101 Fun Things To Do

While maintaining physical distance

By Jim Cain

There are plenty of activities that lend themselves to real-world, in-person gatherings and events while maintaining appropriate physical distance. I’m sure if you put your mind to it, you can probably create a similar list of possibilities, just from the many activities you already know. Below is a bit more description on each of the activities. These descriptions, combined with the current best practices, should enable you to plan plenty of physically distanced activities for many future programs.

Photo: © Can Stock Photo / Naypong

1. Juggling. Type “learn to juggle” on YouTube for several video tutorials. Be sure to supply participants with their own juggling balls or scarves. 

2.  Jogging or trail running. This is an excellent way to improve physical fitness and cardiovascular health. Stagger the starting times to help maintain physical distancing. 

3.  Yoga. Be sure to stand where participants can easily see you. Spread out. For inspiration, my favorite yoga video is here: YouTube.com/watch?v=d00hbKdnEhw. 

4.  Journaling. Start by creating your own book, or get a blank book from www.barebooks.com. 

5.  Line Dancing. The Cupid Shuffle and the Cha Cha Slide are popular, but you can find both music and instructions for many more dances online on YouTube. 

6.  Simon Says. Turn this popular children’s game into a whole-camp activity. Just be sure everyone can see and hear the leader. Download Scott Gurst’s document on leading Simon Says at:  www.teamworkandteamplay.com/SimonSays. 

7.  Sudoku. Photocopy Sudoku puzzles and hold competitions for speed and accuracy. Download tons of free Sudoku puzzles, for beginners, intermediates and experts at: KrazyDad.com. 

8. Suguru. Another style of number puzzle. Download tons of free Suguru puzzles, for beginners, intermediates, and experts at: KrazyDad.com. 

9. Crossword puzzles. There are plenty of online sources for free crossword puzzles, including Puzzles.USAToday.com.  10. Storytelling. Encourage staff members and campers to share stories, especially ones with inspiration and hope. 

11. Explore nature. Take a walk in the woods, look for signs of wild animals, learn the names of every plant you discover, take a deep breath, and describe what the great outdoors smells like. 

12. Arts and crafts. Create something wonderful, but package each craft in a do-it-yourself kit, so that no resources are shared. 

13. Read. Collect a variety of books that will engage and inspire your audience and invite them to take one. 

14. Practice meditation and mindfulness. Search for internet resources and learn about these two techniques. 

15. Multi-player video games. Acquaint yourself with this program possibility. Remember you can also play Scrabble, Five Crowns, and a host of other board and family games online, too. 

16. Stargazing. Learn about star constellations and which planets are visible in your area. 

17. Mad Libs. Play this game with any group, and download free printable versions of the game at: MadLibs.com/printables/. 

18. Map and compass courses. Encourage discovery in your neighborhood by creating a map and compass course.  You can find more information online, and at: NCACBSA.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/2018-Philmont-Training-III-7.2-MapCompass-101.pdf. 

19. Learn to play the guitar. You can even take music lessons online. 

20. Tongue twisters. Start with the Dr. Seuss book, Fox in Socks and then progress to the website Tongue-Twister.net for more than 3,600 tongue twisters in 118 languages. 

21. Riddles. Question: What gets wetter the more it dries?  Answer: A towel. 

22. Qi Gong. This ancient form of daily exercise is a simple way to start each day, building strength, flexibility, and balance.  YouTube.com has online videos and you can find out more from the National Qigong Association at NQA.org.  23.  Tai Chi. A movement-oriented form of daily exercise, with hundreds of movements and styles.

24. Origami. There are hundreds of paper-folding possibilities out there (Origami-Instructions.com) including online videos at YouTube. 

25. String figures. A traditional story-telling art in many cultures. Find dozens of possibilities at StringFigures.info. 

26. Compose a poem or a haiku. Haiku are three-line poems with five, seven, and five syllables in each line. For example: Some haiku are odd. They can make no sense at all. I’ll have a root beer. Type the phrase “poetic forms” into a web browser to find more than 100 forms of poetry. 

27. One-minute mysteries. You walk into a deserted cabin, in the middle of a blizzard. There is a fireplace, a lantern, and a single match. Which one do you light first? Answer: the match! 

