Virtual park tours, Ivy League classes: Free things to do in a coronavirus quarantine
So you’re stuck at home and self-isolating during the coronavirus pandemic. What is there to do?
There are plenty of ways to pass the time — and many of them are free.
Work out
Gyms may be closed, but that shouldn’t stop you from getting your fitness on.
Planet Fitness is offering live workout videos every day on Facebook. Gold’s Gym has more than 600 audio and video workouts for free until the end of May. Peloton is offering its full library of yoga, meditation, strength, cycling and running tuitorials free for 90 days.
Enjoy nature, virtually
Using Google Earth, you can visit any national park online from the comfort of your couch. Death Valley National Park, Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are among the sites you can tour.
Check out some animals
The world-renowned San Diego Zoo is showing live feeds of many of its exhibits. So is the Monterrey Bay Aquarium.
Watch classic sports games
Most sports throughout the world are postponed during the pandemic, but you can watch many classic games for free.
The NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB have all opened up their libraries, giving fans the option to watch games from over the years. You can even watch classic wrestling matches through the WWE Network.
Tour museums
Soak in some culture while you’re at home. Google’s Arts and Culture website offers tours of museums throughout the world, including the Tokyo National Museum and Guggenheim Museum.
Virtual tours of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History are also available.
Watch a Broadway show
Broadway shows are available for free during a seven-day trial at BroadwayHD.com.
Meanwhile, The Metropolitan Opera streams a different encore presentation each night.
Learn to cook
Better Homes & Gardens and BBC have a plethora of online videos featuring cooking tips. Milk Street is providing cooking courses for free through the end of April.
Learn a new skill
You can take three months of free lessons guitar from Fender.
Foreign language courses are available at Duolingo.
Stream more than Netflix
While you have to pay for Netflix, Hulu and Disney Plus, many streaming sites are free. CNET has a list of all the ways to watch TV shows and movies at no cost.
Take a college course
It might be the perfect time to master a college course — even an Ivy League class. Many courses from Yale, Harvard, Princeton and Columbia are now available for free.
