Self Isolation Activity Ideas. Virtual Reality to Traditional Craft

Self Isolation Activities - things to do from virtual days out to creative activities.  Free.

Firstly, we have a Creative Art Competition on this website and are looking for art, drawing, painting, photography, film - why not take part as many times as you like.

Check out our Art Creative website section. 

Other ideas:

You could use free resources and videos to help you learn to draw from Access Art.  https://www.accessart.org.uk/art-resources-for-home/

Try a Pixar Animation Course.  https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/pixar

Virtual free online visitor attractions:

Wildlife Trust has lots of isolation activity ideas and lots of real time nature webcams.  https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/webcams

The British Museum https://britishmuseum.withgoogle.com

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.  https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/van-gogh-museum?hl=en

Buckingham Palace.  https://www.royal.uk/virtual-tours-buckingham-palace

Shakespeare’s, The Globe Theatre.  https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/discover/about-us/virtual-tour/#virtual-tour

The National Museum.  https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/visiting/virtual-tours

Vatican Museums of Rome.  http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/tour-virtuali-elenco.html

The  Louvre  Museum, Paris.  https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne

Visit London Virtual Tour.  https://360.visitlondon.com/#

London Houses of Parliament.  https://www.parliament.uk/visiting/virtualtour/

Virtual Tower of London.  https://www.youvisit.com/tour/meadk

Virtual look inside 10 Downing Street.  https://www.eyerevolution.co.uk/blog/get-inside-10-downing-street/

Hampton Court Palace.  https://in360degrees.co.uk/indie360/HamptonCourt/

Twickenham Stadium.  https://www.eyerevolution.co.uk/virtual-tours/stadium-360s-england-rugby-twickenham/

Churchill War Rooms.  https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=xJJGeY51FeQ&start=%7B%22camera_position%22:%7B%22x%22:-16.5778,%22y%22:1.4152,%22z%22:-7.7258%7D,%22camera_quaternion%22:%7B%22x%22:-0.0674,%22y%22:0.679,%22z%22:0.0628,%22w%22:0.7283%7D,%22camera_mode%22:1,%22scan_id%22:%2281a7b01444bd439599b5dd65a83119a4%22%7D

Fancy a Virtual Holiday?

Taj Mahal, India.  https://www.google.co.uk/maps/about/behind-the-scenes/streetview/treks/eiffel-tower/

Pyramids of Giza.  https://www.google.co.uk/maps/about/behind-the-scenes/streetview/treks/pyramids-of-giza/

Peru Machu Picchu.  https://www.youvisit.com/tour/machupicchu

Colosseum Rome, Italy.  https://artsandculture.google.com/story/colosseum/WQLi5E4TA1p9IQ

One day in Jerusalem?  https://www.google.co.uk/maps/about/behind-the-scenes/streetview/treks/pyramids-of-giza/

Eiffel Tower, Paris.  https://www.google.co.uk/maps/about/behind-the-scenes/streetview/treks/eiffel-tower/

Take a look at Lapland.  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6-8cW9rHGNGhELh83fcCg

New York Central Park.  https://www.youvisit.com/tour/centralpark

America’s Yosemite National Park.  https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm

Disney Florida.  https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/g31977949/virtual-disney-rides/

https://www.visitorlando.com/en/things-to-do/virtual-tours

Disney have put together a fun course for designing a theme park, give it a try.  https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/hass-storytelling/imagineering-in-a-box 

The Sydney Opera House Virtual Experience.  https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/sydney-opera-house/KgGPW2YWtcHpBg?sv_lng=151.2135034733324&sv_lat=-33.85845058282505&sv_h=7.803483721808343&sv_p=-17.420927533713837&sv_pid=opBj2MqN2Mk4yX5QdZPYDw&sv_z=1.2620948453701795

Why not try a Virtual Experience and write a postcard like you were there!

Some Zoos are offering virtual visits and lots of free online videos like SAN DIEGO Zoo.  https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/live-cams 

Or try Vancouver Aquarium.  https://vanaqua.org/live-cams

Edinburgh Zoo Webcam.  https://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/webcams/panda-cam/

A Zoo in Japan, Hiraka has a range of webcams.  https://hirakawazoo.jp/animal/movie

A Monkey Village in Japan has webcams.  The attraction is Jigokudani Yaen-koen.  http://en.jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp

Or if you like cats, check out Miaou’s.  https://www.youtube.com/user/kamaitachiTV/ 

Maybe make a poster about what you have learnt.

Craft Websites

Start to help your mental wellbeing with 70 creative practical tasks, being creative, using art, photography, writing, drawing, collage, textiles, animation, mindfulness self-help and fun, however artistic you are.  http://www.start2.co.uk/

Free colouring sites, like Just Colour.  https://www.justcolor.ne

Take part in a drawing challenge – Instagram has many different drawing challenges and useful  prompts.  Use the time to try them out and inspire you.

