From couch-potatoing to trawling the web for coronavirus-related news, being under lockdown means we all have a lot more time on our hands.
Get out of your head and off your couch (in the virtual sense) for a trip around the world, traversing continents to visit famous landmarks or taking a class to learn new skills such as drawing and writing. How, you may ask? The answer is virtual reality.
There are a number of virtual reality resources that have now been made free to the public in a scheme to help combat boredom and keep people mentally and physically fit. So, whether you’re a history boffin, wildlife lover or simply just miss the outdoors, there’s sure to be something on the list for you.
Museums
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A post shared by Musée du Louvre (@museelouvre) on Feb 22, 2020 at 4:30am PST
For all the art and history fanatics being driven crazy at home, you can now go on a virtual tour of up to 17 different museums across Europe. See the glory of the world’s largest art and antiques museum, the Louvre in France or take in the beauty of the masterpieces of the Dutch Golden Age seen at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Viewers can virtually browse some of the world’s most famous historical artifacts without even leaving their couches.
Famous landmarks
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A post shared by Travel ● Lifestyle ● Nature (@aroundtheworld.in) on Apr 4, 2020 at 9:56am PDT
No need to board a plane or stand in a queue to catch a glimpse of these countries' famous landmarks. Viewers can see it all in one day as they hop from continent to continent, taking in the amazing architectural sights as they wander the streets of Spain, New York City and more. Hop over to Egypt to see the pyramids or head to Australia for an interactive tour to the Opera House, Hyde Park, Luna Park, and other famous locations.
Game drives
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A post shared by WildEarth (@wildearthofficial) on Oct 14, 2019 at 5:31am PDT
WildEarth is a live wildlife broadcaster that has built a passionate community of nature lovers. Join them on your very own expert-hosted safari in real time whilst venturing through the heart of the African wilderness. You can experience one of the most beautiful places on earth and interact with their expert guits. Keep an eye out for elephants, leopards, lions, cheetah, hippo and much more.
NASA
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A post shared by NASA(@nasa) on Mar 5, 2020 at 4:22pm PST
Get an inside look at NASA Glenn Research Center’s facilities. Select a tour and tap the icons to view videos, images and see testing in action. There is a list of 10 tours you can take, ranging from the Zero Gravity facility for conducting ground-based micro-gravity research to the Space Environments Complex which houses the largest and most powerful space environment simulation facilities in the world.
Field trips
Picture: Wallpaper Flare.
FieldTrips offer exciting meetups to interact, learn and collaborate in an effort to level-up your creative life. Built on top of their 20 000 monthly attendees at CreativeMornings talks, FieldTrips are designed by individuals and organisations from within their community. If there is a skill you’re hoping to learn during the lockdown, this is the place to do it. From learning the basics of getting your house plants to thrive to meditation, book writing and understanding the basics of Search Engine Optimisation, there are so many options to choose from with more classes to join regularly.
Easter egg hunt
Picture: Pinterest.
Since Middle Collegiate Church can't hide Easter eggs around the premises this year, they have moved the hunt online. All day on Easter, look for eggs they've hidden around their website. In the morning, they'll provide you with a list of clues to aid your search. The rest is up to you. Date: April 12, Easter Sunday.