Virtual Things To Do
Unique ways to stay entertained from the safety of your own home
Stuck inside with nowhere to go and nothing to do? We get it. We’ve made it to day [insert number here] of the statewide quarantine, and it’s starting to difficult to find ways to keep active and entertained. Just because you can’t physically try out all of the activities that New Hampshire has to offer doesn’t mean that you can’t participate in them. We rounded up a list of unique online activities and events that provide meaningful distractions for everyone in your family in the safety of your own home.
The Hair Ball @ Home, June 6
Monadnock Humane Society’s 18th Annual Hair Ball Gala will be held at 7 p.m. as a virtual event this year. With the world health crisis and daily changes to our lives, it’s never been more important to be here for each other and our animals. With that in mind, one of the Monadnock region’s favorite gala events is going virtual this year — the Hair Ball @ Home. Proceeds raised will go towards providing support for the animals we care for and the people who love them.
Prior to the event there will be a silent auction featuring many wonderful items donated by individuals and businesses from the community (the silent auction will be posted on the event website). Additionally, you can choose to enter into a 50/50 raffle drawing when you register.
Virtual Science Pub, June 9
Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, Squam Lakes Association and Squam Lakes Conservation Society are bringing the popular Science Pub to the digital realm. Join these groups and other members of our community on Tuesday, June 9 from 7 to 8 p.m. for a community climate conversation about “Creating Our New Reality.”
What can we learn from the global response to the coronavirus pandemic to inform our community level action on climate change? How can we capitalize on this pause in our carbon emissions to achieve a permanent shift? What community level solutions have we seen in the coronavirus response that can help us build climate resilient communities? These are big questions without easy answers. Bring your thoughts and ideas, and your own beverage, to this virtual science pub held via zoom.
This is a free event and advance registration is required.
Art & Beer Nights With Uncharted Tutoring, Fridays until July 3
Want to drink beer and make with friends on a Friday night? Pick up both an art kit and your next brew from 2Share Brewing Company in Manchester. Classes start at 6 p.m. Sign up for the whole series here or sign up for one week at a time here. Aaron of 2Share will be making beer pairing recommendations based on the content, so you can pick up the perfect libation with a nice distracting and social activity.
McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center Planetarium Shows
While the Planetarium Theater remains idle, you and your family are invited to view a new planetarium show every week that will spark your imagination and get you excited about STEM, space and aviation. Check out their website for other virtual opportunities that you can participate in from home like science activities and virtual exhibits.
Manchester Community Music School Live Streamed Concert Series, Fridays starting May 8
Even in this time of “social distancing,” the music plays on at the Music School. Starting on May 8 and continuing every Friday night through June 12, MCMS will feature a different faculty performer. The live stream concert series is free, and it can be accessed Friday evenings at 7 p.m. by visiting the school’s Facebook page.
While the Currier Museum is temporarily closed until at least May 4, you are invited to explore the museum online, including information on their new Frank Lloyd Wright house and educational programs from virtual tours to storytelling. New content will be uploaded regularly, so make sure to keep checking in to see what new fun things have been added.
Fortitude Health & Training in Manchester has partnered with the city to offer every child two virtual workout sessions a week. As part of their new “Fit Kidz NH” campaign, Fortitude, which is located in Manchester, is offering two 20-minute, free virtual fitness classes a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2 p.m. through their Instagram live account @fortitudehealthandtraining. Weekly content will also include nutrition and wellness talks and tips about how kids can stay strong in body, mind and spirit.
The more you sit on your couch, the more you want to find ways to work out. Lucky for you, many local gyms have adapted to the demand for online workouts and have come up with virtual classes all their own. Stratham boutique fitness studio, AG Fitness, is now offering online memberships that give you access to 30-minute segments of strength, club cardio, align and flow classes. There will also be weekly HIIT programming available for you to crush on demand at your own convenience. Check out their membership options here, and make sure you check out gyms near you to see what online fitness fun they are offering for you too.
