In the midst of our current COVID-19 ridden world, social distancing has become an everyday norm and expectation. While we must continue to remain in quarantine for the safety of others, social distancing definitely has its challenges. Many have taken to social media, making the boring aspects of quarantine go viral. However, along with this, people have shown off the ways in which they are still able to interact with friends and family from indoors. This strange time is difficult for everyone in different ways, but hopefully, this list of ways you can still have fun with your friends can brighten your world up a bit. Luckily we live in the digital age of advanced technology and are able to communicate with those we love no matter where we are, so let’s utilize this time to our benefit!
A zoom party or, “zarty” for short, can be a fun way to interact with friends and act as though you are still in college or attending school. A fun way to make a zoom party more interesting is to give the “zarty” a theme. For example, a hat “zarty.” This will allow for funny conversations to be had and will remind you and your friends of the themed parties you might have attended during school.
Although we live in a strange time of social distancing and isolation, a fun way to see your friends face-to-face while still following quarantine rules is by having a parking lot hang out. Invite you and your friends to pull their cars into a parking lot near all of your houses and sit in the trunks of your cars while talking at a distance. A way to spice this up even more is by picking an area in which there is a pretty view. For example, watching the sunset with your friends during this time, or meeting in a parking lot overlooking your city could make the outing more exciting.
Another way to see your friends face to face without breaking social distancing guidelines is by having a driveway get together. This is as simple as it sounds. Simply invite your friends over to your house and set out beach chairs in the front yard, 6 feet apart, and talk as usual. Although this may not be as fun as your regular hangouts, it is an easy way to get out of the house and enjoy the outdoors while still ensuring that you are not putting anyone at any health risk.
If you have a pet dog, an easy way to get out of your house is by walking your dogs with friends. Of course, you should remain 6 feet apart at all times to ensure social distancing, however, this does not mean that you are unable to go for a stroll outside with your loved ones. This can be a fun and easy way to reconnect with those you have not seen for a while due to self-isolation and quarantine. Along with this, your dog will probably be grateful to get out of the house and enjoy some time spent outside.
By downloading the Chrome browser extension Netflix party, you and anyone you invite are able to watch Netflix movies or TV shows simultaneously while talking on a chat room sidebar. All you have to do is send the link to your friend group chat, and voila, your Netflix show is synced. This allows an easy and effective way to communicate with friends and act as though you are having a movie night in the same room.
Have you wanted to start watching a TV show that your friend is watching but never gotten around to it? Your time is now. By watching a show episode by episode with your friends, you will be able to call and discuss the show’s plotline in between episodes or during commercial breaks. This will give you the opportunity to discuss your favorite and least favorite characters, along with your favorite scenes. It is also fun to take guesses as to what you think will happen later on in the show.
A similar idea to the one presented above is to read the same book as your friends. Although not everyone is interested in literary novels or reading books, self-isolation is a good time to catch up on the reading list that you’ve never gotten around to. By reading a book with a friend, you are able to discuss what has happened in the book, and make a sort of virtual book club through phone calls or FaceTimes.
Many people are sitting around wondering what to do with the extra time on their hands that they now have due to social isolation. A fun way to spend your time is by creating playlists for your friends and expanding your music taste by swapping songs and artists with your friend group. Refining and creating playlists feel like one of those chores that most just never get around to because of business, however now is the perfect time to take that song off your playlist that always gets stuck in your head after it comes up 100 times on shuffle.
Although this is old fashioned, this can actually be a fun way to communicate with your friends during social isolation. By writing letters back and forth, you will get little keepsakes of your conversations that cannot be deleted as easily as text messages. Along with this, due to the confining platform a letter is written on, you have to take your time and choose carefully what you want to say to your friend in a certain amount of sentences, unlike texts and calls that are so immediate and everlasting. This is a sentimental and more personal way to stay in contact with your friends during quarantine.
Websites such as SkillShare, allow users to have a free trial and take classes on random and useful programs such as Lightroom, Photoshop, and others. You and your friends can take up learning the random skills that you have never been able to put time or effort into in life thus far. By doing it together, you can motivate one another to stay involved and show each other your work at the end of the class.
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