Here at Land Sailors Travel we are a little tired of the endless Netflix vortex (we didn’t think it would be possible, but here we are). While it’s not necessary to gain a new skill or create a side hustle during COVID-19 isolation, it is certainly nice to have a variety of options while stuck indoors – especially ones that can expand our knowledge or inspire us for the future. So, we went on a quest to find interesting free things to do on the internet during these uncertain times and want to share them with you! Below you’ll find everything from virtual tours to live opera shows 😃

1. Top Virtual Sites and Museum Tours (rated by us and Tech Radar)

Since we can’t travel anywhere right now, these virtual tours are the next best thing! This list is amazing! There is something for everyone here curtesy of one our our favourite tech blogs, Techradar. It has items spanning thousands of miles from ancient monuments like Machu Picchu to European Masterpieces like the Louvre. We added to their list with a few more awesome free tours we found:

• Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
• Russia’s Hermitage Museum Virtual Walking Tour
• Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum
• Sistine Chapel
• Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
• Yosemite National Park
• Amsterdam Van Gogh Museum
• The Great Wall of China
• The Paris Catacombs
• Baltimore Aquarium

2. NASA Content

NASA has vowed to continue with scientific research during COVID-19 to help move humanity quickly forward against diseases and also to keep us running well overall. The organization has opened up a few free online platforms (including collections of NASA images) for anyone to view!

• earth updates via satellite!
• EARTH the photo collection
• NASA live events and coverage

3. Academic and Professional Development Resources

Universities, journals and other academic institutions have temporarily opened their Libraries. Many articles can be accessed through portals and several online course sites (a few listed below) have made access free for hundreds of classes. Learn a new skill, obtain new knowledge, or enjoy content at your leisure. Reading academic articles is way better when you do it for fun rather than crying behind an out-of-date computer at 3 am chin deep in a bowl of soggy cereal.

here are our links to places offering free content as of now but there are many more to discover (updates very possible)!

note: some require you to have a student ID and others do not

• Mcgill
• MUSE
• UNC
• Indiana State
• Taylor and Francis
• JSTOR
• Ivy League Free Courses
• Udemy Academy Free Courses
• Scholastics Free Learning Portal
• Class Central

4. Online Workout Programs

You can find many free exercise videos online to keep you moving in the absence of gyms, parks, and fitness studios. Down Dog is at the top of our list because they have made all of their apps (Down Dog, Yoga for Beginners, HIIT, Barre, and 7 Minute Workout) free until May 1st. If you’re an instagram fan, fitsqr is now doing 30 minute HIIT classes at 10 am EST Monday-Saturday via their site which is perfect for those who just want a little morning movement to start their day. A more comprehensive list can be found here via CBC!

5. COVID-19 Articles

The entire world is obsessing over COVID-19 and because of that there is a lot of incorrect information spreading seemigly faster than the virus. There are a number of places offering free classes and education on health, wellness, and COVID-19 so that folks can be prepared for the future and ease their need to know more about this invisible invader. You can avoid misinformation and form your own opinion by reading multiple sources/taking courses offered for free. International articles can be accessed through Wiley and Oxford. Pallium Canada has released a free COVID-19 response course. Class Central also has a free class on COVID-19 response.

6. Meditation Practice

If you have always thought about trying meditation but didn’t know where to start Headspace has a number of free items right now for everyone and even more available for educators and healthcare workers! Meditation/mindfulness tools and techniques can help tremendously during these times and this is a great user-friendly way to start.

7. Play Free Games and Demos

This is a unique opportunity to try new games/demos on the market for free! Ubisoft has a number of free PC games for every level and WE MUST NOT FORGET TO MENTION THAT CLUB PENGUIN HAS BEEN REBORN. Also, Micky Media has a great list of free online games to play during COVID-19 and some solid information about what’s coming in the future!

8. Free Cooking Classes

So many sites and blogs are offering free instructional food how-to content and tutorials but these are the most interesting ones we found:

• America’s kitchen has recently offered 50 free classes
• Michelin star chef Massimo Bottura has started a series named“ Kitchen Quarantine,” which airs live every day on his instagram page at 3pm E.T. (in English)!
• Milk Street Kitchen opened up courses for the entirety of April through their website

9. Nikon Free Photography Classes

Want to sharpen your shot? Until April 30th all Nikon camera classes are free through their website! We will definitely not miss this opportunity.

10. Free Concerts and Live Performances

Lots of you probably follow your favourite artists online and perhaps have already watched them perform live! Many artists who had shows scheduled have taken to their living room computers to give fans something special. The WHO Global Citizen Solidarity Sessions are most notable as they have been created for the purpose of boosting human morale during the pandemic; famous artists play short concerts live regularly and the list of names continues to grow. Many operas and orchestras have also taken to the internet for viewership. Art heals in many ways so please check these out!

• Grammy archives, museum and online event list
• Budapest Festival Orchestra
• The Metropolitan Opera
• April’s CBC Canadian Artist List (Including Serena Ryder April 9th!)

That is the end of our list! We hope that you’ve found something new to add to your pandemic boredom-crushing arsenal! For those who want to keep up with the spread there are a few trackers to choose from. Waymark Tech COVID-19 tracker is very good as well as WorldoMeters. The New York Times also has a map and tracker that we refer to frequently.

Side note: Worried about cashflow? Check out your local grocery stores, retailers, shelters, delivery businesses, and other essential services if you aren’t able to claim benefits or want to assist in the pandemic. With restrictions getting tighter, it will also be a key way to leave the house without landing a heavy fine or even jail time in some countries. Online companies like Google, Amazon, and Facebook are also hiring and/or paying folks to test products, websites, and take surveys. This may go without saying, but be sure to check your government’s website regularly to see if they’re offering any assistance during the pandemic and APPLY if you can. We’ve had to gently push a few proud people we know…REMEMBER: asking for help when you need it is never shameful!

Stay strong, sailors! We are in this fight together ❤️