Some of our favourite free or cheap days out – a trip to the local park or wander round your favourite museum, for instance – are currently off the table. That doesn’t mean that there’s nothing to do, though. Lots of organisations have rolled out free entertainment to help keep you engaged while stuck at home. Many of these activities are family friendly too.
Free theatre streaming
Under usual circumstances theatre tickets can set you back a fair few quid, and even screenings of plays and musicals at the cinema are reasonably expensive. In light of current circumstances, though, several theatres have decided to stream some of their plays for free. Here are some that you might want to check out:
- National Theatre
National Theatre are streaming a play from their archives every Thursday evening at 7pm, and leaving them up for a week so that you can catch up. Check it out on their YouTube channel, here.
- Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company have signed up to BBC’s ‘Culture in Quarantine’ programme, with several plays including Macbeth, Hamlet and Romeo an Juliet set to be broadcast over the coming weeks. Find out more here.
- The Globe Theatre
The Globe has several plays ‘premiering’ on YouTube over the coming weeks – all will be available for a limited time only. It’s also possible to pay to rent additional plays through the Globe Player. Find out more here.
- Broadway HD
Technically a paid service, Broadway HD’s 7-day free trial means that there’s plenty of time to watch some of your favourites before starting to pay. The selection is outstanding, but do be aware that you have to enter your payment details before signing up – so set a notification to cancel your trial if you don’t want to be charged. Here’s the link to sign up.
Google Arts & Culture
Google Arts & Culture is nothing new – but now seems like the perfect time to take advantage of it if you haven’t already. From views of breath-taking global landmarks like the Taj Mahal, to virtual tours of popular museum exhibitions, there’s a great deal to see… and plenty to do, too, as Google have also provided interactive apps to download and fun family challenges. For us, the highlight has to be their stunning selection of art collections.
Virtual pub quizzes
If you miss meeting up with friends for a pint and some trivia, then it may be worth takin a look at Money Saving Expert’s round-up of virtual pub quizzes. These are all free, and being run weekly or in some cases nightly. Gather some friends via video call if you want to form a team.
Get fit
There are loads of free workouts available on YouTube, but you can’t always be sure of the quality. That’s is important, as you want to know that you’re exercising safely. That’s why we recommend heading to the Body Coach TV, where popular coach Joe Wicks has been posting free daily videos. Billed as PE lessons, they’re great for kids and adults alike. He also has a range of other free videos available, including workouts tailored for older people – so everyone can get involved.