18 more things to do at home while social distancing

With the country adapting to a new socially-distanced way of life, establishing and maintaining a healthy routine has never been so important. As well as minding our physical and mental health, it's imperative that we fit some fun into our schedules.

With this in mind, we have pulled together some of the most positive, creative, helpful, interesting and entertaining activities to keep you going over the coming weeks.

1. Join a cooking club
Russell James Alford and Patrick Hanlon, better known as The Gastro Gays, are a blogging duo who can usually be found writing about food, travel, the Eurovision and gin.

These days, with travel restrictions in place and the Eurovision cancelled, they have kicked off a twice-weekly digital cookbook and cookery club to help followers create mouth-watering dishes from the comfort of their homes.

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2. Make a Tik Tok video
If you can't face another round of Monopoly and you need to get the family off the couch for a bit, get yourself onto TikTok. The popular app is home to every kind of video - from make-up tutorials to comedy sketches - but is probably best known for its viral dance moves.

Get the whole house involved and, who knows, you might become Tik Tok famous...

3. Do nothing at all
Social media is a wonderful thing; it delivers heartwarming, informative and entertaining stories on a daily basis, keeping us connected to a global community of strangers and friends.

However, it can also put a strain on our mental health by putting pressure on us all to measure up to one another, as well as overloading us with constant information.

We are living in a stressful time, unlike anything we've experienced before, so if you just need to be still and just get through the day, that's OK.

You don't always have to do stuff. Or achieve stuff. You don’t have to spend your time wisely and productively. You don’t have to be doing Tai Chi and DIY and artisan bread-making. Sometimes you can just be and feel things and get through and survive and that is more than enough.
— Matt Haig (@matthaig1) March 29, 2020

4. Play a game with Google
Quick Draw is an online game developed by Google that challenges players to draw a picture of a particular object or idea, and then uses artificial intelligence to guess what the drawing is.

Over 15 million players have contributed millions of drawings to the game, add your doodles to the mix by playing here.

5. Watch an improv show
Once described as "Flight of the Conchords meets 8 mile", Irish comedian Abandoman (aka Rob Broderick) is the king of freestyle comed. Using hip-hop-infused humour, he continues to entertain and amaze fans through his live improv shows on Instagram, weekday evenings at 9pm.

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6. Listen to a podcast...with your other half
If things have become a little tense between you and your partner in these unusual times, why not find an activity that will bring you closer together - and give you both a laugh along the way?

Comedians and real-life couple Catherine Bohart and Sarah Keyworth have released You'll Do, a podcast that aims to find out what really makes relationships work.

Episode 1 is out now!!! Let us know what you think? Unless you don't like it, you can just pop that in your diary... Available wherever you get your podcasts #YoullDo https://t.co/cBLNSvOhPY
— Catherine Bohart (@CatherineBohart) March 31, 2020

7. Create a Rube Goldberg
Named after the American cartoonist, a Rube Goldberg is a machine that is designed to perform a simple task in a fun but incredibly overly complicated way. Think of the breakfast-making contraptions in Wallis and Grommit or the bandit-fighting set-ups of Home Alone.

Need some inspiration? Join the #rubefamilyfun hashtag on Twitter and join in on the latest challenge.

8. Bake some bread
Give into the latest craze and bake up a storm. Banana bread has proved to be a popular choice given its ease (and the fact that it uses up those old bananas) but we also recommend this quick and easy porridge bread from Glenisk and this brown soda bread with stout and treacle from JP McMahon.

9. Take up knitting
Not only is knitting a soothing and methodical kind of hobby to take up, but it's also a very practical one. Think of how much money you'll save on your winter wardrobe when you can knit your own mittens, hats, and scarves!

If you want some funny company while you get the hang of it, comedian Kai Humpries is hosting live knitting sessions on his Instagram.

Instagram live. 12:00 Noon.
T-Minus 1hr https://t.co/HyhqjqTMVV
— Kai Humphries (@kaihumphries) March 31, 2020

10. Join a book club
If you have a pile of books on your nightstand that have been left to gather dust while you binge box sets night after night, a book club might be just the thing to get you back into the reading habit.

Start one with friends over video chat or join an online group such as Reese Witherspoon's Book Club. The actress's choices are varied in genre, but each book has a woman at the centre of its story.

11. Go to the theatre
Get dressed up to the nines (something other than tracksuit bottoms), treat yourself to a pre-show dinner (in your kitchen) and head out to the theatre (in your sitting room).

Broadway HD is a paid subscription service that allows you to stream broadway hits such as Kinky Boots, Swan Lake, and Romeo and Juliet.

You could also treat yourself to a virtual night at the Globe Theatre in London or an evening at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

12. Book ahead
Venues across the country are rescheduling gigs for comics, bands, DJs, theatre groups, and every other entertainer you can think of. Book your tickets now and give yourself something to look forward to.

Rescheduled @Vicar_Street dates! April 24th ⏩ Sept 11th & April 25th ⏩ Sept 25th 🍒🍒 @AikenComedy worked v hard to make them both wknd nights so I hope this works for the majority of you! There are also ticks avail here https://t.co/A3IyCV6haz #comedy #vicarstreet pic.twitter.com/6w16ND4ecw
— Joanne McNally on tour in Ireland (@jomcnally) March 30, 2020

13. Send a postcard
Over the coming days, An Post will be dropping postcards to your homes that you can send anywhere in Ireland for free. Let your loved ones know you're thinking of them, reconnect with friends or strike up that conversation you want to keep going.

14. Let Dolly Parton read ~~you~~ your kids a bedtime story
On Thursday, April 2nd, Dolly Parton will launch Goodnight with Dolly, a series of videos whereby the singer will read children's bedtime stories including The Little Engine That Could, There's a Hole in the Log on the Bottom of the Lake, and her own I Am a Rainbow and Coat of Many Colours.

15. Visit the wizarding world
Do you have a Potterhead in the house? If so, they'll be happy to know that the British Museum in London has made their Harry Potter: A History of Magic exhibit available online through Google Arts & Culture.

Wannabe witches and wizards can now explore the history of magic, the recipe behind the Philosopher's Stone, early sketches and notes from author J.K. Rowling, artwork from the books, and much more.

Explore the @britishlibrary Harry Potter: A History of Magic exhibition from the comfort of your own home, via @googlearts! #HarryPotterAtHome https://t.co/VuldTPZhjK
— Wizarding World (@wizardingworld) March 24, 2020

16. Host a lip sync battle
If your weekly Zoom party has become a little tedious, it might be time to spice things up.

Create a costume from whatever you have at home, make a crafty backdrop and props, memorise your favourite song and hit record.

You can perform your numbers live on Zoom or send your performances to a panel of judges (the friends that don't want to lip-sync) and have the results revealed on your Friday night video call.

17. Wonderwaaaaall
We're not sure if your housemates will thank you for it, but now could be a great time to take up the guitar. Just think of all the potential house parties you could play at once this is all over...

Fretello is a mobile app that is full of interactive tutorials and bite-sized lessons that are perfect for tackling at home by yourself over the coming weeks. The app gives instant interactive feedback and has a huge library of songs. Have fun!

18. Join the big nerd pub quiz
For the regular pub quiz go-ers that are missing their weekly quiz, the Big Nerd Pub Quiz is hosting live quizzes on YouTube.

Answer questions from the multiple-choice lists provided as they are read out on the live stream. Then,once the eight rounds are up, hit submit and your host will announce the winners after a short break.

18 more things to do at home while social distancing

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