In Gibraltar, we have been in lockdown for just over a week. Since the UK is starting now, I thought it would be the perfect time to give you some hobbies to do during lockdown that I’ve been doing to keep myself sane when not seeing other people. These won’t be perfect for everyone, but they work for me, and they might work for you!
When most people think of board games, they think of the usual ones such as Monopoly, Risk or Scrabble. But there is so much more; I’m going to give you some of my favourite, family-friendly board games to play!
Codenames is a board game made by Czech Games for 4-8 players. You split into teams and have a spymaster who gives the clues for each side. On the table in front of the team will be a 5×5 grid of words. The spymasters a have a map with their colours (blue or red) that correspond with the words. They must then give a number with a one-word clue for their team to guess.
For Example – The blue spymaster might see the words “suit” and “tie” on the board in blue, but “socks” might be a point for the red teams. To avoid his team picking socks, he might say “professional 2.”, and his team would get the two points if they got it right! The first team to guess all their words win!
(There’s also a kid’s version available)
Saboteur is a card game for 3-10 players. In Saboteur, you play the role of Dwarf Miners who are mining for gold. The aim of the game is for the dwarfs to get to the gold. The Saboteur aims to stop them!
This is a fun path-building game that is super easy to pick up and play with some excellent replay value. Perfect for a family board game night. Definitely one of my new favourite hobbies to do during lockdown.
Tsuro is a beautiful and simple board game. The goal is to keep your token on the board longest by playing path cards. You have to follow these paths no matter what and other people can play path cards to make you leave the board.
This game is simple and is great for 2-8 people!
These are just three great games that I’ve played with my family so far. Some more honourable mentions include Unspeakable Words, Sushi Go, Obama Lama, Flux and Jaipur!
Most people who say that they don’t like reading or don’t have the time usually just haven’t found the right book. Well, now you don’t have an excuse! There are plenty of options for reading; you could buy your books from Bookdepository – listen to an audiobook with Audible or find some free books on the SimplyE app (when you download it choose The SimplyE Collection).
You could also join an online book club. I’ve started one with my friend over on my page Neurodiverse Bookworm Recommends – It’s a great way to socialise and talk about something that interests you!
If you fancy joining in, please follow this link!
Exercising is a great way to pass the time, and it keeps you fit and healthy at the same time. There are a few choices that I have used for working out (I tend to alternate between them).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO6fw0GU-fE
Ring Fit Adventure is an RPG game on the Nintendo Switch that requires you to do a workout while you play. You can choose how much of a workout you get and the type of exercise you do (although some enemies might require a particular kind.)
This is a fun and enjoyable way to work out if you have the console and I’d highly recommend it. I’ve been using it for two weeks and workout roughly 30 minutes every three days!
There are some excellent workout phone apps. I have used 2 in the past that I would recommend.
This app offers a limited workout routine and a daily workout routine on its free version. These allow you to go at your own pace by giving you the reps you have to do with a short introduction. It’s customisable so that you can change out specific exercises you might find hard but also very versatile.
I can’t recommend this app enough; its free version includes a limited workout that is done through different videos and is focused on boxing style workouts!
iBoxx is fun while also being a hard workout and, the instructors are incredibly engaging and make you want to workout!
There are some great workouts free of charge on Youtube. Marc at BridgeFitness is a fantastic coach and makes his workouts extremely fun and entertaining!
I highly recommend trying his workouts out!
I love videogames; they allow me an escape from the world and let me be for a few hours. I play the Switch because it tends to have more relaxed, less technically demanding games and I’ve found that it has helped me through this hard time! It’s probably my favourite hobbies to do during lockdown.
My new favourite is Animal Crossing: New Horizons where you spend your days doing tasks to create your perfect island. The best part is you can visit other people’s islands as long as you’re friends and it allows for that socialising that unfortunately is now missing from our lives.
There are plenty of musicians and celebrities doing Facebook live concerts or chats and these again allow for the socialisation that we miss… Our very own Lorraine hosts live on the Chewigem Facebook page regularly, and they are fun and entertaining. So why not head on over to find out when the next one is!
Due to the situation going on in the world right now, plenty of museums have created free online tours. These are varied and extremely interesting, you can go and visit The Smithsonian Museum and explore natural history or the animals of the air and sea. You could visit The Vatican Museum and take a look at the Sistene Chapel or even The Natural History Museum and take a look at some Dinosaur Bones!
I hope these 6 alternative hobbies to do during lockdown have you given you some ideas!
Whatever you choose to do during this lockdown period, I hope that you enjoy your time with your families and stay safe. Remember that Chewigem is always here for, and we have a vast support network in our Sensory Support Group.
Don’t be afraid to reach out!
Sensory Matters Podcast
Free Sensory Support Community
Can Chewigems Help Keep Your Teeth Clean?
