We have to stay at home as much as possible during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but there are still many amazing places we can visit online with virtual tours. Or follow cooking or online exercise classes. Find a distraction online. It's all free! Here's an Easy-Read guide to using Zoom this page was updated January 21st
Get social with The Brain Charity
- Virtual Coffee Morning, on the first and third Monday of the month, using Zoom. If you'd like to join our meet-up, please email Shaun and he'll send you the Zoom meeting ID and password.
- Knit and Natter, every Wednesday, on Zoom
- Open Eye Art Project,, every Thursday, on Zoom
Music
- Clap for Heroes : Clap for Carers is back on Thursday at 8pm
- FiNDlay's FND Music Playlist
- Lancashire Youth Brass Band videos on Facebook
- The Shows Must Go On! full-length musicals every Friday on YouTube
- Gareth Malone's Great British Home Chorus on YouTube
- The Sofa Singers - join the free, twice-weekly, online singing event, using Zoom
Sport
- Total Wipeout: Freddie & Paddy Takeover
- Virtual Everest Climb for Nerve Tumours UK
- Run for charity wherever you are
- BrakeFit - stay active during lockdown and raise money for the road safety charity
Exercise
- Joe Wicks : The Body Coach is back on YouTube
- Couch to 5K: week by week exercise (NHS)
- The English National Ballet have exercise classes on YouTube that are suitable for people with neurological conditions... and also those without.
- Fit for Me - activity for for everyone at home; look out for photos of some of The Brain Charity family on the Liverpool page
- Work out with the Green Goddess
Try something new
- The Big Garden Birdwatch with the RSPB, January 29-31
- Free WEA Activities live
- Jamie Oliver’s Keep Cooking and Carry On using store-cupboard ingredients
- BreadAhead Bakery - bread-baking tutorials on Instagram every day at 2.00pm
- Online learning with the Life Rooms - cooking tutorials, exercise and activity, mental health and wellbeing
- Gardening for beginners - videos from the Eden Project
- TotalPeople are running short traning courses - contact The Brain Charity
- The Skills Toolkit - free digital and numeracy courses
- Play Virtual Piano
- Play chess against the computer or challenge a friend online
- Art classes on YouTube
- Learn a new language
- Learn the basics of British Sign Language
- What bird is that? Learn to identify birdsong with the RSPB
- Watch the Royal Institution's Christmas Lectures on science
- Covid Cuts Challenge for NHS Charities Together Urgent Appeal cut your hair at home and donate the usual cost to the appeal
Virtual visits
- Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth, has donkey webcams
- Virtual 3D tours of Liverpool's museums and galleries
- English Heritage on YouTube - visit historic sites online and learn more about them
- Online tour of the Louvre
- British Museum
- Buckingham Palace
- The Vatican and the Sistine Chapel
- The Human Clock: people around the world show the time
- Live tropical fish webcam
- Train ride from the driver's eye view: New Zealand: Christchurch-Greymouth
- Badger webcam - watch them come out at night, at the Scottish wildlife centre
Books and reading
- Libraries from home: your local library is still offering services, events and activities online
- Coronavirus: a book for childen by Axel 'Gruffalo' Scheffler
- Free audio-books for people with health conditions from Listening Books
- Free audio-books for all ages from the Book Ideas Hub
- Free e-books for all ages for the free Kindle Reading App, and magazines too
- Free audio-books for children and young people from Audible
- The Reader at Home: shared reading online or on the phone
Just for fun
- Free online Scrabble - you'll need your mouse
- Free online jigsaw puzzles - you'll need your mouse for this as well
- CirqueConnect: Cirque du Soleil shows on YouTube
- You can still watch the BBC's Big Night In on the BBC iPlayer
- General knowledge crossword puzzles online from Chambers dictionaries
- Harry Potter at Home
- The National Trust has activites to do at home
- The Rainbow Trail: make a rainbow and post it on the Facebook public group
How to draw a rainbow / painting (Dad draws)