By Emma Frank and Feronia Ding
With the summer holidays soon approaching, we have compiled a list of some fun activities (ordered from least-most risk) that take into account the prospect of COVID. This means that you can still have an enjoyable break, while simultaneously remaining safe and COVID-free.
1. Start a Creative Project
Activities such as knitting, scrapbooking, painting, customizing your clothes, baking, making care packages for your friends, redecorating your room or picking up a new instrument ect. are all engaging ways to keep busy during the break, as well as providing you with a new skill.
2. Getting Outside
Bushwalking, hiking, and biking are all great ways to keep fit and still enjoy time with friends during the summer break. Time outside is beneficial to mental, social, and physical health. Also being safer as the air is cleaner than indoors, this format is less likely to carry COVID.
3. Safe Movie Nights
You can host digital movie nights with friends via browser extensions like Netflix Party. You can also attend Drive-In Theatres at locations like Blacktown and Newcastle. This is the perfect way to view your favourite movies, with friends, while still remaining safe! A slightly higher risk option is having a movie night with close friends as long as current COVID restrictions are applied.
4. Picnics!
This is a fun way to spend time with friends, while still remaining safe, as there won’t be too many people around. And, if a more isolated area is chosen, you can be limiting potential interactions. If you want to do more, you could bring music, games or even have a theme or fun challenge for the picnic, e.g. all dressing monochromatically and keeping your chosen colour as a surprise. However, it’s important to ensure food is packaged individually, to hinder the spread of germs.
5. Beach Days
A trip to the beach with family or friends would be a great way to enjoy a COVID-safe day. As this is a slightly riskier option, just make sure you’re choosing a more isolated location for your beach day, as visiting busier or more popular beaches could result in a higher risk of catching COVID.
We hope all these activities provide you with ideas of what to do during these summer holidays. Being COVID-safe and obeying restrictions is essential to being able to do all the things you love again this coming year. During this break, make sure you check in on your friends, stay safe and have fun!