The worldwide coronavirus pandemic has caused many restrictions to the part of our lives that involve having fun! If we can’t be close to each other as a community, and everything fun seems to take much more effort, how are we able to have as much fun as we used to? 

Well, I’m here to tell you exactly how to have a satisfying life amongst Covid limitations, while also staying safe and healthy. All it takes is a little creativity. I will give some examples of some of my favorite ways of staying social and having fun safely. 

Outdoor Fires with Takeout

 Campfires are a very easy way to stay socially distanced, and as the weather starts to get warmer, these will only get more enjoyable. I have campfires three times a week with a small group and someti

mes we bring takeout which adds even more fun. C.H.S Senior Sohl Park says  “campfires are my favorite way of hanging out with friends now, and after Covid, we will still be having much more.”. Finding new appreciation for new ways of socializing is a very common theme throughout most of these!

Online video games with friends

Video games are getting a lot of attention these days but you don’t have to play alone! Playing online video games with friends is an awesome opportunity to have some friendly competition, plus squeeze in some social time with people you may have not seen in a while. Some of my favorite games I’ve played over quarantine are Call of Duty Warzone, Fifa, Steep, and many more. My friend Ben Yates moved to North Carolina last year and we stay in touch through facetiming and playing video games together. Ben also added, “playing video games is a great way to stay connected with friends that you can’t see as often!”

Masked Outdoor Sports

A lot of sports are pretty socially distanced in the long run, but what you and your friends choose to play is up to you! Kickball is a good one and could bring back some elementary school memories. We also have a spikeball club at our school which is currently active that I strongly recommend students looking into! Spikeball is a super fun game that has a  low risk for Covid exposure, and acts as a way for you to see some friends that you haven’t seen in a while!

Starting a New Hobby with friends

Starting a new hobby with friends is awesome and is pretty easy to do with all of the free time we have because of Covid. For example, my friend and I have started learning the sport of rock climbing. A new look at a hobby could be anything as far as art, music, a new sport, the opportunities are endless! I know many kids at C.H.S who have started skateboarding as a way of having fun during

quarantine. 

Outdoor adventures 

Going on hikes and experiencing nature together is another safe way of socializing. Charlottesville is in very close proximity to awesome trails, and hiking around in the woods with friends is super rewarding!