Randomly pick a theme, like animals, trees, flowers etc and do a 100-day challenge to use this theme in a creative way, such as painting/drawing/writing keeping a record of your efforts.  Consider sharing the theme with others, so you can compare ideas and show what you have achieved.

Try some finger painting or paint with your feet.

Other ideas for activities or to relax.

Have a picnic in the garden.

Sensory sites.  http://weavesilk.com

Background Noise Rain.  https://www.rainymood.com

Useful site mimics conversation and may help if feeling anxious or worried.  https://www.wysa.io

Listen to some Audio Books from Audible Amazon, free, during the Coronavirus.  https://stories.audible.com/start-listen

Quick Reads Book List.  https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/quick-reads

Brain Testers from Sharp Brains.  https://sharpbrains.com/brainteasers/ or Luminosity.  https://www.lumosity.com/en/

Ted Ed offers insightful short education videos, free.  https://ed.ted.com

Let’s Day Out gives virtual days out and online demonstrations like cooking.  https://letsdayout.com/about-the-app/

Read a disability blog, like, from this website.

Watch a Classical Concert.  https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/live-streamed-classical-music-concerts-coronavirus/

If you are a Harry Potter fan, try an online Harry Potter class.  http://www.hogwartsishere.com

Also, https://www.wizardingworld.com/collections/harry-potter-at-home

Check out, explore and watch animals in their natural Habitat - what have you learned about them?  https://explore.org/livecams

London Online Gaming Festival.  https://games.london

Look at the British Comedy Guide.  https://www.comedy.co.uk

Write a review of some comedy - what did you think?

Stay at home Virtual Choir.  https://www.classicfm.com/artists/gareth-malone/choirmaster-gareth-malone-home-chorus-coronavirus/

Formula 1 Virtual Experience Videos.  Write about what you see as a Sports Reporter.  https://www.youtube.com/user/Formula1/videos?app=desktop

History Channel with Dan Snow on History Hit.  https://tv.historyhit.com/browse/collections/2766

Look for good news stories, happy or funny pictures or quotes not related to the the Coronavirus (Covid-19).  Then share these on social media or make a poster of your findings to show others. 

Update your free apps and try apps, like, Draw Something Classic that get you and your friends interacting and guessing drawings. 

Host an online Virtual Party on Skype, Messenger or Zoom.

Watch a film.

Keep a diary or use creative writing websites by looking at the following:

Literacy Shed.  https://www.literacyshed.com/home.html

Story Starter.  http://thestorystarter.com

Creative Writing Prompts.  http://www.creativewritingprompts.com

Play a  Quiz like Kahoot!  Online 

Use an advert, a photo, a magazine picture or headline as a writing prompt or try an activity, like writing to your older or younger self. 

Use music lyrics or a music video to write a story.

Create Origami.

Write a letter to someone who you are not currently with or have an interview. 

Make up a memory box or time capsule.  Set up a photo booth and use different props.

Listen to a Podcast.

Attend a Social Distancing Festival, celebrating different types of art.  https://www.socialdistancingfestival.com

Explore virtual NASSA.  Learn about the stars and planets!  https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/explore 

Maybe do a poster about NASSA or a Planet.

Revisit a childhood game, like a favourite board game with your family or a card game, like UNO.

Learn to play and practice the card game, Solitaire, that you find on most computers.

Learn to touch type or simply improve your typing and IT skills.  There are some good free websites for this.  https://www.speedtypingonline.com/typing-tutor

Watch the National Theatre online.  https://www.youtube.com/user/ntdiscovertheatre.  Look through this website from: improving your Maths, English and life skills to reading disability blogs.

Learn and put into practice a life skill, such as cleaning or cooking.

Cooking.

Mencap.  Easy read visual recipes book.  https://www.southwiltsmencap.org.uk/news/easy-read-cookbook-bromley-mencap

CookABILITY visual recipe videos.  United Response for people with learning disabilities on YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cookability

The Cyrenians Good Food Pictorial Recipe Book Programme is a social enterprise with a mission to bring good food and healthy lifestyles to people who are experiencing disadvantage, isolation, poverty, homelessness and social exclusion.  They have produced a visual pictorial recipe book for easy follow recipe’s.  https://cyrenians.scot/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Cyrenians-Recipes-1.pdf

The Accessible Chef.  https://accessiblechef.com

Jamie Oliver Cooking.  https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/category/books/keep-cooking-and-carry-on/?cb=10-1744

Exercise: 

Do an NHS Fitness Studio exercise workout.  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/nhs-fitness-studio/ 

or 

Mr Motivator.  http://www.mrmotivator.com/welcome/

Try some NHS seated exercise.  https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/sitting-exercises/

Do some gardening at home.

Try an online YouTube free Yoga class.  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZkDZKOcvYTh4dRDXQ71m7gQUmWkDmLAl

Active in the Community, Bucks have a wide range of online exercise classes people can participate in.  https://www.activeinthecommunity.org.uk/bucks/