As lockdown measures in the UK are extended, staying in may be starting to become something of a pain. Thankfully, we’re experiencing these necessary restrictions in a time where many of us have access to incredible technology in our homes.
If you have a PC, laptop, tablet, smart phone, smart TV or games console then you’ll able to keep yourself entertained. In addition, there’s been an upsurge of virtual experiences that can help you learn something new or simply pass the time. Here’s a few for your consideration…
Online Museum Tours
Many museums are offering virtual tours right now. These are a great way to keep you entertained while learning something new.
The British Museum has a range of ways to visit virtually. The interactive timeline lets you search by category and displays connections between different artefacts, antiques and curiosities, stretching right back to 2 million BC. Each item has a description, audio guide, map and related objects.
The Natural History museum has nine virtual experiences, including a virtual tour AND an audio tour by Sir David Attenborough. There’s plenty to keep you clicking to enjoy finding out about nature (that some of us are sorely missing firsthand right now!)
London’s Science Museum provides a free virtual tour plus free resources and science ideas. The museum categorises activities by age though many are quick, fun projects that anyone could find interesting!
Musicals and plays
There’s a number of free streaming theatre productions available to keep your entertainment needs met beyond the standard film and TV streaming services.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals are being streamed for free on YouTube, each for a limited time. You’ll find them on the Shows Must Go On YouTube channel with a different show made available each Friday.
The National Theatre is streaming shows for free on YouTube that were previously available to see in cinemas across the globe. A new show is available each Thursday.
Landmark tours
Google’s Arts and Culture site offers a vast range of resources for a wide range of interests and plenty to explore. At Gray Dawes we’re advocates for how travel offers real cultural insight and expand the mind, but while travel is restricted, this might be the next best thing.
The landmark tours allow you to visit landmarks all over the globe from the comfort of your home, and see some of the wonders of the world, including the Taj Mahal and Machu Picchu.
This is a great way to get at least an understanding of the scale and beauty of these incredible sites across the globe and perhaps give you inspiration for new destinations once travel restrictions are lifted.
Cooking lessons
Plenty of celebrity chefs offer online cookery tips and restaurants are now getting in on the act.
McDonalds shared a recipe for their sausage and egg McMuffin, Costa Coffee has taken to YouTube to give tips on making the perfect cup and Wagamama’s has launched a new free video series, Wok From Home, to teach you how to make some of their dishes.
These are just a few of the vast array of virtual experiences and content available to us all right now. We’ve shared a number of other posts that will help people through on during the pandemic over on our working from home blog.