Many Washington Weekenders--and many beyond Washington--are choosing to or are being forced to stay at home for the next few weeks--and probably longer. Sure, you can go outside, and it's probably best for your mental health to do so. But when you're looking for things to do around the house (or 500-sq-ft apartment?), take a look at this list for some ideas.
"Field Trips"
3. Watch the Live Cams at the San Diego Zoo, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Live Cams, the Giant Panda Cam at the National Zoo, or the Beluga Whale Cam (and many more) from the awesome Georgia Aquarium.
4. Take 360-degree virtual farm tours through Canada's FarmFood 360.
5. Immerse yourself in a virtual tour of the Louvre in Paris.
6. Or, see the Great Wall of China.
7. For a treasure trove of museum exhibits and 360-degree tours, head over to Google's Arts & Culture page.
Theater and Musical Performances
8. Watch recordings of live performances at the Kennedy Center through their Digital Stage.
9. Watch free performances at the Metropolitan Opera while their facility is closed. (You can subscribe later for more performances through their Met Opera on Demand.)
10. Listen to/watch live streams of classical concerts performed by the world's best orchestras through the handy schedule here.
College Basketball
11. It may not be March Madness, but fulfill your bracket craving with this NCAA Game Simulator.
12. Or, skip to One Shining Moment.
Exercise
A run is a great excuse to get out of the house. But if you're missing the social aspect and accountability of your regular DC classes, consider supporting those small businesses virtually.
13. Fit4Mom is offering virtual classes for mamas (with or without the babes--up to you!)
14. Bluebird Sky Yoga is holding virtual classes, including free or pay-what-you-like classes during weekday lunchtimes.
15. Washingtonian collected a slew of local studios who are providing online classes during coronavirus closures here.
Misc.
16. Play free multiplayer online games with your faraway friends, family, or coworkers.
17. Partake in virtual DC religious services and/or other online community or mental health support.
19. Use your DC Public Library account and download Overdrive or goDigital to access free eBooks and audio books.
20. Host a virtual, BYOB happy hour with your fellow confined friends via Zoom or Google Hangouts.
Of course, these are all things you can just do with a WiFi connection. I didn't even touch potential movies, TV shows, crafts, games, and more that you can do to keep yourself entertained.
Good luck and stay safe!