Non-essential travel is being discouraged across the country as a result of the pandemic and a series of lockdowns. A difficult yet essential measure. Let’s all remain at home and use this extra time to reevaluate our priorities and discover new interests. It doesn’t have to be dull while you’re at it. Here are 5 more activities that you can do online for free to make the most out of your home quarantine.

If you have not read PART 1 of our Lockdown Activities series here’s the link.

1. Take An Online Course (Because Learning Is an Activity!)

Online activities like taking courses have become all the rage. You can absorb knowledge without ever leaving your couch—what a time to be alive! And the best part? Many of these activities are FREE! If you’re feeling fancy and want a certificate to flex on LinkedIn, that’ll cost you around $49.

Platforms like Coursera.Org offer an insane amount of online activities, from website-building activities to financial marketing activities. I personally dipped my toes into these digital activities last year, and let me tell you—it felt great. There are activities for every interest, and trust me, nothing makes you feel like a productive genius quite like learning something new.

Why Online Learning is Awesome:

• We can earn a certificate or diploma without setting foot in a physical classroom
• We can work full-time while we study
• We set our own schedule: study in the early morning, on your lunch break, or even in the middle of the night 

2. Learn Creative Hobbies (AKA More Activities!)

Bored? Time to pick up some creative activities before you start talking to your furniture. Fun fact: Not all boredom is created equal. Sometimes it’s just an itch to do something productive, and other times, it’s an existential crisis in disguise. The best remedy? Engaging activities!

Some of the activities I tried during lockdown included building Gundam kit models (because why not?), playing the kalimba (like a pocket-sized piano for your soul), and setting up Raspberry Pi (nerdy but cool). If those activities sound too geeky, don’t worry! You can try other activities like homebrewing (make your own beer!) or hydroponics (because plants deserve love too). The internet is full of instructional videos that make learning these activities easier than ever.

Sites I’ve lurked at: Youtube, WatchKnowLearn.org, HowCast.com, and more!

3. Play Games (Because Gaming = Activities!)

Gaming activities are another great way to kill time. When I’m not taking online activities (ahem, courses), I play Solitaire. Unlike other games that require 100% of your brainpower, Solitaire is a casual activity that still gives your brain a gentle workout. It sharpens memory, strategic thinking, and most importantly, provides a moment of peace away from the chaos of life.

I stumbled upon Solitaire.Org , a hidden gem with zero annoying ads. Nothing ruins gaming activities faster than an ad that starts playing unexpected music or refuses to be closed. This website has a ton of Solitaire variations—Algerian Patience Solitaire, Taj Mahal Solitaire, Chinese Solitaire, and Egypt Solitaire for those who love travel-themed activities!

Not into card activities? No worries! The site also has hidden object activities, match-three activities, crossword activities, and more! The crosswords even update daily, so you’ll never run out of fresh activities to keep your brain sharp.

I only found out there are hundreds of different ways to play Solitaire and a lot of different versions are available on this website. Good thing, Solitaire.Org provides instructions on how to play the games and there are also videos available when you get confuse.

Here are some that have ‘travel’ or ‘bucket list’ vibes on them, my favorite is the ‘I wanna check out Egypt and see the Great Pyramids’ kind of vibe:

• Algerian Patience Solitaire
• Taj Mahal Solitaire
• Chinese Solitaire
• Egypt Solitaire

Another favourite is the classic Klondlike Solitaire, also known as Fascination and Patience, where your goal is to sort the cards into four goals, each representing one suit. There are other versions of this available for free such as the Kings Klondike and the Gargantua Double Klondike (both use two decks of cards).

Solitaire.Org isn’t just limited to card games, it has several other Flash games available such as find the hidden objects, match 3, and other challenging games like crossword puzzles. I particularly like this one because of its simplicity with an interface that is user-friendly. Every day they offer new crosswords to solve. To the left side, there’s a calendar where you can backtrack recent or check future crossword puzzles.

No, they won’t ask you to sign up and you don’t need to pay for anything, no sketchy surveys or other click-bait.

4. Watch Free Documentaries

Another awesome website to visit when you’re bored is DocumentaryHeaven.Com. Their collections are pretty impressive, covering popular topics that are freely available to view and many I have not seen on Netflix. All of the contents are coming in high-quality formats so you won’t have to worry about a lousy film-watching experience. They won’t charge you a dime and you don’t need to create an account.

5. Hop on the Musical Time Machine

Radiooooo.com is a goldmine for lost or forgotten tracks that allows listeners from around the world to listen to music from the 1900s to the present. Sort of a musical time travels through an interactive map. You select a year, and a country and listen to historical delights. Basic plan users are free to enjoy 1 song per country and decade. Premium plan users can access the whole playlists and history of songs played.

And there you have it—an activity-packed list of activities (did I mention activities?) to keep you from losing your mind at home. Whether you choose learning activities, gaming activities, watching activities, or creative activities, just remember: Staying engaged is the best way to fight boredom.

So go forth, pick an activity (or ten), and make quarantine a little less monotonous!

What are other fun and productive things to do on the internet for free while on home quarantine? Let us know by commenting below!