Exploring the Great Indoors: Things You Can Do From Home

April 23, 2020 | LIFESTYLE

There are countless ways to use technology to explore the great outdoors while you stay safe inside and self-isolate. — From virtual visits to National Parks to Broadway Shows and video calls with friends, there are tons of fun ways to stay engaged while you stay home.

With self-isolation and social distancing being actively practiced across Southern California, we wanted to provide some ideas for ways you can entertain yourself without leaving your house using the marvels of the internet. Afterall, we can only binge-watch so many shows or movies before we need to stimulate our brains a little more, and board games, knitting, cooking, and exercising are fun for so long. Luckily, we put together some of our favorite things you can do or check out while staying safe inside.

Virtual Visits to National Park

Check out Yosemite National Park and 32 other National Parks through custom-built Google Earth tours. — Yosemite National Park is one of 33 National Parks you can visit virtually thanks to Google Earth tours.

Explore the great outdoors from the cozy confines of your home using these immersive Google Earth tours of 33 cherished National Parks, courtesy of totallythebomb.com. Visit popular destinations around the nation, from Sea to Shining Sea, including Yellowstone National Park, Arches National Park, Everglades National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and our local favorite, Joshua Tree National Park.

Experience Italian Museums for Free

Check out the Vatican Museum among other enlightening and timeless Italian museums thanks to virtual tours. — Impressive works of art and significant architectural masterpieces are available at your fingertips thanks to virtual visits to some of Italy’s most popular museums, including the unrivaled Vatican Museum.

Take a trip to the Mediterranean and check out these magical museums housing some of history’s most treasured works of art, thanks to 360-degree virtual tours. From the Vatican’s impressive collection of art to epic ruins of ancient Rome, there are plenty of spectacular works to appreciate.

Enjoy Your Favorite Animals at the Click of Button

You can catch polar bears and hundreds of other animals through live web cams from some of the top local and national zoos and aquariums. — Polar bears are among the many animals you can catch on live cam feeds from local and national zoos and aquariums.

An exotic assortment of incredible animals is available to view via the San Diego Zoo and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo live cams. Check out 12 different live cameras spanning primates to big cats to birds, and much more at the San Diego Zoo, or 5 different animals at the National Zoo, including lions and giant pandas. If you prefer to dive deep with sea-faring creatures, you can swim with your favorite oceanic organisms with live feeds from the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium and Birch Aquarium in La Jolla. The Monterey Bay Aquarium feed includes 10 live cameras from different exhibits around the aquarium, while the Birch Aquarium feed focuses on the popular Kelp Room, boasting a variety of sea creatures and, on occasion, a diver.

Catch A Show On Broadway

Catch the power and magic of live theater from the cozy confines of your home thanks to streaming. — The magic of Broadway is available from the comfort of your home thanks to streaming services.

The “live” theater lives on as some of Broadways favorites and classic hits come to life via streaming services. With groundbreaking productions such as RENT, Sweenie Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Cats, and many more, playbill.com put together collection of 15 Broadway hits you can catch online from the best seat in your house. Some of these are already streaming for free while others are available for purchase, depending on the show.

Enjoy Virtual Time With Friends

Stay connected to friends virtually using video conferencing apps such as Zoom, Facebook Live, Skype, and more. — Enjoy quality face-to-face time with your friends and family thanks to video conferencing apps.

There are so many ways to connect virtually to your network of friends and family. From ever popular Zoom and FaceTime to Google Hangouts, Google Duo, Blue Jeans, and more, there are plenty of platforms to choose from that can keep you talking face-to-face through your phone, tablet, and computer. Many of these applications also have features that allow you to play games, taking your weekly game night to new digital heights. Additionally, Netflix recently rolled out its Netflix Party feature that allows you to share the experience of watching shows together via live chat. Who doesn’t want to react to the wildly popular Tiger King in real time, right?!