Welcome back Black Bears, classes are back in session! Well… Zoom classes at least. With everything revolving around the Coronavirus outbreak since schools made the executive decision to shut down all campuses and send all students home back in March, many of the fun things we all love to do have been put on hold or rendered nonexistent. The way we all knew classes is no longer and the normalcy we knew and loved is forever altered. Everything has been moved online as students face a brutal change in their college experience with no in-person lectures, tutoring sessions, or discussions. This also means no getting together with friends and going out like we used to. Not only that, but the bigger events are no longer as well which means no concerts, big birthday bashes, or really any events on campus and off that involve getting too many people together in close proximity to one another. Now, as much as it is a disappointment to not be able to go out with friends without the requirement of at least six feet of space and a mask – don’t let that discourage you! I promise there are still so many fun things we can all do that are COVID-19 friendly!
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Sport it Up
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There is a multitude of sports that allow us to be socially distant from one another. Tennis, passing a soccer ball, throwing a baseball back and forth, and so many more sports activities are all great ways to stay active and be with a friend (or a couple if you are following your state’s mandate on how many people can get together at a time) in person. Don’t be afraid to find your local courts, fields, or tracks and make a plan to meet up with a friend, or a few for a game or scrimmage.
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Combining the Outdoors and Movies
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There are so many everyday activities that we normally associate with being solely indoors. However, there are some activities that are even more fun to do outside and COVID-19 has now given us the push we need to switch our usual go-to’s and routines up a bit – maybe even for the better! Using a projector and hanging up a sheet or finding a flat light surface as the screen makes for a great movie night and can be done anywhere – in a dorm, in someone’s backyard, and other places of the like. This also gives you the opportunity to call up friends and family for something fun and different everyone can do together, with minimal risk of exposure too! Of course, if you can find a local Drive-In that is always an awesome option as well but this gives you a cheap, at-home alternative!
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Picnic in the Park
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Going on a socially distanced picnic is a great way to spend time with friends and family – or even a cute date idea for you and your significant other! Picnics give us the freedom to go anywhere we could possibly want. I often like to think of it as a combination of three of my favorite things: food, the people I care about, and a beautiful place! You can do anything from watching the sunrise to the sunset and be anywhere from the top of a breathtaking mountain to on a gorgeous beach – it really is a personalized experience and is relatively inexpensive as well.
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Pick Up a New Hobby – Old or New
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The Coronavirus outbreak gives us the opportunity to reflect on all of the things that we love to do most, and maybe even the chance to rediscover old passions or hobbies that we have always wanted to keep a part of our lives but haven’t been able to because well, life gets busy. For me, I rediscovered my not-so-wallet-friendly habit of online shopping – as many others did too! But, I also didn’t realize how much I loved to cook and bake! I don’t think I have ever spent so much time trying to perfect recipes as I did during quarantine. Although I did find one, I am still looking for more fun hobbies and activities to do that are COVID-19 friendly, but I find that if I am on the lookout for fun ideas using many outlets of inspiration (be it social media, friends, and family of mine or word of mouth), I usually find something new every week.
I hope these ideas help you a little bit if you are one of those people who are finding themselves a little disappointed in the lack of social events going on. You can always make your own fun and safe social event while socially distancing yourself from one another, wearing masks, and following any other recommended guidelines! Be it rediscovering a new hobby or spending more time on an old one, getting together with friends and family outdoors with a sporting game or a projector movie and beyond, COVID-19 has allowed us to take advantage of the time we have to find alternative ways to fill our days so make sure to take advantage of that while we can!