5 ways to have a great summer during the COVID-19 pandemic

Posted on 7:00am Friday 17th Jul 2020

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, you may find yourself struggling to keep busy with your normally active lifestyle forcibly being put on hold. With stay-at-home orders in place and social distancing regulations keeping you at least six feet away from your family and friends, you’ll be hard-pressed to do much outside of spending some quality alone time with yourself, or those already living in your household.

Though this summer may be unlike any other summer you’ve experienced before, there’s no reason why you can’t make the most of it- pandemic and all!

Whether you enjoy baking cookies, folding origami paper cranes, or embroidering old t-shirts, there's no time like a pandemic to pick up your favourite hobby.

You’ve no excuse not to read that stack of books collecting dust on the bookshelf or crack on with the DIY you’ve been meaning to get round to.

Maybe you have an old hobby to get back into or maybe you’re on the hunt for a new hobby to fall in love with, we’re here to help you have a great summer during the COVID-19 pandemic with 5 enthralling pastimes.

5 ways to have a great summer during the covid-19 pandemic

#1: Bake

It seems as though everyone became bakers during the first month of quarantine when bread-baking swept all of your favourite social media platform feeds. And who doesn’t love a good loaf of bread!

Not only does joining in on the bread baking fun provide you with a delicious base for sandwiches, but you can also check off another skill in your figurative book of skills and talents.

I highly recommend making a delicious homemade soup with fresh organic Abel and Cole veg to dunk your homemade chunks of bread!

#2: Hike

Put your running shoes to use this summer by getting out and climbing a mountain! Hiking is a great way to become one with nature and immerse yourself into the natural world.

Whether you’re in search of the highest peaks or the most awe-inspiring hidden waterfalls, the right hiking trail can lead you on a pathway straight to any number of natural wonders.

If you love combining walks with history, then an English Heritage membership is worth considering for accessing hundreds of historic places throughout the UK for free.

Don't forget to look after your skin with these summer skincare tips if you'll be in the sun for prolonged periods of time.

#3: Find your green thumb

Collecting plants has become one of the most popular quarantine hobbies people have taken up. If you’re itching to take elements of nature indoors, stocking up on indoor-friendly plants is a great way to bring a bit of green life into your space.

Whether you’re creating your own personalized greenhouse or simply sprucing up your remote workspace, cultivating your green thumb is a great way to learn a new skill and boost your interior aesthetic.

Not much of a green thumb? Furnish your space with these low-maintenance indoor plants:

Snake plant
Fiddle-leaf fig tree
Philodendron
Devil’s ivy
Pothos
Peperomia
Red prayer plant
Zanzibar gem
Spider plant
Dracaena

Succulents and cacti are also very low maintenance plants that only require watering every few weeks.

#4: Read

Between new stories and old tales full of nostalgia, there’s no such thing as a bad time to get lost in a good book. Although reading may seem like an incredibly passive hobby, it opens up a world of adventure for you— not only in new stories, but in new spaces to sit back, relax, and flip through page after page.

If you’re missing travel then stock up on the latest Lonely Planet publications to plan your next adventures!

#5: Volunteer

Volunteering is a brilliant way to spend your time while lending a helping hand to those in need. Even with social distancing orders, volunteering your time is made possible with plenty of safety measures in place.

The most important first step is to pick a cause that you're passionate about—be it the environment, homeless populations, health care workers, charity shops or orphaned pets—find an agency whose mission aligns with your hopes for a better future.

Final word

Although quarantine may be a drag, there’s truly no better time to find something you’re passionate about. Having a great summer, even amidst a global pandemic, just takes a bit of creativity.