Stay home. Has the world ever been so unified under one single idea? As we each do our part for the greater good, we decided it was time to round up some resources for all social-distancers of all ages to find some solace during these hard times. In times of crisis, Mr. Rogers tells us to look for the helpers--and there are amazing people and companies doing so much to help brighten this unsettling situation. Here's our roundup of resources that might help you make it through these days at home:
HEALTH
Headspace: The meditation app has curated a collection of free resources tailored to the general public, employers/HR professionals, and teachers. Even better? Headspace is offering all healthcare workers working in a public health setting free access to Headspace Plus. Click here for more.
Journey Live: For those craving a side of community with your daily om, this meditation app offers live meditation classes, usually for a monthly or annual fee. But for the rest of the month of March, Journey is giving users access to their live meditation classes for free. Click here to sign up.
YogaWorks: Join YogaWorks for free live stream classes throughout the day. The schedule is jam-packed with classes (around 3 offerings an hour!) for all levels.
Fitness classes: The fitness world has risen to the occasion, finding creative ways to connect with their communities online. This roundup of promotions (like 90 days free on the Peleton app) and classes (like Barry’s Bootcamp going on IG live) should cover most of your favorites.
Also worth mentioning: keep tabs on your favorite local fitness/meditation studios or IG influencers who are also working hard to offer tons of free resources or low-cost options on their platforms. Let's support local however we can!
CULTURE
Art, Museums, and Music: If your brain can't take any more Netflix binging, it might be time to lean into some culture. From the comfort of your couch, you can visit some of the best art galleries and museums in the world, and even tune into a symphony or opera. Click here for more.
Libby: Anyone else trying to do their part by *not* overdoing it on the Amazon orders? So with many local libraries closed, we're giving our carts a rest and switching over to Libby, a free app that lets you borrow ebooks and digital audiobooks from your local library. Click here for more.
Masterclass: Take cooking classes from Gordon Ramsay, perfect the smoky eye with Bobbi Brown, or learn writing from Malcolm Gladwell. For those of us who thought we wouldn't get around to learning for pleasure until retirement, now could actually be the time to dive into that hobby you've always wanted.
KIDS
Brooklyn Public Library: Come for their daily virtual storytime, stay for the virtual Dungeons and Dragons.
Virtual visits: Hang out with the animals (our fave: the baboons!) at the San Diego Zoo, ocean life at the Monterey Bay Acquarium, or explore the surface of Mars with NASA's Curiosity Rover.
DreamBox Learning: DreamBox is an adaptive, online K-8 math learning curriculum (you select your state's proficiency standards, the platform handles the rest) and is offering free access for parents for 90 days.
Lunchtime Doodles with Mo Willems: If you can snag a spot live, join Mo Willems in his studio for a lunchtime doodle each weekday. End up number 28,371 in the queue? (Yes, that happened to us.) Fear not--lunchtime doodles are recorded and can easily become breakfast doodles the next morning.
Mindful Schools: Mindful Schools is offering free Zoom classes Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. We didn't make it into Thursday's class (the Zoom was at max capacity) but did get an email with the recording.
And while our collective sanity is important, most of all we want to wish you and your loved ones good health during this difficult time. For those of you directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic or fighting it on the front lines, our hearts are with you.