With our lives changing day by day & millions of us having to adapt to a strangely surreal world; we are all trying our hardest to remain positive & focus on a future.

With our economy still being buoyed as much as possible by Government grants & loans, these are trying times for everyone.

However, we need to remain hopeful that by abiding by the government directives & being ever mindful of & restricting our interactions with others; that we can supress the virus & enable our NHS to cope with this increased burden.

Therefore, Virtually Smart would like to offer some ideas for keeping yourself, your family & friends (sharing ideas) engaged, entertained & for you to enjoy during extended periods at home.

Hold your own community Fete.

What could be more traditional than a village fete & yes you could still invite your friends. If you have the imagination you could bake cakes, make some bunting & set up a three legged race or an egg & spoon race, invite your friends virtually to join in in their own gardens & share the fun.

Gardening.

Gardening has been proven to be extremely uplifting, great exercise & is even being prescribed for those suffering with depression & anxiety. Whether you have a small courtyard, or a vast lawn; now could be the time to transform your space.

With online deliveries still available, it wouldn’t take much to order some seeds, compost & planters & with a little patience; begin to grow something of your own.

Go camping!

Do you have access to a tent? Do you have a garden? Yes? Then you can go on holiday. Why not pitch your tent in your back garden & head off to the sunny climbs of your own back yard for a few days of escapism. Take a book, some games & plenty of goodies to eat & you could create some wonderful family memories for your future.

If you live alone or are in a partnership, you can still do the same & maybe invite some friends to join you via Facetime or Whatsapp. Toasted marshmallows, some friends to chat & laugh with could be an enormous boost for your mental health.

Design a positive & uplifting poster in support of our NHS/keyworkers.

Design positive posters in support of our NHS & keyworkers. We have already begun to see the rainbows appearing in windows across the country & they are an uplifting reminder for us all of positivity & support for all those who are on the frontline; NHS & key workers alike.

Stick up in windows so people can see them, post these online or share amongst friends.

Design outdoor games to be shared.

Create a collection of games to amuse families. Games consoles are brilliant for situations where you cannot go outdoors, however, if you have access to outdoors, now more than ever would be the very best time to use it.

There are so many traditional games which you could rekindle for the duration. Hopskotch, Rounders, Football. etc.

However, if you use your imagination, then why not create some of your own outdoor games, write your own rules, even create a league & share with your friends. The possibilities are endless.

Stage your own Olympics.

The official Olympics have been postponed, so this is your opportunity to stage your own.

Create some posters of the original rings, design & make medals, lay out some of the sports in the garden, allocate athletes & let your imagination run wild. Not only is this fun, but if you staged it over a week, it would help you stay active too.

Have a picnic.

Having a picnic with some homemade sandwiches & cakes could be a really uplifting experience for you if you are alone, in a couple or a family group.

Remember, with technology at your fingertips, you can invite family & friends to share with you, just in another garden, maybe even in another county or country.

The possibilities are endless & with a little sharing & kindness; we could create a great collection of memories together & help us all remain focused on a future.

Written by Katy-Jane for & on behalf of Virtually Smart Ltd.

#BetterTogether