How are you spending your time at home? This time of sheltering in place doesn’t have to be boring! Take some time exploring some of the offerings available online – there are many ways to stay engaged and learn new things! There are even a few free-to-low cost Internet access options during the pandemic.
Stay Connected with Virtual Classes, Social Groups and More
Join Community Living Campaign’s new Virtual Community Connector Network for exercise classes, writing groups, healthy aging workshops, social gatherings, and more – all available by phone or video!- Find a wide range of classes and groups at Covia Well Connected – 877.797.7299, Winter Catalog. Registration Form. Flyer.or Covia Bien Conectado – 877.400.5867, Catálogo Actual. Forma de Registración. Folleto.
- Enjoy online tech and exercise classes from Senior Planet (be sure to note the time zone!) and get tips on surviving at home:
- And try Dorot University Without Walls – 877-819-9147. March-June Catalog. for even more classes, including ones in Cantonese, Mandarin, and Russian.
Enjoy Performances from Your Couch
Watch Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony’s Keeping Score series with concerts and documentaries featuring numerous composers. - Listen to the many virtual choirs that don’t let physical distance get in the way of performance: Down to the River, True Colors (Camden Voices), You Will Be Found (Dear Evan Hansen), and What the World Needs Now (Berklee School of Music) and a Virtual Choir Playlist from Eric Whitacre.
- Enjoy one opera per evening from the Metropolitan Opera.
- Visit the Social Distancing Festival Calendar for today’s selection of dance, music, and other performances.
- Support the many artists out of work during this pandemic.
Visit Virtual Museums, Monuments, & More
Discover museums and much more on Google Arts & Culture or download the Arts & Culture app for iOS or Android to match your selfie with a famous portrait, explore art by time and color, and see close-ups of artworks all over the world.- Explore your favorite San Francisco museums, streets, and cultural institutions without leaving your home
- Find soothing wildlife camera feeds from Monterey Bay Aquarium and the San Diego Zoo
- Transport yourself to Jamaica with the Every Little Thing is Gonna Be Alright playlist or listen to another place-based Spotify playlist.
- Spend time on a Perth dog beach, journey on a Norwegian canal, walk around Tokyo, or tune in to other “slow TV” experiences.
- Even visit a virtual pub for a Quiz Night!
Get Cooking
Use Fridge to Table and Eat Fresh to find recipes using what’s in your fridge (and pantry)- Find a week of healthy meals and shopping list to minimize trips to the store. Or make your own plan with an app like MealPlannerPro or Mealime.
- Find tips on how to cook on a budget or brush up on your knife skills and other techniques
- Learn the science behind your cooking on Serious Eats
- Take a free online healthy soup-making course (Click on the green “add coupon” and use the coupon code BEWELL)
- Watch a video on how to safely unpack your groceries.
Learn New Things
Use the Class Central directory or Coursera to find free university courses on topics both fun and serious- Listen to TED talks on many topics, and in many languages.
- Visit Tech Boomers for step by step courses about tech basics, as well as websites and apps for Entertainment, Shopping, Socializing, Business, and much more.
Be Creative
Download free coloring pages by artist Jennifer Judd-McGee and color away! For more pages, try Color Our Collections pages by over 100 museums.- Learn to draw for free on Skillshare.com (plus writing, photography, design, and many other free creative offerings – just be sure to filter for free classes). For even more ideas, see the guide by My Modern Met.
- Share your stories and explore writing in one of CLC’s virtual writing groups
- Start a gratitude journal or just keep a record of your life under social distancing – a journal, sketches, blog, collage, photos, or whatever works best for you
- Refine your musical techniques
Keep Movin’ and Groovin’
Dance for Strength with Kyra! Seated warmup, standing warmup, and upper-body dance for strength videos. We’ll keep posting more videos, and will be offering live stream exercise classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10-11am. Want to dance on your own? Kyra has also shared a YouTube playlist and Spotify playlist with some great songs to get you moving.- Don’t miss dancing with Debbie Allen on instagram! Watch earlier Instagram live dance and salsa classes. And follow @therealdebbieallen, @officialdadance to find times for the next live classes.
- Try YMCA 360’s large number of exercise videos, including 3 workouts specifically for older adults. The YMCA of San Francisco is also live-streaming exercise classes daily.
- Get moving with Silver Sneakers workout tips and Silver Sneakers YouTube videos (plus some Medicare plans also include access to on-demand workout videos).
- Find Resistance Band Exercises for Seniors (Livestrong) or Really, Really Short Workouts (NY Times).
- Explore Yoga for a range of abilities and sizes: Chair Yoga Benefits and Poses, Adaptive Yoga Video, Restore Yoga Video for Everybody
- Looking for even more? Search for Senior Fitness videos on YouTube.
Stay Calm!
Try meditation with virtual classes and meditation groups at the diverse East Bay Meditation Center; at the Insight Meditation Community of Washington (East Coast), including a Sangha for People with Dis/Abilities and Deaf People; and via Pandemic Care Resources from Tara Brach.- Learn more about music for wellness