Businesses and restaurants are slowly opening back up, but with restrictions. We are still not totally free from the chains of the pandemic. Your mind might be tired of looking at the computer screen from attending Zoom classes. While social distancing can be cumbersome, there are plenty of online activities you can do with your friends!
Houseparty
I am not talking about an actual house party. That would be against the COVID regulations. Houseparty is an app and desktop application that allows group video chatting. This is not just another version of FaceTime. Houseparty has games installed in the application to play! You can play various versions of Heads Up, Trivia, Quick Draw, and even a game called Chips and Guac. Chips and Guac is similar to Cards Against Humanity.
Virtual Dinners
Whether you are in a dorm or off-campus housing, virtual dinners are a great way to spend time talking to your friends and catch up on one another’s days. If you are in a dorm, try looking up wacky dorm-friendly recipes, share it with your friends, and see whose creation was better. I created a video on how you can make your own lobster mac and cheese using just a microwave! Personally, since I live in off-campus housing, I’ll cook something like a steak or a pasta dish and video chat with my friends while I’m cooking and then sit down and eat together.
Binge-watch Chatrooms
Since the start of quarantine, I have been binge-watching old and new shows on Netflix, Hulu, and Youtube. One thing I missed was watching those shows with my friends. There are many applications that you can use to share your screen and watch your favorite shows. My favorites are Zoom, Discord, and Netflix Party. Schedule a time that works for your crew each week and make it a weekly ritual to take a break from your school day to relax and laugh with your friends.
Online Multiplayer Games
This is for all of my online game players out there. There are many games that offer ways to meet your friends online. Some of my favorites are Animal Crossing, Sims 4 Multiplayer, and UNO!. These are fun ways to play with your friends without video chatting if you do not feel like it. Visiting my friends’ Animal Crossing towns or visiting my friends’ Sim house is a great way to relax and communicate.
Google Street View Tours
This is something I’ve been doing long before this pandemic started. Ever wanted to go to Disney World? How about the Eiffel Tour? Or maybe hawker stalls in Singapore? All of this is virtually possible with Google Earth. With a drop of your little yellow person on the screen, you can virtually travel to almost anywhere in the world! When I check out food markets in different places, I like to be cooking something so I can get that similar “fresh-food-in-the -air” atmosphere.
These are just some of the cool ways you can have fun virtually during a pandemic. Do not let restrictions and social distancing prevent you from having fun virtually. Get creative, be silly, and stay safe!