Here’s a comprehensive list of things to see, do and learn for free while you’re confined to your home during the 21-day lockdown.
With India entering day 10 of the 21-day Covid-19 lockdown, we thought of finding ways for you to stay occupied, productive and entertained without breaking the bank. Here’s a list of websites and online resources that are free or come with free trial periods and which go beyond run-of-the-mill streaming services.
Online Learning and Coaching Resources-
Moz Academy offers free online courses for you to improve your SEO writing skills during the coronavirus pandemic. Use the promo code ‘wegotthis’ while signing in.
Brit.co offers free DIY classes on everything from cake decorating to investing for the next two weeks.Use the discount code “selfcare” at checkout.
Class Central is offering a plethora of Ivy League courses on subjects ranging from computer science to art and design for free till July.
The Great Courses offers a 30-day free trial where you can listen to or watch instructional videos across any streaming device that cover topics ranging from photography and history to cognitive behavioural therapy.
Health and Wellness-
Peloton is offering a free 90-day extended trial of its subscription workout app. Users can choose from classes such as yoga, meditation, strength training and more.
The Headspace app is offering free guided meditations you can listen to anytime.
The Calm app offers free resources to keep your mind healthy and stay grounded. Some of the content is hand-picked to support your mental and emotional wellness during these difficult times.
Colorfy is a colour therapy app for adults that lets you colour pictures of landscapes, animals and even intricate mandalas on your phone, PC or tablet. The best part about Colorfy is that it also works offline, which eases the burden on your already stressed wi-fi connection.
Gaming-
Drawful 2 is a fun Pictionary-like group game.The object is to sketch a picture on your phone or tablet based on a text prompt, and then everyone gets to vote on what the picture represents. And because we’re all social-distancing, you can play this not only at home with family, but also remotely with far-flung friends and relatives. It is available for free for Windows, Mac and some consoles.
GOG has an epic collection of 27 PC games, including classics from the 80’s. All titles are compatible with Windows; some are also available for Mac or Linux.
There’s also games such as Carrom, Ludo, Uno and 8 Ball pool available for free which you can play online with your friends on your phone or computer.
Movies and Entertainment-
Audible by Amazon has free stories for kids of all ages to stream on your desktop, laptop, phone or tablet. It also has great podcasts for adults and is perfect if you’re looking at minimizing screen time.
Eros Now, Eros Entertainment’s streaming platform which streams movies and web-series is offering an extended two-month trial to new users.
Amazon’s Prime Video wants to babysit your kids while letting you focus on working from home and housework by offering a host of kids shows that can be watched without an Amazon Prime subscription but need an Amazon.in account to access. It also offers a 30-day free trial for those who want to try it before they buy it.
Mubi is a streaming service that offers a great selection of films from India and around the world that aren’t your typical, formulaic Hollywood or Bollywood big-ticket blockbusters. Serious film buffs take note they offer a 30-day free trial.
To end with a flourish, here’s a list of 10 totally free movie streaming services such as Pluto where you can find an entire channel of James Bond movies or Kanopy which is home to notable films like Captain Fantastic and Midsommar.
The content on this list should get you through the coronavirus lockdown, and then some. If you still feel we missed something, or if you have a secret stash of content you’d like to share, leave a link in the comments.
