In case you missed it, as of Thurs 5th Nov, England has entered into another full national lockdown. People up and down the country are trying to find ways to keep themselves busy throughout this four-week period.
But unlike the first lockdown back in March, people should already know what to expect from this and should only be going out if they have a specific reason like going to work, school, college, university, to get exercise, or going to an essential shop.
The lockdown restrictions stay in place until 2nd December when they are expected to ease and areas will then go back into tiered systems.
It’s going to be a tough few weeks for all of us and we need to find ways to stay busy and happy during this time, especially if you have been furloughed. If you are stuck for ideas of how to best occupy your time during this lockdown, we have put together some suggestions to try to keep you entertained and have as much fun at home as possible.
Host a virtual games night for family and friends
Did you just roll your eyes at us? By the end of the first lockdown, we bet you were sick to the back teeth of doing yet another Zoom quiz. BUT, hear us out.
Think back to those first few weeks of lockdown; those quizzes were so much fun and a great way of keeping in touch with our friends and fam. Having a virtual games night is one of the best ways to beat boredom and keep you and your loved ones entertained. It doesn’t have to be a Zoom quiz! You could play Jackbox or do a Netflix group viewing.
Stuck for ideas for your games night? Here’s a few options…
- Have guests submit a random fact about themselves beforehand and have your other guests try to guess and match up the fact with the correct person
- Similar to the above, find statuses from your guests’ social media posts and have the other guest guess who posted each one. Bonus points if you go far back enough in time and find some really cringy stuff
- Play a tried and tested classic like charades or Bingo
- Have someone turn off their microphone and have them say phrases. The other guests then have to guess what the person is saying. Lip reading is harder than you think!
Have a virtual day out
While we are all anxiously anticipating the 2nd December and the inevitable freedom that it brings so we can all get back to doing things we love like going to restaurants, going to the cinema or exhibitions of arts & events, nothing is stopping us from having a virtual day out in the meantime.
If you didn’t experience this in the first lockdown, it’s a good way to get ‘out and about’ without leaving your home. Sounds fun, right? You can simply do a virtual tour of art galleries or museums on your desktop, mobile, or tablet. It’s not as good as seeing the real thing, but it will pass the time for a little while.
Get your bake on
As well as being the worst year on record, 2020 will also be remembered as the year that everyone rolled up their sleeves and started baking endless amounts of banana bread. With The Great British Bake Off thankfully gracing out TV screens once again, there’s nothing stopping us from joining in each week with something new.
Why not whip up a batch of cookies or brownies to indulge in as you watch? That way you’ll have treats for when you tune in and you’ll have something to keep you busy during the day as you make them.
Learn to knit
We are approaching winter so why not have a go at knitting your own hat or scarf? No longer the hobby of nans and grans, young people everywhere are discovering what knit or crocheting can do for your mental health. And, let’s face it, you get something cosy at the end.
There are plenty of tutorials online to teach you, so no matter your age or level, you’ll be able to have a go. It’s a fun way to get crafty and to pass the time on a cold, windy afternoon. You could always join some Facebook groups to ask other knitters for any tips and advice they can share.
Get started on your Christmas shopping
You may think it’s a little early to think about Christmas shopping. NAH.
As someone who regularly says the phrase “I bloody love Christmas” you can bet that I’ve already started on my pressie shopping.
Why not get ahead of yourself (if you haven’t already) and start your Christmas shopping early. Online, of course. Make a list of the people you will be buying presents for and have fun shopping online. You might even pick up some bargains! If you can, look out for independent retailers to buy some gifts from.
Bonus points if you can support as many local and independent retailers as possible rather than filling Bezos’ pockets.
Speaking of Christmas… put your decs up
Yes, it’s another Christmas idea to keep you entertained (you can skip ahead to the next suggestion if it’s still too early for you). By the time we come out of this lockdown, Christmas decorations are going to be up everywhere. But by that point, you will want to be doing other things like going out for long walks or going to your local pub, and hopefully seeing family and friends. So you can put up your Christmas decorations now and you won’t have to worry about this in a few weeks as it will all be done.
And if you’re being a Grinch about the whole thing, don’t. This year’s been bad enough already without you humbug-ing everywhere.
Host a ‘Come Dine With Me’ style dinner
If you live with family or roommates, take it in turns to each create a three-course meal in the style of the TV show. Each night, one of you will be the host and whip up a delicious (hopefully) meal and provide some entertainment for your ‘guests’ who will then give you a score out of 10. It doesn’t have to be perfect but it will be a good way to pass the time and provide you all with a bit of fun throughout the week.
Catch up on your favourite programs
You may not want to do much at all during the second lockdown, and if that’s the case that is completely fine. Not everyone has to tick things off a giant list or write a novel. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself to start new projects or find new hobbies. If all you want to do is watch Netflix or Disney+, there is nothing wrong with that. There are plenty of shows and films on both to help pass the time and get you through this period.
Hopefully, some of these suggestions will keep you busy and entertained over the coming weeks, and remember to be gentle and kind to yourself during this time. It’s important that we all take each day as it comes.