28. Solitaire. Discover the rules for Solitaire and other card games for one at CardGameHeaven.com and more fun things to do with cards in the book Games and Fun with Playing Cards by Joseph Leeming. 

29. Paint. Discover the joy of painting on traditional canvas or unusual objects, such as rocks! 

30. Create paper airplanes. And fly them!

31. Learn how to make, throw, and catch boomerangs with the book Boomerangs – How to Make and Throw Them by Bernard Mason. 

32. Archery. Learn the basics of bow-and-arrow techniques. 

33. Participate in a photographic scavenger hunt. Take digital photographs of each item required. 

34. Create the ultimate pandemic facial mask. Complete with embellishments and accessories and a one-minute infomercial to sell the fine points of your design. 

35. Hula hoop your way to fun and fitness. 

36. Cycling. There’s plenty of room for physical distancing in this activity and opportunities to learn basic bicycle maintenance and repair. 

37. Paddle boarding. One of the newest solo paddle sports; great for building strength and balance. 

38. Kayaking. A traditional solo paddling activity with a bit more stability. 

39. Frisbee golf and foot golf. Two variations of one theme. Frisbee or disc golf is popular and many communities have courses. Just be sure to sanitize the discs between players. Foot golf is played on a regular golf course, with a soccer ball and 21-inch diameter holes. 

40.  Geocaching. A seek-and-find treasure-hunting activity perfect for summer camps.  Learn more at Geocaching.com.  41. Calisthenics. A physical training technique that uses bodyweight instead of additional equipment. Learn more at SchoolOfCalisthenics.com. 

42. Gardening. Indoors or out, growing plants, flowers, trees, and vegetables is fun. 

43. Show your gratitude. In the book 59 Seconds, Richard Wiseman reveals that having people list three things that they are grateful for in their life or to reflect on three events that have gone especially well recently can significantly increase their level of happiness for about a month. This, in turn, can cause them to be more optimistic about the future and can improve their physical health. 

44. Practice calligraphy. And other fancy lettering forms. Learn the basics at ThePostmansKnock.com/beginners-guide-modern-calligraphy/. 

45. Watch the sunrise (or sunset). 

46. Bake. Most people enjoy a home-baked desert. Why not learn how to make one yourself? Pies, cookies, cakes, and more await you. 

47. Learn to cook a new dish. Learn how to make your favorite dish. Mine was turkey pot pie with my Thanksgiving leftovers. Find the online recipe here: AllRecipes.com/recipe/9230/turkey-pot-pie/. 

48. Photography. Find a creative way to share photographs, or try to capture the letters A-Z by taking photographs of things around you that look like these letters. 

49. Drum circle. Participate in a physically distanced drum circle with friends. 

50. Eat a late dinner by candlelight. 

51. Make a list (of all the things you want to do when the pandemic is over). 

52. Learn how to whittle or carve wood. Nothing feels as good as carving a good piece of wood into a keepsake that will last forever. 

53. Surfing. There are plenty of outdoor sports that lend themselves to physical distancing, and provided you have an ocean nearby, surfing can be one of them. 

54. Slingshot target shooting. Using kernels of corn or dry dog-food pellets as ammunition (to feed birds and other wildlife).  Set up a target range with tin and other metal targets (which make a satisfying sound when hit). 

55. Virtual activities online, including scavenger hunts and escape rooms. 

56. Fishing. Another outdoor activity that lends itself to appropriate physical distancing, especially fly fishing and other casting styles. 

57. Outdoor cooking. Plenty of opportunities here for everything from Dutch oven cooking to grilling, to pie irons in the fire to Jiffy Pop popcorn. 

58. Hiking and backpacking. Two great ways to explore nature, exercise, and spend time in the great outdoors. 

59. Walking. A sometimes-overlooked activity that lowers anxiety, improves health, and increases optimism. 

60. Jumping rope. Solo rope jumping is an amazing way to promote cardiovascular health and fitness. There are also some very cool jump rope tricks presented at JumpRopeDudes.com. 

