Being in quarantine because of a global pandemic is something quite a few people are not used to. Having online school in place of physical school and being inside all day even as the weather gets nicer has left a lot of people wondering what to do in their free time or how to relax after they’ve completed their online lessons.

They are a variety of things that can be done with enough time. Learning to cook new recipes, arts and crafts, listening to new music, starting a new book or routine, etc.

I have been using my time after online lessons and assignments to catch up on reading new stories and books. I am a fan of most fantasy books and realistic fiction books. The author, Rick Riordan, has many books in the fantasy and adventure genre. His series like “Percy Jackson & the Olympians,” “The Heroes of Olympus,” “Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard,” “The Kane Chronicles” and “The Trials of Apollo,” make for a good way to use up extra time and find a new fantasy world to immerse yourself in. For those who may be looking for something to read online, The Wizarding World website of “Harry Potter” is offering the “Harry Potter” series for free to read online. They also have online videos and stories for fans of the series. You can get to the “Bringing Hogwarts to You” page here.

Another way people have been passing the time is through baking or cooking new things. In my house, we are trying to bake more often using my mother’s cookbook. One of the recipes in it is for one minute blueberry mug cakes. For those who might want to try the recipe, it requires four tablespoons flour, two tablespoons sugar, one eighth teaspoon baking powder, three tablespoons milk, one tablespoon oil, a pinch of baking soda, a handful of blueberries and a pinch of brown sugar. All of these should then be put into a mug and mixed together. Then put it in the microwave for one minute (or until it is cooked all the way through) and it’s ready to eat. It’s an easy way to make a snack and can be fun to try out.

Drawing, painting, sketching, practicing music and refining skills that people already have is a good way to spend the time as well. Having this much time gives some the much needed time to refine a skill they already were working on. For others the best way to spend the time starting or finishing up a show or movie they have been waiting to watch. 

But even as a lot of people start new things or finish up old things, a large number of people have worries about the pandemic, school work, and family and friends on their minds too. And just being able to calm those worries is a good task to work on too, even if it takes a while.