Fun Digital Distractions While Staying Home

Isolation doesn’t have to be a bore. Give the Netflix or Instagram a break and give your brain something new. Here are some suggestions.

• Attend a virtual concert. Musicians are turning online as shows and events are closing around the world because of coronavirus. Our friends at The Current are maintaining a running list of virtual gigs to attend from your couch.

• Try some classical music. There are some great curated playlist options like one our friends put together at, YourClassical’s Relax stream. The Grammy Award-winning St. Paul Chamber Orchestra has a free archive of live concerts.

• Take a trip to the great outdoors, while staying inside. Before quarantining became the thing, people placed cameras at beautiful natural spaces, zoos and aquariums. Check out this list of live nature video feeds from Explore.org. Or, take a virtual tour of some of our national parks, like Yellowstone.

• Visit one of the world’s most famous museums. Google Arts and Culture offers virtual tours of some of the world’s most iconic galleries and landmarks. Even the world’s oldest art installation, the 36,000-year old Chauvet Cave. The Smithsonian even has a tour of the National Museum of Natural History for your next home-school field trip.

• Get involved with the digital events community. A new Facebook group called Flatten the Curve has become a place for people to share virtual events and activities with others.