Trouble Engaging Yourself During Social Distancing? These Websites Are Here to Help!

Amelia Johnson Pellegri, Writer

During these challenging times it may be hard to stay busy or productive, especially for students used to days full of sports practices, work, clubs, and studying, where not a minute goes unscheduled. Even now that school has begun over video, for many people there is still much time in the day where attention drifts aimlessly and an empty schedule becomes intimidating. However, as this is a worldwide occurrence, many companies have become aware and provided resources intended to help students and families learn and have fun while indoors. 

 

For Fun

Fandango-  Typically Fandango is a website or app used to purchase movie tickets ahead of time, but during these months of social distancing the website is offering streaming for movies that were expected to hit the theaters during these times. These are movies not released on any other streaming platform and can be paid for individually, without a subscription. Some movies they are offering are The Invisible Man, Gretel and Hansel, and I Still Believe, all of which would typically only be available in theaters at this time. 

Kahoot- While Kahoot may be a classroom staple, known for its iconic theme song and high-intensity competition, it is also a great way to have fun and play trivia games with family or friends over video-calling applications. There are countless pre-made games available to play from topics ranging from movie quotes to sports trivia. A fun way to connect with family or friends can be to create a game with questions about the people playing (What is XXX’s favorite vacation spot?). The video below instructs how to play Kahoot live over video.

 

Exercise- While social distancing, people who regularly go to the gym or have sports practices may struggle with finding ways to stay active. Aside from the many videos available on youtube, many fitness brands are offering daily videos to help keep up with a regular exercise routine. Some of these include Orangetheory and Lululemon, the links to which are below.

San Diego Zoo- For those looking for a mental break to temporarily forget the stress and anxiety that accompanies these unexpected changes, the San Diego Zoo offers a huge page of live streams showing many different animals in their habitats. The options include views of the penguins, koalas, and elephants. Also, at the moment there is a new baby in the ape habitat!

The penguins at the San Diego Zoo can frequently seen diving into the water during the livestreams.

 

Academic

Rosetta Stone- To supplement language classes or to explore something new, Rosetta Stone is offering a three-month free trial to students. Rosetta Stone is a language learning platform that many often turn away from because of its high costs, but during social distancing the extended free trial gives students a chance to take advantage of its services during their free time. 

Audible- Audiobooks can be a great way to absorb literature for people who struggle to sit down and focus for long periods of time. These can be fun and convenient to listen to while doing chores or just getting ready in the morning. If you have an Amazon account, Audible is offering a new larger collection of free audiobooks, both teen-oriented and classics, to listen to without a subscription to Audible. There is also a month-long free trial to access the full collection. 

Google Meet Grid-View- This is an easily accessible Chrome extension that some students may be unaware of. By using the extension, Google Meets can be changed from one main screen to a view of all participants on the call. This is very convenient for classes over Meet and make it easier to have discussions without the distracting switching back and forth of the camera perspective. 

Open Culture- Open Culture is a website that has compiled a list of over 200 resources specifically for use during these times of social-distancing. There are a wide range of topics so there is something of interest for everybody, including art and visual culture, history and politics, science, and even test prep resources for those juniors still waiting to take the SAT and/or ACT. There is also a list of youtube accounts and mobile phone apps for quick and easy ways to learn.