61. Build a sand castle. A time-honored tradition of beach art, using local resources. 

62. Making and flying kites. Two perfectly great ideas for camp. 

Photo: © Can Stock Photo / jordache

63. Build a snowman (in the winter) or make an ice carving (from blocks of ice in the summer). 

64. Write a postcard to a friend. 

65. Mountain biking. Another outdoor activity that tends to create appropriate physical distancing. 

66. Hopscotch. And other solo sidewalk games. 

67. Sample a new food. Eat something new for the very first time. 

68. Invent a non-contact handshake or greeting. 

69. Read an e-book. 

70. Make a snow angel (or a sand angel, or a mud angel). 

71.  Build an inuksuit or create a tower by stacking rocks on top of each other. 

72. Play tennis. Another outdoor game with appropriate physical distancing. 

73. Translate a word, phrase or message into a foreign language, using Translate.Google.com. 

74. Zumba. Learn how to do this musical fitness activity. 

75. Host a fashion show. Use the theme of your choice. 

76. Have a trivia party. 

77. Start a diary. 

78. Learn to draw. Starting with the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards. 

79. Create a comic strip or a meme using images from the internet. 

80. Write a thank-you note. 

81. Parkour. Learn this very physical combination of fitness, running, gymnastics, and acrobatics from the World Freerunning Parkour Federation at WFPF.com. 

82. Create a flash mob dance presentation. 

83. Create a scrapbook of memories. 

84. Bird watching. Another wonderful opportunity to be outside and get some fresh air.  Learn more at BirdWatchingDaily.com. 

85. Piloting a drone. Fun and games in wide-open spaces. 

86. Blogging. Find a subject that interests you and write about it, online. 

87. Songwriting. Use your musical talents to compose the lyrics or music to a song. Then perform it for friends. 

88. Quilting. A time-honored tradition and a great thing to do with all those leftover pieces of fabric. 

89. Knitting, crocheting and weaving. Another time-honored tradition of handcrafting. 

90. Carpentry and the fine art of woodworking. 

91. Skipping stones. And other simple pleasures by the waterfront. 

92. Yo-yo-ing. Learn incredible tricks and stunts practiced by world champions at Yo-Yo.com. 

93. Snorkeling. An adventurous water sport (just be sure to sanitize the equipment between participants). 

94. Scuba diving. All the elements of physical distancing, including your own air supply. 

95. Pilates. A low-impact exercise consisting of flexibility, muscular strength and endurance movements.  Learn more at Pilates.com. 

96. Extreme ironing. For those photogenically adventurous this extreme sport invites athletes to transport an ironing board, iron and shirt to remote locations and photograph their talents.  Learn more at CoolOfTheWild.com/extreme-ironing/. 

97. Skateboarding (and mountainboarding). 

98. Learn magic, sleight of hand and hand manipulations. 

99. Start a collection. Find something you appreciate (sea shells, buttons, stones, antique silverware) and collect as many as you can, and then display these items for all to appreciate. 

100. Learn to solve a Rubik’s Cube. 

101. Create temporary art (using chalk on the sidewalk or patterns in the snow).

            And, just in case 101 activities were not enough, here are a few more ideas:

• Video-conference with a friend, neighbor or relative.

• Create a playing-card structure.

• Invent something new.

• Learn a new language.

• Do a jigsaw puzzle.

• Get a pet.

• Research and support a new charity.

• Learn to do something new with your cell phone.

• Play hide and seek.

• Clean out your closet.

• Donate something to Goodwill.

• Plan your next road trip.

• Pick a historical figure and learn all you can about them.

• Read a copy of Byrd Baylor’s book Everybody Needs a Rock (ISBN 978-0-6897-1051-3) aloud then have your audience go and find the perfect rock.

• Play music on the instrument of your choice.

• Take a virtual field-trip, online.

• Take an online art class at ArtForKidsHub.com.

• Host a talent show.

• Twirl a baton.

• Build a fort.

The information presented here is from Connection Without Contact by Dr. Jim Cain.  Available at ACABookstore.org and Amazon.com. For more physically distant activities, including the Dutchman’s Rope, and for more information about teambuilding and building community during a pandemic, visit TeamworkandTeamplay.com.