Things to do to take your mind off lockdown

15 ways to stay connected, mentally strong and entertained

From online beer yoga and an '80s tribute show to a virtual marathon and flower workshop, there is a lot to keep you entertained during lockdown.  

There’s also an online gaming platform with hundreds of fun games, 12 museums you can visit from the couch and a fun way to keep the little ones active.

THROW IT BACK TO THE ‘80S
Wednesday, 3 June
Relive the hits from the past from Laura Branigan to Pink Floyd. Marcia Moon will play all her favourite throwback songs along with a couple of her originals in her ‘80s Acoustic Tribute Show on 3 June at 7pm.

SCROLL THROUGH AN EXCLUSIVE WINTER WARDROBE 
28 May-1 June
Take a peek into what top local designers have in store for winter 2020 at Pia’s Pop-Up market online. From cashmere jumpers and hand made earrings to winter coats and windbreakers from an exclusively curated winter collection.

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN STILL PLAN YOUR WEDDING
Sunday, 31 May
SA Bridal Fairs hosts its first online wedding exhibition on 31 May. Between 30-50 exhibitors, brides and grooms can scroll through photographers, caterers and designers. Choose and chat to your favourites while you plan your wedding online.

BRING THE GARDEN INSIDE FOR A VIRTUAL FLOWER WORKSHOP
Saturday 30 May
Fill your Saturday afternoon with the smell of seasonal flowers and fresh bread with Roushanna Gray’s virtual flower workshop this Saturday, 30 May at 3pm. Learn how to create your own flower crown, cook a delicious floral flatbread with hibiscus flowers, and bake a show-stopping gluten-free olive oil carrot cake at the virtual flower workshop.

HEAL YOUR BODY WITH A THERAPEUTIC DANCE CLASS
Thursday, 28 May
Dancers of all fitness levels can join in on a gentle and personalised form of movement with the NIA dance studio to help heal your mind, body, emotions and spirit in a weekly therapeutic dance class.

SCRATCH THAT MARATHON ITCH
Monday to Saturday, 25-30 May
Onsite Events is bringing the marathon to you with a virtual lockdown marathon equipped for all fitness levels. Participants can take part in a six-day fun run, a half marathon and a full marathon. Plus, live stream an online prize-giving ceremony with a virtual braai and a live performance from Vos Reyneke. Pick your own routes and your own pace to run or ride your first lockdown marathon.

SPICE UP YOUR YOGA GAME WITH CRAFT BEER
Every Friday
Beerhouse on Long is merging two of Cape Town’s loves - beer and yoga. Centred around the joys of craft beer and the mindfulness of yoga, this class aims to create a light-hearted and energized experience. All you’ll need is a WiFi connection and your choice of beer (or whatever beverage is left) to spice up your yoga experience via Zoom.

LAUGH OUT LOUD WITH BEERHOUSE COMEDY CLUB
Every Wednesday
End level five lockdown with a laugh and watch South African comedian Kopling Mbumba every Wednesday as he brings new material each week. Head to Beerhouse’s Instagram page to catch Kopling Mbumba on the next live comedy session for your weekly dose of lockdown laughs.

GET LOCKDOWN FIT WITH WEEKLY DANCE CLASSES
Every Friday
Dance your way through all the levels of lockdown with weekly dance fitness classes every Friday at 7pm. All fitness levels and dance backgrounds are welcome. So clear some space and  follow along to Lydia Dance Academy’s easy choreography. Bookings must be made via Whatsapp on 071 491 7460 to secure your spot and get lockdown fit every week.

ONLINE YOGA WITH OM REVOLUTION
Daily
To stay active during this lockdown period, Om Revolution has released daily online yoga classes, including meditation with Mandy to yogalates with Tanya. Experienced instructors will guide you through a variety of exercises to help reduce stress and anxiety, strengthen muscles, and increase flexibility. From Hatha and Yin to Vinyasa, join the next online yoga session with Om Revolution.

STREAM MOFFIE TO YOUR HOME CINEMA (AKA LAPTOP)
All through lockdown
Local film Moffie has had Rotten Tomatoes reviewers going gaga with its story of finding love in an all-male army. It was released in local cinemas on 13 March, but now cinemas are closed, so the filmmakers have made the movie available to stream from their website. R150 gets you 24-hour access to watch the movie. For more details on streaming it and the tech specs required to do so, visit the moffiefilm.com website.

NEXT LEVEL SOCIAL DISTANCING
Every day
After stopping production on all of their late-night TV shows, Viacom CBS hosts returned to air doing short videos. One of these has local comedian  Trevor Noah catching up on the day’s coronavirus news with a show aptly called, the Daily Social Distancing Show. This stripped-down version of The Daily Show sees Noah stuck at home, looking straight into the camera and delivering his comedic views on the COVID-19 dominated news of the day.

THINGS YOU CAN DO EVERY DAY AT HOME
VISIT WORLD MUSEUMS WITHOUT LEAVING HOME
From the British Museum in London to the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City and even the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. See anything from Egyptian Mummies to the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and much more when you can take a virtual tour of 12 museums from around the world.


HUNDREDS OF GAMES, HOURS OF FUN
Take a chunk out of the day by playing one of the many titles available on online gaming platform Roblox. From obstacle courses to roller-coaster rides, action and fantasy games.  Plus if you’re feeling creative. You can create your own Roblox game for yourself and others to try. All you need to do is sign up and download the Roblox app


ANOTHER OPTION FOR THE KIDS
If your little ones get bored with Netflix, YouTube and gaming, give your children something else to stimulate them. Podcasts are just as fun for children as they are for adults, and they’ll be kept busy with classic children’s stories, folktales from around the world and educational content to help keep them sharp while schools are closed. Keep kids between 2-6 years old happy with this list of child-friendly podcasts.

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Upskill your life with free and discounted short-courses

Share in a moment of joy, and watch South Africans arrive home in song.

Watch Juan Casey live in Neethlingshof Lockdown Sessions

Heat up your Friday night with a virtual fire jam.

Beat lockdown boredom with OMG Quiz nights.

Learn how to make cheap meals anyone can make.

Enjoy a live concert by Jon Shaban from ShowLive.

Find out all you need to know about the novel coronavirus.

Get the latest updates on the coronavirus infection rates in Cape Town.

Find out how the coronavirus is affecting air travel and public transport.

These are just some of the ways you can support small businesses through this time.

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STAY UP TO DATE ON ALL THINGS CORONAVIRUS-RELATED
The situation is ever-changing and our team is committed to bringing you all the latest updates on COVID-19 in Cape Town. Find out which places have closed and get notified when they reopen. Keep tabs on the governmental restrictions in place. And treat yourself to some moments of joy we have found during these challenging times. 

SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES
Maybe your livelihood is unaffected, but not everyone is so lucky. With trading restrictions, social distancing, and event cancellations, many small local businesses are taking a huge hit. Order takeouts, buy online, donate, and try not to cancel any payments you can afford. The economy is under strain, but together we can keep many people afloat. Find out how you can support local businesses.