Fun Activities when you’re stuck at home
Stuck at home?
Whether you are stuck at home due to lockdown, a rainy day or recovering from injury or illness – at some point, boredom will strike.
While Australia has had the fortune of not being affected as much as the rest of the world, the current lockdown just keeps extending and is taking its toll. Having had to travel to Germany for a family emergency last week, I got here just in time for eased restrictions after over a year of extensive lockdowns and curfews. However, due to their extensive lockdown experience, my family and friends passed on some great tips on how to stay sane during lockdown. Using their ideas as well as many that I tried when stuck at home during injury recovery, I researched providers that are either accessible from Sydney, and here is the outcome:
Keeping busy with a laugh
With cinemas, theme parks, museums etc off limits, it is time to come up with some fun at home. Whether you live alone or with your family or flatmates, you have great choices for activities when you are stuck at home.
If you’re lucky to have a game console or a gaming PC – playing video games, role playing games or having fun family karaoke nights with simple games such as Singstar, you are guaranteed to stay busy and entertained.
Why not go old school and get out the boardgames – a fun night of playing boardgames together is a great way to spend time with your family, a puzzle will keep you occupied if you live alone. Classic games such as Pandemic (yes, this game came out years ago…), Game of Life, Monopoly and Catan are always a win, but getting your lego out for weekly competitions or creating a Marble Run with household items are just as fun.
A guaranteed way to make the family laugh is to download Wombo or Reface on your phone. Then share with friends and family. Those two apps have kept our WhatsApp group of mountain biking ladies occupied for hours! My sister begged to keep our “duet” private, so here a short reface clip 😉
Feel free to share your results via Instagram and tag @sparkcourage so I can see what you’ve been up to!
If you ever wanted to try something new – now is the time! Want to learn how to play the guitar? Teach yourself how to play chess? Learn how to play Poker with the family (stakes could be dishes, washing, gardening etc.), or even learn a new skill that will benefit you at work or in life? There are plenty of free online classes around. You can even volunteer for a good cause remotely.
One of my absolute favourite things to do is joining a workshop or class at ClassBento. They have great experiences year round, but adapted rapidly to lockdown restrictions and offer great virtual live classes and mail you the supplies for these prior to the event. Whether you want to try your hand at silversmithing, painting or learning how to make the perfect cocktail, there is something for everyone.
If you enjoy being creative, why not make a terrarium, paint some rocks (or salt dough) and design a fairy garden in the backyard – the possibilities are endless. Once the garden is in tip top shape, get out the firepit, marshmallows and tents for a backyard camping adventure, and share spooky stories like in the old days!
Indulging in food and drink
Classic fun ideas that include food or drink are events such as Cork and Canvas who now hold online classes. There are so many options of sip and paint, you’re sure to find one local to you.
If you live in Sydney, here is a great source for cocktail deliveries (yes, it’s a thing). If you know of any local to you that aren’t on that list, let us know in the comments!
Cooking challenges are another great way to spend time together; why not commit to cooking one new dish a week? Or hosting a “My Kitchen Rules” event at home? You could even have a theme each week and have everyone contribute to the fun, whether it’s cooking, decorating, performing….
If you’re in the mood for romance, get a cheese delivery and do a guided wine tasting at home. Alternatively, when the sun is out, have a picnic in your backyard or on the balcony. Get a tablecloth and a blanket, and decorate and splurge to your heart’s extent.
If all of the above sounds greta, but you don’t drink alcohol – Lyre’s does a great range of alcohol free spirits!
Staying fit
With everyone still allowed out (albeit with restrictions) for exercise, I highly recommend to get a daily dose of nature. Get outdoors for a local bushwalk (check your council website for suitable trails) or a bike ride. Whether through the streets, at a pumptrack or on local mountainbike trails – there is plenty out there for everyone.
A lot of yoga studios offer online yoga classes. While Cosmic Kids is great for the little ones, most local yoga studios have switched to an online offer, and so have most gyms. Some PTs offer one on one classes within regulations in local parks – give it a try!
If ballsports are more your thing, and you prefer to move fast inside your house, you can grab a pingpong set with a net that attaches to your dining table, bats and balls for $11 at kmart.
Hot Dub Time Machine live streams and recorded sessions make for a great pyjama party at home, and you’ll work up a guaranteed sweat.
If you’re keen on something a bit more daring, get your friends to join you in a lockdown handstand challenge. This 3 part video series is free and great to get started. If you decide to do so, let me know, I am more than keen to join 🙂
Most kids I know are big ninja warrior fans, too. If you have outdoor or indoor space, get together to build an obstacle challenge – how creative can you get, and who will win the final race?
Keeping Calm
One of the most relaxing activities during winter is a hot bath (and was also one of the most fun activities during my most recent photoshoot!).
If you’re up for some fun with the kids, Tinti makes some great products for bathtub fun and games.
If you’re after me-time, turn on some music, grab a book, shut the door – and relax. To make a bath even more relaxing, use bath salts with benefits. These are easily made at home, and I made a couple to show you just how quick and easy they can be made.
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If you have more ambition, skill and patience than myself, try yourself at making relaxing face masks, fizzy bath bombs or scented candles. If you like the benefits of bath bombs and salts but don’t have a tub – shower melts and scrubs are a thing, too!
If you’re missing your current manis and pedis – a friend of mine highly recommends teaching your kids on how to do them – you’ll have a free home spa for life! While at it, why not join an online massage course with the family and swap massages in the evenings?
Another way to relax, especially at the end of a long day of work and homeschooling, are meditations.
There are plenty of options for meditations and plenty of apps I am sure most of you are aware off, but why not try something different? Watercolour Meditation by is something I came across on a local Hornsby Business Page by Aryome Studio and will most definitely sign up for when I am stuck in my quarantine hotel upon return. Click on the image to learn how to sign up.
Some final words and one last tip
Don’t be too hard on yourself if not everything goes as planned, your kids miss a day of school, you don’t understand what you’re supposed to teach them or can’t keep up with the household chores while juggling work and children. If you live alone, be extra gentle to yourself, being locked up for whatever reason is never hard. Get your daily dose of connection by meeting up safely with a mate for an outdoor activity, video call your family and friends and indulge in some self pampering.
As a last little fun activity, download and print my handy lockdown raffle sheet 30 Ideas to stay sane and have fun at home. Cut and fold the squares, throw them in a hat, and pick one each day to do.
If you have any fun activities to add, or tips on how you stay sane when stuck at home, please share them in the comments!
Keep on writing, great job!