This blog was initially published in April 2020 and suggests at-home activities for students during the Covid-19 pandemic. But many of the recommendations in this post are great suggestions for students to pursue at any time! If you are looking for ways to create, learn, and make an impact from home, here are some suggestions!
LEARN SOMETHING NEW
Pick up a book - If you have a library card, download the Libby app to access thousands of ebooks and audiobooks for free. Choose books you want to read (I’m rereading A Wrinkle in Time) and set a goal of reading a book a week.
Take an online class - Yale has put their most popular class all about happiness on Coursera for free. There are hundreds of courses you can take online for free. Learn about Positive Psychology offered by UNC Chapel Hill or take Stanford’s Game Theory course.
Learn to code - Interested in computer science? Free Code Camp is a great resource to teach yourself several coding languages.
Keep your foreign language skills sharp - The ability to speak and understand a foreign language is a “use it or lose it” skill. Review what you already know and keep learning with DuoLingo or LanguageBird.
Conduct your own research - This is a great time to come up with your own research project. Dive deep into something you’re curious about. Find a remote project that interests you through Citizen Science. Work with one of us to make a plan to thoroughly research colleges or careers.
GET CREATIVE
First things first, there’s no such thing as an “uncreative” person. Everyone has creativity they can tap into - you just have to get creative with your creativity!
Make art - Let your creativity flow and create something! Anything! Draw, paint (finger painting counts!), take photos, make a collage, teach yourself origami, make a short film, play music, grab the adult coloring book you gave your mom three years ago, borrow your younger sibling’s colored pencils, and let your creative sparks fly!
If you feel like viewing beautiful works of art instead of making them, famous museums from around the world are offering virtual tours of their collections.
Write it out - Use a writing prompt generator to try your hand at fiction or keep a journal so you can look back on this unusual part of your life.
Cook something delicious - Has there ever been a more perfect time than to seek out the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe? I made these yesterday afternoon (I don’t know if they’re perfect, but I did eat 4 in one sitting).
If the kitchen is unfamiliar territory, learn some basic recipes. Ask a relative to teach you a family recipe or learn to cook your favorite dishes.
Grow something - Spring is the perfect time to start a garden. Look for fruits, vegetables, and flowers that grow well in your plant hardiness zone. If you can’t access seeds or starters, you can grow a lot of different things from food scraps!
MOVE YOUR BODY
Hit the “gym” - These days, every home has a home gym once you slide the coffee table out of the way. Need weights? Use cans. Dish towels and paper plates make great sliders. You can find tons of free workouts on Youtube, and many fitness apps and gyms are offering extended free trials or free group classes on Instagram!
Yoga - If stretching and mindfulness are more your speed, try an online yoga class. Yoga with Adriene has a huge following and hundreds of themed classes.
MAKE AN IMPACT
Help with homeschool - If you have younger siblings, relatives, or family friends, volunteer some time to help with their at-home learning. Design experiments, help with homework, or be a reading buddy. Use Zoom if your young learner doesn’t live in your house.
Organize study sessions - Even if you don’t have access to younger learners, you can still help your peers. If you’re going to be taking AP exams, organize Zoom study sessions using the AP remote learning resources. You can also prepare for the upcoming SAT and ACT using free resources like ACT.org and Khan Academy.
Raise awareness for a cause - Look for ways that you can continue to contribute from home. Consider ways that you can fundraise, crowdsource, or raise awareness from your couch.
Get creative! One of our students is raising money to purchase supplies to sew face masks. Students who were helping with political campaigns can reach out and see if there are tasks they can do from home. And an idea for those who had spring performances canceled - I was recently invited to a virtual benefit concert hosted by a friend to raise money for disaster relief after recent tornadoes in Nashville.
I hope this list gives students a few ideas that they want to jump in and explore further. This is an excellent time to pursue your own interests, explore the things that intrigue you, and learn what you want to learn!