As we find ourselves in the midst of a crazy worldwide pandemic and a new online learning system, many people may be spending extra hours on streaming services such as Netflix or Disney Plus. While it might be a great time to catch up on your favorite shows, there are many more fun activities to keep you sane during the next four weeks. I hope that something on this list sparks your interest and inspires you to get away from the screens for a little while!

1. As mentioned in my last article, read a book!
2. Bake something! — I’m sure you can find enough ingredients in your pantry to throw together a delicious dessert for your family. The other day, my mom and I made a chocolate cake from scratch using what we already had!
3. Make a friendship bracelet — While this activity tends to be more popular during the summer, I would suggest starting a bracelet and working on it a little every day, and maybe even learn a new pattern or two! You might be wondering who to give them to if you can’t see your friends…maybe you could even make one for your dog!
4. Yoga — Maybe you’re a person that’s not a fan of running or intense cardio workouts, and I’m right there with you! My favorite way to stay in shape is to watch free yoga videos online (I highly recommend Yoga with Adriene on YouTube).
5. Learn something new! — Has there been an activity you’ve been dying to learn, or perhaps would find very useful? I’ve been thinking that I should probably learn how to sew; this would be a great time to learn! Maybe you could also learn a new language on Duolingo or how to handletter!
6. Take out your Bible — Yes, that huge book you have sitting on some bookshelf in the corner. Find the Gospel of Matthew and start by reading one chapter a day. I promise, it’s not that bad and now is the perfect time to discover who Jesus truly is by reading scripture!
7. Start a journal — This a perfect tool to help you for your own sanity, and who knows? Maybe it will be useful in a hundred years when this event is in the history books.
8. Take a bath — Everywhere we look, we see more negativity. Take some time for yourself to relax with a bath bomb and calming music!
9. Go outside — When we’re actually in school, I’m sure the majority of us only spend a few minutes outside during the day. Take advantage of beautiful days to sit outside, play a game in the backyard, or even go on a hike!
10. Write a story — If you are a creative person, you might enjoy coming up with a fictional story to write when you have nothing else to do!

I wish you the best of luck as we navigate through the next four weeks of limited human interaction, and I hope you will take the time to do one of the activities above, or maybe come up with your own ideas!