With everyone being stuck in quarantine, it can be hard to think of things to do each and every day. Maybe you’ve decided to start up a small project but how long can that possibly take, a few days, maybe a week. Either way everyone has a lot more free time now. Here is a list of things people have been doing or can do to help take some time off your hands. 

Artwork. Senior Sofia Flores started painting a lot in her free time and has drawn many different cartoon characters from a variety of shows. “One day I was watching Rick and Morty and thought it would be fun to have a painting of them hanging up in my room, so I took out my supplies and then just went ham.”

Bonfire. Senior Adelyn Zoellner and her family have had bonfires once a week to get outside and enjoy the weather. “I like making smores and being able to get outside in the nice weather while spending time with my family.”

Car parade. Sophomore Samantha Morton got a car parade for her birthday as a way for others to celebrate with her from a distance. “It was fun to see lots of my family and friends drive by my house for my birthday with cool posters, bags of candy, and lots of honking.”

Dance Party. Junior Caroline Gombas and her mom broke into a dance party the other night. “It was a very spontaneous decision and according to my mom we partied like it was 1999.”

Exercise. This is always beneficial but with all this time on our hands now it’s best to keep up with exercising and make sure not to spend ALL day on the couch. Maybe try out one of the 30 day workout challenges that fits you the most.

Fort. Building a fort is a fun idea for younger kids although it is still entertaining for all. It may create a bit of a mess but this is still a blast to do and after you could even watch a movie inside!

Game night. Senior Ben Haug and his family have had loads of fun doing game nights often with amazing homemade trophies they earn for winning. “My family is very competitive so we decided to make our game night into a big competition with trophies, cards, and lots of fun!”

Haircut. Senior Danielle Deimeke decided to give herself bangs one night. “I was bored so I decided to give myself bangs to see what it would look like. I probably shouldn’t have cut them but they didn’t turn out too bad. It will grow back eventually.”

Ice Cream. Homemade ice cream requires few ingredients and can add lots of excitement in your day. All ages can be involved, younger children can shake the bag, older children can measure and combine the ingredients, and take turns. Click here to see the recipe I found and have used before. 

Jog. Going on a jog helps you stay healthy and motivated. This also helps you get out of the house and enjoy the weather. Sometimes you may even see someone you know and get to wave as you pass by.

Kite flying. Senior Kathryn Vanden Hoek flew her yellow butterfly kite on one of the sunny, windy days in her street. “It got caught in a couple trees and powerlines, but it was nice to fly one again because it had been years since I last flew one.”

Learn Tik Tok dances. This is something entertaining to do just to take up some time. Everyone can participate in these because there are dances for all ages. You don’t even have to post them! The fun is all in the learning and making of them.

Movie Night. Senior Danielle Deimeke set up her projector in her backyard to watch a movie on a big screen with her siblings. “My sister wanted me to set it up for us so we could watch a movie all together one night. It was pretty fun so we have done it a few times now.”

Netflix Parties. A new way to interact with others is Netflix Parties. This is a cool way to watch movies with others while being at home. It provides a chat bar to talk in while you are watching the movie with your friends. Senior Nathan Butler and his friend tried this out one night. “Since we are all stuck at home, it was great to watch a movie with a friend as if we were still together.”

Offer to pick up essentials for elders. Senior Adelyn Zoellner and her sisters pick up the essential groceries for their grandparents. “We have been getting our grandparents groceries for them since they are in the high risk group of people. It is also good because we can see them from a distance every once in a while.”

Paint your room. Try something new, spice it up, this can help to give a bit of change to what you are seeing everyday. This can also be something exciting that takes up quite a bit of time.

Quiet time, read a book. Senior Zoe Berken has always had a passion for books and has spent some of her time off reading all kinds of new things. “I like reading because it’s very relaxing and it’s a great way to learn about new things from a new perspective.”

Remodel your room/house. Senior Zoe Krause swapped rooms with her younger sister for a change of scenery. “I loved switching rooms with my sister and getting to redo everything. It’s really refreshing to have a brand new cool room in times like this.”

Support local businesses. In a difficult situation such as now,  it can be hard for places to get the business they need to stay up and running. Try eating out at least once a week at a local business to help them be as good as new when this is all over.

Teach younger siblings school. Senior Mackenzie Marentette has been helping her siblings with some of their classwork. “I have been teaching my younger siblings math and doing reading/writing. My youngest sister has to do some physical therapy work as well so we have been doing things like playing catch and yoga.”

Utilize online shopping. It is best to stay in your house as much as possible right now, so if you can, you should try to use online shopping first before going out and about.

Visit Field Lights. Friday night at 8:20 Brentwood High School’s field lights will be turned on in support of the seniors. Drive by and make some noise to give some support as well.

Window Drawings. On the Facebook Brentwood Community Page on Facebook they post the different types of drawings that you should put in your windows each week. This is to help spice things up when going on walks. This week’s window art is things in a garden, such as flowers, plants, bugs, and garden critters.

X marks the spot. Scavenger hunts can be a fun way to change up the normal routine a bit. Whether they are made around your house, backyard, or even your neighborhood. This is a fun idea to try out if you are looking for a bit of a challenge.

YouTube. Senior Anijah Barringer has started making Youtube videos again with all this free time on her hands. After multiple creative blocks she is finally in a fun, creative mindset. “I enjoy making videos because I get to show others the real me and it’s just all around fun!”

Zoom calls with family and friends. Senior Kathryn Vanden Hoek has been catching up with her friends from camp every other week on Zoom. “I rarely get to see them, so I love talking to them because they always make me laugh.”

Just because we are all stuck in the house right now doesn’t mean we all can’t still have things in our routine to keep our energy up and our happiness in check. If you miss your friends and family, try a zoom call. If you’re bored of sitting in your house, go on a jog and look for some of the cute window art people have made. There are plenty of things to do still to keep us occupied and lift our spirits up.