Resources to Get You Through Self-Isolation
We are living in truly unique times right now… and here at toat we’re hoping to make things just a little bit easier for anyone having to self-isolate at the moment. A lot of companies are hoping to do the same by opening up their services—we’ve rounded up a few that can help to tide you over this difficult time.
Many zoos and aquariums offer live-cams of their exhibits, which are great even just for a relaxing view to put on in the background while you’re working or, of course, just to watch! Some have day-time archived footage that loop during their off-hours, while others keep their cameras on throughout the night. We’ve included some links below, you could also search ‘zoo’ or ‘aquarium’ with ‘live cam’ to find more providers. We highly suggest the jellyfish cams- they're really calming.
San Diego Zoo / Georgia Aquarium / Monterey Bay Aquarium
Audible has pledged that “for as long as schools are closed, we’re open” and are offering free streaming services of many kids audiobooks to entertain children while they are out of school via Audible Stories. For the adults, there’s also a section called Free Listens that have a wide variety of audiobooks to choose from, including this autobiography of Agatha Christie narrated by the writer herself!
Many theme parks are closing around the world during the pandemic, Tokyo Disney Resort is no exception. However, it will be uploading some of its live shows to YouTube! The shows that were scheduled to end during this closure will be made available for viewers to enjoy from their original end-date until the 30th of April.
An online course provider, Coursera, has made a selection of classes available for free from now until 31st May for many different topics or audiences. For kids, there are a lot of home-schooling resources to be found on Pinterest—for example, here is a board compiled by Louise Pentland of different worksheets and materials.
If you are a student and your school provides on-campus lab access of Adobe’s Creative Cloud, Adobe is issuing temporary at-home access of its services to you until the 31st May so that you can continue with your coursework and learning in spite of school closures. You can make the most of this time at home by learning new skills on apps like Photoshop, Lightroom or Premiere Pro!
In light of the current pandemic and closures being extended to gyms and exercise studios, Down Dog is making all of its apps free until 1st May, including Down Dog, Yoga for Beginners, HIIT, Barre and 7 Minute Workout. Teachers, students and healthcare professionals can also register for free access until 1st July.
Keep an eye on the App Store for deals on games to engage or distract you from the anxiety of living in a pandemic and the urge to constantly check the news. For example, the game Monument Valley 2 (which won Best Mobile Game in 2017) is free this week, the offer should last until 3rd April! Monument Valley 2 is a surreal game that is well worth the few hours of your time that you'll spend immersed in its perspective-bending world.
Will any of these resources come in handy for you or your family? What materials have you been using in your time at home? Feel free to suggest more that might be useful to our community in the comments below!