By Leah Hickman, WORLD Magazine
Because of COVID-19, organizers have closed museums, canceled races, and postponed musical performances. But friends and families stuck in their homes are still finding ways to pursue their interests and enjoy activities together. Here are some highlights from around the world:
- A Grand Rapids, Mich., neighborhood put on a scavenger hunt by placing items in their windows or yards for children to find. One woman posted on the neighborhood Facebook page a map and list of the items as a guide to participants. This neighborhood, and others throughout the country, have also done “bear hunts,” which involve finding the teddy bears hidden in windows and on trees.
- The Getty Museum in Los Angeles invited quarantined art fanatics to recreate famous paintings and post the pictures on social media. The rules are to use the people and everyday objects around your house. The museum has received several hilarious responses, including a clever reenactment of “The Arnolfini Wedding” by Jan van Eyck involving a large green comforter and a crockpot.
- With most other sports on hold during the pandemic, marble racing is finally getting its time in the spotlight. Two brothers in the Netherlands started marble racing a couple years ago with their own elaborately made tracks, but the avant-garde sport really got rolling last week when one of their marble racing videos went viral on Twitter. More marble races with sports-style commentary are available on the brothers’ YouTube channel.
- Homebound dancers are still practicing their moves, even while they’re off the dance floor. Last weekend, one grandfather who lives across the street from his granddaughter enjoyed a dance-off with the 6-year-old while social distancing. They each stood on a side of the street and took turns busting moves to the loud music. In Brazil, a dedicated couple dressed up for some swing dancing in their living room.
- Musical people are enjoying the extra time to write songs—especially parodies with a coronavirus twist. A family of six in the United Kingdom wrote and performed a parody of “One Day More” from the musical Les Misérables. Two grandparents came up with a re-write of the song “Edelweiss” from The Sound of Music, and a YouTuber posted a video of himself performing quarantine-style versions of popular Disney songs.
Thursday, April 2, 2020
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, people probably didn’t think much of humdrum products like toilet paper, face masks, and hand sanitizer. Now, they’re some of the hottest items on the market. Store shortages in these pandemic-era valuables mean some people who need them the most can’t get them. But families and businesses are doing what they can to change that. Here are some examples of their charity:
• The craft and fabrics store Joann has donated fabric for homemade masks and invites customers to join their goal of making 100 million homemade masks for medical personnel. The company website features step-by-step instructions for sewing the masks. The CDC says homemade masks offer an extra layer of protection and can help free up the higher-tech surgical masks for emergency use.
• Some distilleries have started making hand sanitizer to meet the increasing need. Last month, a brewery in Arizona known for beer and spirits switched one of its locations to focus entirely on producing hand sanitizer. The company packed hundreds of gallons of the sanitizer into kegs to deliver it to hospitals. Distilleries in Texas and Florida have also made the switch.
• A college student from Kentucky designed a facemask for families and friends of the deaf and hard of hearing. The mask has see-through plastic material in front of the mouth that makes it easier to read lips and see facial expressions. She and her mom have been sewing the masks using material from bedsheets and a roll of plastic material they already had at home.
• People are leaving out free goodies for their busy delivery drivers. One man marked the giveaways on his porch with a handwritten sign saying, “Delivery drivers: Take it if you need it! Thank you for your hard work!” An arrow pointed to packages of toilet paper and bottles of hand sanitizer. One driver who took some toilet paper told the man, “You’re a lifesaver. Thank you.”
• When a Minnesota state trooper pulled over a doctor for speeding last month, he replaced the speeding ticket with five of his own N95 masks. The masks were still in their packages when he handed them to her through the window. The doctor had been reusing her own N95 mask while at the hospital to help prevent a possible shortage and said she cried at the state trooper’s gift.
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
As of Tuesday, the governments of 32 states and Washington, D.C., have issued stay-at-home orders. Some cities in states that haven’t yet applied these measures have made similar declarations, meaning that about 80 percent of all Americans are stuck at home. The stay-at-home orders in some states expire within a matter of days, but the state governments are likely to extend those orders further into the spring. Virginia issued its first stay-at-home order on Monday, in effect until June 10.
With so many stuck at home, here are some ways people are keeping themselves occupied.
- One couple used an iPhone to play a remote game of Scattergories with family members stuck at home 20 miles away. Both groups set up their phones and laptops on tables so they could watch the people in the other house while playing the game. Some more intense game players have gone to elaborate lengths to set up remote card games, pulling out cardboard boxes and lamps to get the best camera shot for their friends.
- Drone technology has kept life interesting for some home-bound people. Last month, a lockdown in Cyprus prevented a man from bringing his dog for a walk. So he tied his dog’s leash to a drone and controlled it from his balcony while the dog strolled down the street. In Brooklyn, N.Y., a man in lockdown used his drone to ask out a neighbor he saw dancing on her roof.
- During quarantine in Spain, a pianist set up a keyboard on his apartment balcony and performed a song from the movie Titanic. A saxophone player from a couple balconies away soon joined in. Neighbors watching from the street below and from nearby apartment windows clapped and cheered at the spontaneous performance.
- Christian musicians are finding ways to connect with audiences during social distancing. Modern hymn writers Keith and Kristyn Getty and their four young daughters have been streaming weekly family hymn singings from their home. The community of Christian artists at the Rabbit Room has also begun a series of livestreamed musical performances and poetry readings.
- Rabbit Room musician and author Andrew Peterson has been streaming live readings of his children’s books series The Wingfeather Saga. Peterson’s daily readings continue nightly at 7 p.m. central. Wednesday is the 13th night of him reading the first book of the series. Read-alongs like Peterson’s have become a trend among authors and actors during the coronavirus. Last month, the lead actress from the 1995 film Pride and Prejudice, Jennifer Ehle, started streaming live readings of Jane Austen’s classic novel on her Instagram page.
This article was originally published by WORLD Magazine and is republished by permission.
