very curious who want to talk about nothing else, you can also try out online Crossfit with CrossFit. Be warned, the first rule of Crossfit is that you never stop talking about Crossfit.

Bike Rides

Enjoy warm days with a leisurely bike ride. It’s a great way to get some fresh air and stretch out your muscles. Fresh air is good for the soul.

Cooking & Baking

Experiment with some new recipes you’ve always wanted to try. It can be fun to test out new stuff and challenge yourself in the kitchen. Share some of your favorite recipes with us! Here are a handful of ideas to get you started.

Pizza Party

Quarantine does not restrict your pizza intake. Order a pizza with no-contact delivery and throw your household a pizza party!

Gardening

Fix up your flower beds for springtime as an excuse to get outside and get your hands dirty. When the weather gets nicer, this could be something fun for the greenthumbs among us.

Animal Crossing

If you happen to own a Nintendo Switch, this game is an absolute blast. You get to create your own home on a deserted island, collect bugs and fish, garden, and work on paying off your mortgage. It’s basically like real life, except all your neighbors are adorable animals. It’s a lighthearted game that is a great help to winding down at the end of the day.

Pen Pals

Write a letter to somebody. It’s an easy way to make their day, and you can walk away from virtual communication for a bit and give your eyes a rest.

Color

This might sound corny, but trust me when I say it’s still really relaxing — just like when you were a kid. There are also a lot of fun, free, resources out there for you to color.

Puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles are a must-have during this time. They’re also a fun way to get your household together and work as a team. Bonus: Mod podge the finished product, frame it, and decorate your home with some new art!

Make Your Own Lip Balm or Soap

Make your own faux Burt’s Bees lip balm or crank out some homemade soap for some unique DIY projects.

Share Your Thoughts

Which idea would you like to try out? Are there some activities we may not have thought of? There are no wrong answers here, so let’s help each other keep our minds and bodies busy.
About the Author

Peyton Muldoon is a creative services writer at Border States. Previously, she was a content editing intern at CoSchedule. She has a bachelor's degree in English Literature from Concordia College. In her free time, she loves to bake, drink coffee, spend time with friends, and cuddle her adorable kitten, Hercules.