Spring of 2020, what a strange time for us huh? If you’re struggling with fun things to do during social distancing and self quarantine, you are not alone. No one could have ever prepared for our lives to change so drastically and so quickly. I think most of us took for granted little pleasures like family dinners and quick shopping trips.
I hesitated to make a social distancing related blog post for a few reasons. To start, I didn’t want to be be just another blogger leveraging this sensitive time and “hot topic” with a blog post. Also, I was struggling myself with fun things to do at home. And initially, I think I was in denial that this time in our lives would be as severe and lengthy as it is.
Nonetheless, I finally decided to spend some time rounding up some ideas of fun things to do at home during social distancing. If I can help make this time a little more fun for even one person, then it’s all worth it. While most of these activities would be more fun with a partner, they can still be done by yourself too.
7 Fun Things To Do During Social Distancing
1. Happy Hour
Plan for happy hour with your significant other or for a virtual happy hour with your friends/family! Matt and I have been spending happy hour sitting on our patio outside together. It’s been an intentional way to go on a “date” and have fun during social distancing. We leave our phones inside and spend quality time together.
You can pick up ingredients to make special cocktails or check out your local restaurants for their curbside drink options. We have some restaurants in town selling pre-made margaritas, mimosas, and sangrias by the gallon. This makes it more special and fun than just regular ol’ drinking at home. I also recommend playing music on a speaker, laptop, or phone. And if you’re really itching to make it an event, get dressed and ready. Meet your partner or your friends virtually at a predetermined time.
2. At Home Concert
Due to concerts and live events being indefinitely postponed, some musicians/celebrities have been playing “concerts” via live stream on Instagram and Facebook. I even saw a couple comedians streaming live shows. Check out your favorites to see if you can catch a concert. Matt and I have watched Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs live streams.
If you can’t find any of your favorite artists streaming, crowd source your Instagram followers for stand up comedy recommendations. This is a time when we could especially use laughter! You can even FaceTime with friends and watch together. Another option is to listen to comedy podcasts (or true crime if that’s your thing). I have been taking daily walks to listen to comedy podcasts and it’s an easy way to get some steps in and lighten my mood.
3. “Fun” Dinner Night
Plan for a fun dinner you wouldn’t normally have. This is also the perfect time to treat yourself to a little something extra if you can. For our Luke Combs “concert,” Matt and I had a homemade charcuterie board for dinner. It doesn’t have to be fancy or too expensive, just pick things you enjoy. I recommend Aldi for your meats and cheeses if you have one in your area, as they tend to be a little cheaper.
Dinner ideas:
- Charcuterie board
- We did Pepperoni, Salami, Capicola, smoked Gouda, Brie, and a couple different cracker options.
- Fondue
- I did a fondue night with mom and sister long before quarantine and it was so much fun! I’ll link the cheese recipes we used below. In addition to the fondue ingredients, you’ll need items for dipping such as bread, carrots, broccoli, charcuterie meat, or apples.
- Zesty cheddar fondue
- Wisconsin trio fondue
- Nachos/Fajitas
- Really splurge on toppings to make it more fun
- Crab legs
- Or whatever you’re preferred seafood is.
- Any recipe you’ve been wanting to try for awhile! Now is the time to try something new.
4. Tik Tok
Making them or just watching, that is entirely up to you. I rejected the idea of Tik Tok for a long time. But, I finally caved and I am so glad I did. Making Tik Toks and learning the dances/challenges can be a fun way to get some exercise and kill time. That being said, I haven’t made a dang one. They’re just really funny to watch.
Remember, you dont have to come out of social distancing with a new hobby or side hustle. If you can maintain your sanity, you’re doing great. I am huge proponent of movement and exercise but sometimes you just need to chill on your couch and do nothing except laugh. This is a whole date idea in and of itself if you happen to be quarantined with your partner. Combine happy hour and watching Tik Toks and you’ve got a really fun evening.
5. Name That Song
Okay I’ll admit, you need a partner for this one. But I figure, chances are you are quarantined with someone and this is one of my favorite games to play. Pick a music genre that you and the other “player” both know and enjoy. Ideally, you have a similar level of knowledge on the genre as your partner. For Matt and I, it is always 2000’s country. Turn on the station on Pandora or Spotify and see who can guess the most song titles correctly.
We often combine this with game with happy hour on the patio too. If someone can answer the title and artist before the other, they win that round regardless if the other person got just the title. If it’s a song neither can name, but one person can name the artist, they win. Matt and I started this on road trips but have started playing with friends and now during social distancing too.
6. Puzzles
Don’t knock it until you try it! Matt makes fun of me for “being an old lady” while I do puzzles but he doesn’t know what he’s missing. There are so many to choose from on Amazon. You can even get ones made out of one of your pictures! It’s the perfect way to relax without screens and kill time.
Pro tip: Make sure you buy a puzzle that will fit on a table you already have. Our table only allows me to do 500 piece puzzles. Also, if you have cats consider putting the table in a room that they don’t have access to.
7. Who Knows The Other Better
Play with your quarantine partner or over FaceTime with family/friends! There are tons of question ideas on Pinterest or you can use some questions from this list! You can keep it as simple as asking the question to your partner and seeing if they come up with the answer you have in mind or you can get white boards and write the answers down and turn them around to reveal if they got the answer right.
If you’re quarantined with your significant other you may enjoy these posts too:
8 Ways To Keep Your Relationship Exciting
8 Tips For Fighting Fair In Your Relationship
I hope above all you are staying healthy, physically and mentally during this time. Do your best with what you’ve got and try and have a little bit of fun! Let’s hope social distancing is just a memory of the past sooner than later.
-The Relatable Red
