The Best Virtual Things To Do At Home

We may all be truly fed up of staying indoors as we navigate our third national lockdown but the good news is, over the past year, we've proven that we're a pretty imaginative bunch when it comes to innovating from home.

Explore some of the best things to do when you’re stuck at home this week because if there's anything 2020 taught us, it's how to have fun at home.

Challenge your friends to an online murder mystery

Describing itself as a provider of “the best in murder mystery entertainment”, UK company Red Herring Games’ multilayered games can now be adapted for virtual gatherings with the assistance of video conferencing applications like Zoom or Google Hangouts. They have games suitable for smaller groups of 6-20 people, kids parties, and larger groups that can break off into multiple rooms. So, invite your mates over for a nailbiting night of scripted fun!

Seafront defences on Brighton beach looking west to West Pier, 1944

Explore a cool virtual exhibition

Brighton Museums currently have a whole host of exciting exhibitions on display. One of a kind showstoppers such as ‘Fashioning Africa’, a colourful look into apparel and style of African fashion, post-1960, and ‘WW2 in Brighton’ a display of photographs and audio clips to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

Some Like It Hip Hop © Johan Persson

Watch a dazzling production from London’s West End

Missing the London theatre scene as much as we are? Stream some of your favourite shows online now, including Romeo and Juliet, Frozen and I, Cinna, all from the comfort of your own home.

Take a virtual baking masterclass

Being stuck inside has its upsides: namely that you’re never far from your kitchen. This definitely is not the time to worry about waistlines, and baking has all sorts of therapeutic effects (seriously – google it). But if your repertoire doesn’t go beyond chocolate fridge cake, don’t worry: ace West Sussex bakery The Artisan Bakehouse is streaming baking classes. From doughnuts to brownies, there’s no limit to what these pros can help you create. Take their ingredient list on your next shopping run before tuning in.

Take The Virtual Train Ride Of A Lifetime

Virtual train rides provide viewers the chance to relax and soothe the mind while discovering new landscapes, some of which many of us will never experience, quarantine or not. Plus, you don’t have to worry about train fares or if the onboard amenities are up to par — just pour yourself a hot cup of tea (or a cocktail to fit the destination) and hop aboard. Our favourite journey? Explore The Flåm Railway, Norway or the Geibi Line to the Fukuen Line, Japan.

Rediscover the fantastical world of Harry Potter

If you’ve always dreamed of going to Hogwarts, now’s your chance to live that fantasy. Potterheads are well served by our weird times, thanks to the brand new ‘Harry Potter at Home’ site launched by JK Rowling. Explore a virtual tour of a magical Harry Potter exhibition, navigate a marvellous Potter-themed online escape room, take part in a shockingly accurate Sorting Hat quiz and experience a virtual Harry Potter roller coaster. Boredom banished!

Join a healing online painting and meditation course

No matter what your religion or cultural background is, this time of quiet and isolation is taking its toll on all of us. In times like these, it’s important that we discover and engage in the things which calm us, comfort us and allow us to surrender and live in this moment. Take an online mediation and painting class at Bhakti Marga and feel more at ease and able to cope in the uncertain times upon us.

Come Away starring David Oyelowo and Angelina Jolie.

Watch The Latest In World Cinema At Home

Support your local cinema or film society by watching films at home. Lewes Depot is partnering with YourScreen to bring a fantastic programme of world cinema – most of it new to the UK and not available on other streaming platforms – into your living room.

Take a virtual literary tour of the Bronte sisters’ life

Charlotte, Emma, and Anne Bronte were born in the village of Thornton and had become established names in literature with their novels and poetry. Take a virtual walk through their lives, starting on the street they grew up on, and weave your way through the Yorkshire countryside which inspired them in so many of their novels.

Join a virtual choir

If the videos of cities in lockdown coming together to sing on their balconies left you with a lump in your throat, this is your chance to add your vocal cords to one of several online choirs popping up around the world. The Sofa Singers is a free online singing event that aims to ‘bring people together from around the world to spark joy and human connection’. It involves hundreds of singers joining a Zoom call and learning a new song together. Get singing!

Live-stream the Northern Lights

Just because you’re stuck at home, doesn't mean you have to miss out on some of the world’s most stunning natural wonders. Thanks to Explore.com, you can now live-stream the Northern Lights straight into your front room. The live cam is located at the Churchill Northern Studies Center in Manitoba, Canada, directly underneath the aurora oval. With the arctic dark most of the day and the skies clear, now’s the perfect time to tune in.