Online Opportunities to Expand Your Knowledge, Heal Your Soul
Under normal circumstances, we would be publishing our monthly Denver Events online blog and helping direct you to all the wonderful gatherings and festivals scheduled in the metro area. But as we know, these are hardly ordinary times.
Instead, Usaj Realty would like to make some suggestions on how to fill your time during our stay-at-home directive. Beyond taking a walk with your dog for the 100th time or riding your bike along the same loop, take this opportunity to explore some avenues that may not be part of your normal routine.
Think of this period of time as New Year’s Resolution redux.
Remember: Try your best to take this negative juncture and turn it into something positive.
Read a new book
When was the last time you were in a library? The good news is an in-person visit isn’t required. Take advantage of the thousands of ebooks, audio books, streaming movies and even music selections — all with a library card. Don’t have a library card? Sign up here and instantly access best sellers and classics, all online. You’ll be amazed at the selection of materials.
Don’t have a Denver library card? Sign up here and instantly access best sellers and classics, all online
Aside from your local library (which use apps like Libby and Overdrive), Audible, Audiobooks and Scribd are all offering 30 days free trials. Download popular audio books, podcasts and magazines, and decide whether you want to continue after the trial period.
Watch indie films
Denver Film and the SieFilm Center have partnered with distributors to bring you releases of films that were set to open at the theatre, but are now available right in your home. Part of the proceeds will be directed to your favorite film house. Your “ticket” purchase will allow you to screen a new release and support the SieFilm Center mission during this temporary closure. Here’s your opportunity to see some excellent international as well as domestic movies you might not otherwise see, all in the comfort of your own home.
If you’ve resisted the urge to try Netflix, now may be a good time. They offer a free 30-day viewing period and what they offer is truly addictive and entertaining. Prepare for hours of binge watching!
C/net.com has also put together a great list of movie sites you can stream for free. From IMDb TV to Hoopla and Kanopy (these two are also available through your library district) to Tubi TV, you can peruse many options without spending any money.
Stuck at Home Science for the Kids
The California Science Center is posting daily activities for kids to improve children’s science learning! Using household supplies, you and are you kids can do Ice Cream Science, Balloon Rockets Science and much more! See all the activities here.
Learn a new skill
Check out the Coursera site for opportunities to learn and grow as an individual. For no cost, you can begin a journey to self-discovery, explore a subject or topic you know nothing about or enhance your skills in a specific area. This is the ultimate in broadening your horizons.
Yale has made their popular “The Science of Well-Being” class completely free. According the website “In this course you will engage in a series of challenges designed to increase your own happiness and build more productive habits.”
Udemy is offering a flash sale. Now through March 31, they have slashed prices on their online classes. For as low as $10.99, you have access to 100,000 programs to expand your knowledge of marketing, business, development. IT/computer software, design and personal development. Don’t miss out on this exceptional opportunity.
Workout to stay healthy
After awhile, those neighborhood walks might get a little old. Check out some of these suggestions from Marketwatch on how to keep fit using apps on your smartphone or tablet while staying at home.
Down Dog App is a popular choice for yoga and HIIT in our office and is completely free until May 1st.
“Visit” a Denver museum
Denver is blessed with a multitude of museums that are home to hundreds of paintings, sculptures and other pieces of art. These organizations are currently offering videos and other resources to keep art alive in your life.
Denver Art Museum
With over 70,000 pieces of art, the Denver Art Museum has risen to one of the largest art museums between Chicago and the west coast. The museum is offering the online Creativity Resource, where classroom teachers, home-school educators, families with children, and anyone interested in learning can find inspiration for creativity and art.
MCA Denver
One of Denver’s newer museums, MCA explores popular art and culture, and is at the forefront of displaying contemporary art in the area. While they are closed, they will do everything to bring the museum to you. Follow them on Instagram @mca_denver for artist talks, live streams, general lightheartedness and more.
Clyfford Still Museum
The Clyfford Still Museum is located in Denver’s burgeoning Cultural Arts District, adjacent to the Denver Art Museum in the city’s Civic Center Cultural Complex. The museum strives to feature innovation and unique exhibits. Check out their online collection.
Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art
The new facility, newly opened in March of 2018, features three distinct collections: an international decorative art collection from 1875 to 1990, Colorado and regional art collections featuring 7,000 works by more than 700 artists and a retrospective of Colorado’s distinguished painter, Vance Kirkland (1904–1981). Explore the virtual exhibitions online here.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Art has the power to connect, to heal, and to build communities. While The Met has temporarily closed its doors to fight the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), they remain committed to inspiring knowledge, creativity, and ideas, even while people are hunkering down at home. Check out their digital digest and be transported to Met’s famous exhibitions and installations.
See what the animals are up to
Our own Denver Zoo has some fun videos of its residents. This Denver institution is only one of four zoological institutions and the only one in the western hemisphere to achieve the highest international distinction for its environmental, health and safety management systems. Plus, it now has a new, adorable baby rhino. You can participate in the naming of the rhino and help fund care for rhinos in Denver and in their natural habitat.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium in California is a national treasure. And they offer some fabulous video cams of the animals and marine life at the aquarium. You’ll be transfixed by these images, from the freewheeling otters to the hypnotic jellyfish. Consider a donation, too.
Envy at these gardens
House Beautiful introduces you to some of the world’s most striking gardens with virtual tours. Stunning visuals will get you stoked to better your landscaping and create a little paradise in your yard.
Get some “space”
Using data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft, this NASA Goddard video and accompanying music offers spectacular views of the moon and earth, similar to what Apollo 13 witnessed back in the 1970s. You can also check out live streams from the NASA ISS.
Finally, if you’re still confused on what’s open/allowed and what isn’t, and what you can and cannot do, the Denverite has put together an easy to understand list.
