April is here, nature is blooming and usually, we’d be ready to go out and attend the various events Doha would have to offer. This April though is special; with the Covid-19 epidemic crisis currently going on around the world, we are required to stay at home. And we understand that, sometimes it can be frustrating and challenging.

In order to keep spirits up, we listed up 10 fun, productive and creative activities, that you can try at home; they will keep you entertained, enhance your skills, unlock your creativity and boost your mood.

Let’s take a look!

1. Learn a skill

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There are so many tools at your fingertips, that you can use and learn a new skill or enhance your existing ones. Skill Share, for example, is an online learning community, offering thousands of classes on a variety of topics, such as animation, photography and videography, illustration, design, writing. Find what you are mostly interested in and get started! It’s worth mentioning that due to the Coronavirus outbreak, many classes are currently available for free.

2. Learn a new language

Learning a new language is fun and will introduce you to a new culture and a whole new world. Duolingo is a cool app, that offers more than 30 languages online with bite-sized lessons. You can download the app at your phone or your desktop and start practicing; there are both free and paid options.

3. Take an online course

There are plenty of online communities that offer high-quality classes for all, no matter where in the world they are based. edX, created by Harvard and MIT, offers courses in writing, biology, electronics, languages, computer science, psychology and more. Coursera is another platform offering lectures and classes from leading universities and companies. Currently, both edX and Coursera offer classes for free.

If you have kids, you should visit Khan Academy; it is a great platform with plenty of classes for both parents and teachers that cover all topics and grades. Classes are personalized and include instructional videos.

4. Learn new recipes/cooking

Remember all these times when you really wanted to cook a nice meal or try a new recipe, but you didn’t actually have the time? Well, now it’s the time to unlock your cooking skills! Experiment with new recipes and challenge your taste buds.

Gordon Ramsey is for sure a chef worth watching and Natasha’s Kitchen is definitely always pleasant to watch.

5. Exercise

Staying at home all day and not being able to go to the gym is challenging. Exercise doesn’t only help maintain a healthy body, but also, a healthy soul; it’s rejuvenating! Luckily, most gyms and personal trainers offer online classes either via their apps or via Instagram LIVE videos that you can access for 24 hours. Gymmito, F45 and Les Mills are offering various trainings and you can also find many types of exercises on YouTube. Lastly, talk with your personal trainer or Pilates/Yoga instructor; chances are, they offer online trainings too and that’s amazing!

6. New hobbies

Hobbies are therapeutic. They calm the soul. Now is the time to start new hobbies or go back to your old ones. Gardening is a great option; it will bring ‘happiness’ to your balcony/garden/backyard and at the same time, it will keep you creative and productive. Carrefour at City Centre offers all the relevant equipment. Plaza Hollandi, The Garden Centre and Leaves Nursery are delivering plants and flowers; contact them for options and prices.

7. Online activities for kids

The newly launched Children’s Museum offers fun and creative activities for kids, every day at 3pm, through LIVE workshops. All materials needed are announced upfront. Stay tuned!

Ixl is also an option worth considering. It offers personalized learning with a comprehensive K-12 curriculum, individual guidance and real-time analytics.

8. Work productively

Working from home is not always easy. There are many distractions and it’s difficult to set a daily routine and stick to it. If you want to see smart tips to work productively at home, click here.

9. Online Reading

Forget about social media for a while and start reading online! There is a plethora of online libraries that offer digital books and we are certain you’ll find the one you want. Qatar National Library offers great online resources, available for free to people registered at QNL.

10. Take a Museum Virtual Tour

What if you cannot physically visit a Museum, but you can do it virtually? Google Arts and Culture presents virtual tours of world-renowned Museums, such as Musée d’Orsay in Paris, Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation in New York or Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar. Explore the world’s masterpieces from the comfort of your own home!

How are you spending your days at home?