Spring Break 2020 has not been what anyone expected. The rising pandemic has disrupted lives, changed plans, and created a lot of uncertainty. For some, this season is full of chaos as they try to figure out the logistics for the immediate future. For others, it’s a lot time to think and try new things, but to some it’s just a time of boredom. Regardless, it seems like we’ll all be social distancing for a long time.
Today is my fourth day staying home during what is turning into a llong spring break. I’m fortunate enough to be in an area with very few cases, but I’m practicing social distancing as a precautionary measure to help keep others safe. After this week, I’m sure I’ll be swamped with school work and trying to figure out how to attend Zoom classes. But for now, I want to make the most of the time I have. After scouring google and social media for ideas, I tested the best ones and collected them here.
1. Take a virtual tour of a museum you’ve always wanted to see
Personally, I’ve been poking around the Van Gough Museum which I’ve been wanting to see since I read Vincent and Theo last year. It’s beautiful! If you want to try, I’d recommend downloading the Google Arts and Culture App because I’ve found the virtual tours are easier to use in-app than in my browser.
Additionally, the Met has an award-winning short video series for you to virtually visit their galleries in 360 with music.
Update 4/7: The British Museum has a really beautiful virtual timeline where you can view parts of their collection by continent complete with audio descriptions!
2. Color the collections of these 113 museums
I’ve seen a lot of comments about some of the links not working, but hopefully, they’ll fix it soon. In the meantime, I like the fragment of the Map of Vilnius from the Lithuanian Art Museum’s coloring book which does work!
When I checked openculture’s post, all the links on their main post except the one for Andover-Harvard Theological Library’s coloring book were working.
Update 3/21: This week, Yale released a dinosaur coloring book for their Peabody Museum! Check it out here.
3. Go feed your Neopet/check on your Puffle on Club Penguin
Relive your childhood with your friends. Today was the first meeting of the Yale Undergrad Club Penguin Association (actually an officially registered club). It was oddly comforting just to be there with other people from school, knowing that everyone is experiencing this unprecedented time together. The nostalgia is real, and I recommend it.
4. Live stream an encore presentation from the Met Opera
In light of show cancellations through at least March 31st, the Met Opera is offering nightly “Nightly Met Opera Steams” which start at 7:30 PM EST. These performances will be available on their home page for 20 hours after the stream, and they’re expected to continue for the duration of their closure. For more information and a schedule of performances click here.
If you’re so inclined, you can even play one in the background while playing Club Penguin. That’s what I did tonight.
5. Re-watch a show you loved
If opera isn’t really your thing, rewatch something you know you like. Or better yet, do it with a friend. My boyfriend and I have been watching shows on PBS KIDS over facetime. Some of them are much nerdier than I remembered, but others are just as good as I thought they were when I was 8.
6. Learn to bake/cook!
At Yale, I was on the dining plan and didn’t have a kitchen, but next year I’m moving off campus and won’t be on the meal plan. I realized that being home is actually a great opportunity to learn to cook from my mom/practice my baking skills.
Usually, when I come home, I pinterest recipes to make with friends. Now that I can’t go to the store to buy what I need to, it’s a little hard to find things to bake. Fortunately, I found this website which helps you find recipes you can make with whatever you have at home.
7. Do that thing you’ve been meaning to get to
We all have books we’ve been meaning to read, shows we’ve been meaning to watch, and friends we’ve been meaning to catch up with. Now we have time to do so. It’s time to actually write the next great American novel, learn to paint, write that thank-you note, or start a bullet journal.
Besides the things you may only do in these unique circumstances, it’s also important to do the things you have been doing regularly (even though this might have to look different than usual). Call/text to check up on friends, practice self-care, and get enough sleep.
But whatever you do, please STAY HOME.
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