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Life > Experiences

5 Ways to Have Socially-Distanced Fall Fun

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Penn chapter.

The new school semester is halfway over, fall is upon us, and we’re entering the eighth month of coronavirus quarantine. With winter right around the corner, it’s important to go outside and enjoy the air before it gets too cold. 

I hope this article gives you five fun activities to do during the fall – and they all follow social-distancing guidelines, so don’t worry! 

Go for a picnic

Don’t get me wrong, I love eating food at the table, but right now we need to try to interact outside. If you want to see your friends for lunch, then why not make it a picnic? Grab a picnic blanket and a sweater (just in case it gets cold) and head out for a bite with your friends.

Go for a walk 

During the summer, you had all the time in the world to do whatever you wanted. I never had to schedule a walk because I had nothing on my schedule. I could just get up and leave whenever I wanted to. But now I have classes, homework, and online meetings. 

Getting outside and enjoying the weather is crucial for our mental health. So, pick up your phone and let your friends know that you’re going on a walk. Hopefully, people can join you and you’ll be able to catch up while enjoying the crisp fall air.

Decorate your living space

As someone who’s living off-campus but not at home, I realized that I needed to make my living situation as comfortable as possible. At first, I didn’t see the need to decorate my space, but then I remembered that I would be spending much more time in my room than normal. I thought of a few items that would make my space just a little bit cozier:

– Because I’m from London, I grabbed a British flag and made it into a headboard; thus, it became the focal point of my room. 

– I got a bookshelf from Bed, Bath and Beyond for all of my books. I wanted my room to feel as open as possible, which meant there had to be minimal clutter. 

– I got more lamps. For the first week, I was only using one lamp in my room and while it worked, I constantly felt dreary. Everything just felt blah, which was just not the way to live. After I added another light to my room, my room felt even cozier!

Go to a pumpkin patch or apple orchard

Nothing screams autumn more than going to a pumpkin patch. Since this is an outdoor activity, it can be enjoyed with friends. It can also be free if you don’t pick the apples or take a pumpkin home. All you need is the transportation to get there. 

Have a Netflix party with your friends

With Halloween right around the corner, spooky movies are front and center on Netflix. Now is the perfect opportunity to use the “Netflix Party” application to tune in with your friends while sitting on the couch with your roommates. This weekend, I’m definitely going to turn on Netflix, cuddle under a blanket, and send a Netflix watch party link to my friends.

Of course, these aren’t all the activities one can do to hang out with their friends while maintaining social distance. This list was just meant to spark inspiration. It’s important to hang out with friends during these crazy times, so make sure to safely get out there and see the people you love. 

Zoe is a Junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, she is majoring in Cinema and Media Studies as well as minoring in English and Russian Studies. She hails from London, England, and has loved being a part of HerCampus. She has a younger sister, and two Havanese dogs (both of whom she misses very much). When she is not studying, she is the Vice President of Penn Sirens (Penn’s Premier all-female acapella group), a performing member of the Musical Theatre and Light Opera Company ‘Penn Singers’, a mentor for ASAP (After School Arts Program), and was selected as a student liaison between the Annenberg center and the students involved in the arts on campus. Find her on Instagram @z.goldstein