Let’s be honest, as much as I want to avoid getting sick, I might be more scared of what will happen to me if I stay locked inside this brick fort with nothing to do for another month. There are only so many episodes of Tiger King on Netflix. But in all seriousness, we know this is a tough time and we want to do our part in keeping our communities safe. The good news? We’ve got a solid list of 5 things you can do to not only maintain your social distance but also your sanity. Put on your thinking caps ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to get creative. 

1. Set Up Your Own Mini Golf

If you’ve ever been to college, I’m sure you’ve had your fair share of ramen days where paying for an activity just wasn’t on the table. A little DIY mini golf at home is always a good time. Depending on the space available in your home, you may have a full multi-hole course or if your house looks like mine you may just be setting up a three foot putting green in the kitchen. Cups are generally the easiest objects to use for your holes but feel free to get creative here! You can go through couches, around doorways and through your dog’s legs. The sky's the limit. 

2. Build a Fort

You know all those blankets you were going to take to D.I. or Goodwill but ended up getting stuffed into a dusty closet? Yeah, grab those. I’m old enough to know that I shouldn’t still be doing this but I’ll give you two thumbs up for building a fort. Start draping blankets over anything with some height. I’m talking couches, lamps, desks, shelves, you name it. Hold the blankets in place with books or couch cushions. If you play it right you can even get your TV inside the fort! You’ve created the ultimate theater room.

3. Karaoke Night At Home

I know what you’re thinking, but hear me out. When I sing it sounds like the time my neighbor’s cat fell out of the tree and didn’t land on its feet. We’re going to up the ante here to make it about more than just singing. Everyone you live with picks a favorite artist whose song they want to sing. You’ve got 30 minutes to dress up/do your hair like this artist. When the time’s up, you all reconvene and throw up our songs on YouTube for a little American Idol in the flesh. If I don’t hear at least 1 Elvis Presley impersonation, I’m gonna lose it.

4. Cook-off Gone Random

This one goes out to all my little Gordon Ramseys out there. We’re throwing a wild card into the competition. Everyone participating uses the random dinner generator found at https://randomwordgenerator.com/dinner-ideas.php to determine what they’re cooking. Once you’ve nailed down your meal you can look up recipes and pick your favorite. At the end of it all, dub a winner. And for all you good samaritans out there that want to go the extra mile, set aside a portion of your meal and deliver it to some of the more senior folk in your neighborhood. Bonus point for you.

5. Home Redesign

Here’s a fun one! For those of you that have graduated from the “ramen phase” of life, order some fun new decorations for the home. For everyone else like me that’s still looking for coins in the couch cushions, we’re going to do this the free way. Pick a room and restructure it. I mean move the couch to a different wall, put your bed in the center of the room instead of in the corner, mix it up a little! If you’re gonna be stuck in the same living space for a while, make it feel like you’re in a different house by moving everything around. It’s refreshing. And besides, I haven’t vacuumed under that couch for at least 2 years so it might be time.

Here’s a sample of a few ideas to keep the good times rolling while being careful and smart during this time. Make the most of the situation and choose productivity and positivity. Keep your eyes peeled because we will likely have future lists like this one of ideas and activities to keep you sane. In the meantime, drop us a comment of one of your favorite things you’ve been doing to keep it together!