Following the lockdown extension announcement just before the Easter long weekend, we thought it’s a good idea to give you some things to keep busy with these extra two weeks.

 

Art and culture: 

  • Have a movie night. Open Culture has more than 1150 films available for free.
  • Bring out the bookworm in you even if you don’t like reading. Audible has made hundreds of books available for free to keep young and old minds occupied.
  • Create a lockdown masterpiece with Bob Ross at the helm. He’s not only a great artist, but also an all round fantastic guy to listen to in times like these.

 

Nature:

  • Nothing says freedom like being on the back of a safari vehicle with the wind in your hair spotting the big 5. And we’ve got good news … you can do this at home (minus the wind in your hair). You can watch wildlife from the comfort of your own home with these live cams.
  • Some parents got creative and hid toy animals in the garden and sent the kids out on an adventure to find them. You can even make a list of animals they have to find in order to get a reward or prize. You can even play some safari sounds while they’re busy to make the experience even better.
  • Just because you can’t go camping doesn’t mean you can’t spend the night under the stars. Set up camp in the backyard, on the stoep or build a fort in the house with the whole set up and enjoy some quality time with your loved ones. This is an ideal activity for children but it can easily work as a romantic night as well. 
  • Watch all the wildlife documentaries. We don’t know about you, but these never get old. A simple search on Youtube gave us lots and lots of options.
  • Test your knowledge. You can’t let the grey matter deteriorate during lockdown. Rhino Africa has some great quizzes that will turn you into an expert by the time you can get out there again.
  • The Monterey Bay Aquarium in America and our very own Two Oceans Aquarium right here in Cape Town have set up cameras so that you can tune in and swim with the fishes any time of day.

 

Science:

 

Stay active:

  • It’s easy to turn into a couch potato when you have nowhere to go, but staying active is crucial for the kids and for you! P.E. with Joe is ideal for the kids and Good Housekeeping put together a list of free workouts with something for everyone.
  • It’s not only humans that need exercise, our pets are taking strain as well. Keeping your dog mentally stimulated is just as important as keeping him physically fit. If you can’t take them for a jog around the house, you can stimulate their minds by teaching them new tricks and playing games.

 

Get cooking:

  • Give each member in the family a turn to create a feast for the rest of the family (if the young ones aren’t old enough you can always team up). You can judge each dish and give each family member an overall score and crown the lockdown master chef by the end of the week. 

 

Learn something new:

  • Open Culture also has a range of free online courses from the world's top universities like Stanford, Yale, MIT, Harvard, Oxford and more, where you can learn new skills.
  • Duolingo can help you learn a new language in no time.
  • Digital Skills for Africa by Google will teach you all kinds of skills.



We’d love to hear how you’re dealing with the lockdown and keeping busy at home. Share your tips and tricks with us on our Facebook page and member’s group. 

 

If you need any information about the current pandemic please visit https://sacoronavirus.co.za/.

 

***

At bsmart we help our members save, and payout cash-back bonuses every three months or annually. To learn more about bsmart contact us or click here to sign up directly through our website.