10 Fun Activities to do Inside During Quarantine

I’ve compiled a list of 10 fun activities to do inside during quarantine. During times of quarantine, I find it's best to stay busy and have fun activities to occupy your time. As France went into quarantine 5 days ago, there has been a lot of conversation around what quarantine and lockdown means and how to stay busy during this time. Today I wanted to write an article about fun activities to pass the time while you are inside. 

Let’s face it, being in quarantine because of the coronavirus is not fun. However, the last thing you want to do is go outside unnecessarily and spread the virus to someone. #stayathome The coronavirus is extremely contagious and you might not even know you are a carrier. With that being said, I have been on quarantine now for 4 days in Paris. I haven’t left my tiny Paris apartment, not even to get food since the lockdown happened 5 days ago. Don’t worry, we stockpiled food before the official lockdown. Below are the 10 fun activities to do inside during quarantine that I promised you! 

1. Read a book, better yet read a book series

I love reading, I can get lost in a book for days or even weeks. One fun activity to do at home during the coronavirus is to read a book. Actually, instead of reading a standalone book, read a series. Book series will will keep you entertained for longer. Here are a few of my favorites. Thriller: Girl with the dragon tattoo series, Gone Girl , The Lords of Discipline. Sci-Fi: Enders Game , Red Rising  Romance: Water for Elephants, Any Alice Clayton book, Me before you. Non-Fiction: Tuesdays with Morrie, A Million Little Pieces, the Tattooist of Auschwitz.

I also love using the website Goodreads to find new books that are coming out and to read reviews.

2. Complete a challenging puzzle

Another great activity to do during this time is a challenging puzzle. For me, puzzles has always been one of my favorite activities to do inside.  If you live in a tiny apartment like myself you will probably need a puzzle roller. If you are looking to your puzzle last longer and more challenging, then I highly recommend you don't look at the picture of the puzzle you are completing. This will keep your puzzle interesting and challenging at the same time. Right now I’m working on completing a 2000 piece puzzle. 

3. Play your favorite board games

It’s time to pull out your favorite board games. Aaron and I have been playing tons of our favorite board games, like Monopoly, Dominos and let’s not forget about my personal favorite 13 dead end drive. I know that many games require at least 3 people so it’s time to get creative and have a ghost player. Also, another great option, is to play the Nintendo Switch! I got a switch for Christmas and recently downloaded 2 new games. One of my good friends actually downloaded monopoly for the Nintendo Switch and can play remotely with his friends.  

4. Learn to cook

Another great activity to do inside during quarantine is to learn how to cook! I've never been a good cook, or to be honest, had any interest in cooking. However, with the coronavirus now is the best time to learn how to cook. The best part is that Pinterest is full of hundreds or recipes to try out. I’ve been trying out new recipes, learning how to cook some of our family recipes and I’ve found that I really enjoy it.

5. Start a hobby you’ve always wanted to start

Have you always wanted to learn to knit, or sew? Now is the perfect time. Figure out what you want to do and get started. For me, the hardest thing to do is to just start. So start a hobby or learn a new language, if you don’t like it then stop, and try something new, but it’s important to just start. Starting a new hobby during quarantine is a wonderful activity to keep you busy. Plus who doesn't love learning something new? 

6. Workout inside

Yes, you read number 6 right, workout. You may be wondering how can I workout not at a gym or running outside? Well that’s a great question, and the truth is there are hundreds of youtube videos where all you need is a chair to work out. In times like these you can also get creative. I have used giant bottles of water as weights, multiple blankets as a mat. 

One of my personal favorite YouTubers for workouts is Lucy Wyndham-Read. She has these 7 days workouts that will allow you to slim down. I know it sounds hard to believe and I was skeptical at first, but when I measure day 1 and day 7 I was astonished by the weight I lost. I have been doing them now for over a year. If you are looking for workout attire, check out this article. 

7. Take a free class online

Another one of my favorite activities to do inside during the quarantine is to take a free class online. Now is the best time to take a free class online. Are you interested in the stock market but never had the chance to study it, well now is your time. What I love about these online classes is that they are from top tier schools in the USA and they are completely free! When I find myself bored and want to expand my knowledge, I always turn to these free online courses. Class Center offers great free online class. Or even brush up on budgeting and investing skills! 

8. Focus on keeping your skin healthy 

Now is as good as time as ever to focus on keeping your skin looking healthy! Grab that face mask that is sitting in the back of the closet, or your favorite toner, and put it to great use. While at home try to avoid putting make-up on, you're not going out anyways so you might as well focus on cleaning your skin and keeping it make-up free.

Keep in mind, if you are like me then you are probably washing your hands more than normal, which means they are going to get extremely dry. Make sure that you keep your hands moisturized. A few of my favorite brands for keeping your skin healthy during quarantine are: Fresh Beauty, Lanolips, Youth to the People, Origins, and GlamGlow.

9. Catch up on your favorite tv shows or watch some of the oldies

Another thing I've been doing to pass the time is not only watching my favorite TV shows, but also watching some of the oldies. I’ve recently been watching some of my college favorites, revenge, early seasons of Grey's Anatomy and let’s not forget about vampire diaries, also another favorite. A few of my favorite Netflix shows that aren't extremely well known but are very good are: Altered Carbon, Money Heist, and Elite. Watching Netflix or even Amazon Prime is one of the best activities to do inside during quarantine. 

10. Pick up Meditation

One of your New Year's resolutions may have been to be better at meditation. Meditation would be an extremely good habit and activity to do inside, especially with what’s going on in the news. For me, I have anxiety over the articles I’m reading, the stock market crashing, and the uncertainty of what’s going to happen tomorrow. It’s important to stay calm, cool, and collective during this time. Your body needs to relax and rest. I’ve downloaded a great meditation app called: headspace and calm, and I highly recommend both of those. Meditation is something I've been doing for a while and is highly recommended as one of the best activities to do inside. 

Quick Recap on 10 fun activities to do inside during quarantine

To summarize 10 things fun things to do inside during quarantine: Read a book, complete a challenging puzzle, play your favorite board game, start a new hobby, workout inside, take a free class online, focus on keeping your skin healthy, catch up on your favorite tv shows, and starting meditating. I hope you enjoyed this list of things and activities to do inside during a quarantine. 

I know it’s difficult to avoid reading the news and checking every 10 minutes how many new cases have appeared because of the coronavirus. I hope these fun activities will keep you busy and even if momentary it takes your mind off what’s going, then that’s good.  I hope everyone stays safe, and don’t forget to wash your hands. Don’t forget to catch up via FaceTime or skype with your family and friends.

Sincerely Petite in Paris,

Diane