Cooking Demonstrations with Liz Barbour of The Creative Feast
Looking to spice up your dinner routine? A regular guest on New Hampshire’s WMUR “Cook’s Corner” and author of “Beautifully Delicious: Cooking with Herbs & Edible Flowers,” Liz Barbour is offering live Facebook and Zoom cooking demonstrations on Tuesdays and Fridays. Recipes will be available on Liz’s Recipe blog before each class.
Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire and NHPR Online Programming
The first program in this partnership will highlight New Hampshire’s Black history through the study of local graveyards. Radio and online programming will highlight sites in Canterbury, Milford and Greenland. Additional curriculum materials will help teachers and students understand the historical significance of graveyards in their own communities.
Friday Night Livestreamed Cabarets at the Seacoast Rep
Some of the region’s best performers will livestream their favorite songs every Friday night at 8 p.m. You can tip artists through Venmo, chat with other guests in the livechat, and feel a little less alone and cooped up. A donation of $10 or more gets you in, and senior or healthcare worker get in free (though donations are still appreciated). The Seacoast Rep is also offering a number of other fun virtual events, so make sure to check out the website for more.
Queens, New York, based Rude Grooms and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, based Seven Stages Shakespeare Company debuted a new series called Shakespeare Happy Hours. The project kicked off on April 1, and the plays begin at 5 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday on YouTube or at shakespearehappyhours.tv. Each 90-minute rendition of William Shakespeare’s plays will be performed in real time by actors across the US and UK, allowing the actors to collaborate remotely.
The Gundalow Company’s 10th annual springtime “Gundalow Gatherings” have now gone virtual. Since their inception in 2010, they have showcased what is best about our seacoast community: our waterways, our environment, our seafaring platforms and the creative energy that makes the Piscataqua region and its environs such a desirable place to visit and live. The Gatherings ordinarily pair in-home hosts and guest speakers with a small audience for an informal evening of food, camaraderie and the opportunity to share and learn about a wide range of topics. Such topics have included nautical archaeology, wooden boat building and the environmental and human impacts to climate change. To responsibly follow physical distancing guidelines, the Gundalow team has embraced the Zoom Video Communications platform in order to recreate the spirit of the Gatherings on Thursday evenings.
The New Hampshire Magazine Cubicle is dark. Due to social distancing and the order to stay at home as much as possible, live music – including our ongoing project – is taking a bit of a hit. However, with the help, talent and can-do attitude of New Hampshire and Granite State-connected musicians, the music will continue. So, for now, the Cubicle is virtual. We hope you’ll come back to see some amazing musicians persevere through a difficult time. Support live music, sing and dance along at home (because no one can see you,) and when this all blows over, go back out and see these people play live. Tune in and watch.
A Virtual Conversation: George Tooker’s “Farewell,” June 24
The 1966 painting “Farewell” by American artist George Tooker, which reflects on the loss of his mother, will be the launching point for a timely and sensitive discussion of love, loss and rites of passage. They will also be looking at the differences among societies and cultures in coming to terms with the death of loved one, and the role of art and ritual in mediating the transition between the living and the dead. Click here to register.
Harvard Pilgrim Living Well at Home Series
As your guide to living well, Harvard Pilgrim’s goal is to help you gain a healthier mindset, lower stress and anxiety levels, sleep better, and learn how to approach life in this uncertain time. Whether you are looking to shake it up, stretch it out, or get centered, they’ve got you covered with Zumba®, Yoga, Guided Mindfulness, and Wellness sessions, which are now available to you through their Living Well at Home programs. The programs are there for you when you need them the most and are easy to access via Zoom.
Around The World Flight Adventure
Join the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire for the ultimate field trip. The Aviation Museum’s virtual around-the-world flight is now underway, taking you places all around the globe. Have some fun as you travel the world and put the “distance” in distance learning.
Couples Cooking with The Culinary Playground, June 5 and 6
Looking for something fun to do with your sweetheart, friend, brother, or aunt? Join The Culinary Playground for a virtual couples cooking class perfect for a novice or seasoned cook. The menu includes caponata on garlic crostini, chicken marsala over herb buttered noodles, and chocolate and pistachio dipped cannoli with orange cream filling for dessert. Ingredient kits are available to pick up at their Derry location if needed.
