A few weeks indoors can make the four walls of your home start to look like a prison, but it is essential to remember that an active mind can make the hardest time the most productive times.
Being proactive as an older adult during these challenging times can take many shapes and forms. Ideas can range from mind exercises such as sudoku and puzzles, physical activities like gardening or going on walks, and playing music. All these can promote better moods, family-time, and a sense of normalcy.
This outcome is even more effective when individuals can engage with things they are personally attached to, cherish, and enjoy. Facing a decline in cognition in a loved one may be harder than ever, and maintaining an engaged mind can be a real struggle. In this day and age, there is an infinite number of resources a few clicks away, and are designed to offer engaging experiences that are meaningful and enjoyable for everyone. We thought we would give you a list of the most fascinating ones we could find.
The Georgia Aquarium
The Georgia Aquarium has set up a fantastic system of webcams that allow wildlife enthusiasts to observe the variety of aquatic animals they have. From Beluga whales to Jelly Fish, you can have a full oceanic experience at home.
Virtual Tour of the Louvre
Take a stroll through the halls of the largest art museum in the world, and enjoy a high definition tour online. Get free access to Egyptian antiquities and even the underground remains of the original fortress of the Louvre.
Enjoy a Home Safari at the Cincinnati Zoo
The Cincinnati Zoo Facebook page goes live daily at 3pm to introduce to one of the several species they are home to. See the animals interacting and engaging with their keepers as you learn about them.
The Yellowstone National Park is still open! ***
Walk through the breathtaking paths of Yellowstone and see sites like the Dragon’s Mouth Spring or the
All Aboard to Mars
Space exploration has never been this available to the public before. NASA has placed a digital 360° camera on its rovers on the surface of Mars, and it’s available to you!
Tour the Sequoia National Park
The Sequoia National Park offers some of the most biodiverse and breathtaking landscapes in the United States. With Google Maps, virtual tours of this Californian gem is a few clicks away.
Online Farm Life
Leave the big city and experience life on the farm with Farm 360. Learn what it takes to run a farm, and meet all farm animals
Otter’s to the Rescue
Monterrey Bay Aquarium is providing everyone with a daily dose of cuteness! Their incredible sea otter cam allows you to watch the otters swim and play from your home’s comfort.
It’s the Circle of Life Live
Visit a busy water hole in the Kenyan Serengeti where African wildlife roams freely. African wildlife cam positions their live cameras to get you real up close and personal to some of the most dangerous and fascinating animals on the planet.
Virtual Wonder Wall of the World
The world heritage site and iconic Chinese national monument are open for visits online. The Great Wall of China is both fascinating and awe-inspiring; you can’t miss out on this one.
The Museum of the World: British Museum
This beautifully curated experience is free and a click away. Scroll through time discovering treasures of each continent on this online tour of the British Museum.
Be a Part-Time Meteorologist
The Smithsonian Science Education Center offers a free, fun, interactive, and educational weather app. Learn about how the combinations of currents and air masses affect us daily; you’ll be on the app for hours at a time!
Visit Glacier National Park today!
Located in Montana, Glacier National Park is a national treasure and famous for its magnificent sites. With Google Earth, you can scroll, hover, and choose from among the whole map of the park.
What Better Time than Now
Seize the opportunity and learn that instrument you’ve always wanted to play! Music to Your Home is easy to set up, and lessons are conveniently online with friendly teachers.
Adios Boredom, Hola Spanish
Listen to this fun podcast by an interracial couple based in Madrid, offering free Spanish lessons. These audio based lessons are engaging, well-paced, and great fun, providing hours of productivity!
Check These Off Your Bucket List
The New York Times has made an enjoyable 360-degree tour experience of Wonders of the World. Visit and explore places like Machu Picchu, Petra, and the Taj Mahal.
Take Some Time Looking at This Ceiling
The Sistine Chapel has opened its doors online with seven virtual tours available to you! Gaze in wonder at the breathtaking painting, a true marvel of human achievement.
Want to Feel Like Royalty?
Enjoy four royal rooms all to yourself, as Buckingham Palace welcomes you in. The Queen’s official residence is opening its doors in a whole new way.
Walk through the Gates of the Holy City
Make a virtual pilgrimage to Jerusalem’s Old City. Learn about ancient history within these walls. It is a whole day’s worth of discovering!
Music To My Ears!
If music is your passion, take this opportunity to learn a little more about it in Grammy Museum. Enjoy some lessons while you listen to a curated Spotify playlist. There are archives ready for you to dig into.
You Won’t Want to Miss This One!
There are dozens of exhibitions at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History that are open to you! The virtual tours and research stations will make any day feel like a field trip!
Travel Back In Time
Take 72–degree virtual tour of history dating as far back as the Neolithic age. The National Palace Museum offers a treasure hunting adventure for Chinese artifacts.
Put On Your Hiking Boot!
Enjoy the long breathtaking trail up into ancient Peru on the Inca Trail. The long trek is condensed into a virtual journey to the Incan Empires’ iconic mountain top ruins.
Catch the Delightful Phenomenon!
Watch live from Northern Canada to get a glimpse of the majestic Northern lights.
Fly Down to Australia!
Immerse yourself in Aboriginal culture with a visit to the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Listen to stories and songs from Anangu in this virtual tour from Australia’s most iconic land in the heart of the country.
Stay in Australia for a Bit Longer!
Get your virtual diver’s license as swim around the Great Barrier Reef. Joining you in this in-depth ocean tour will be the one-and-only David Attenborough for a fascinating underwater journey.
