Keep Entertained at Home - Online & Offline

If you've a little time on your hands, why not make the most of it and make new discoveries, learn new things or, simply, have fun online.  There are so many amazing things available to us all online - explore the world, visit the world's best museums, learn to cook, watch ballet, enjoy a trip to the canal, take exercise, join in a pub quiz and so much more!

Some of the options below are completely online activities whereas others are simply to get information online and then use to do something offline.

 ARTS, CULTURE, HISTORY, HERITAGE

• Virtual Activities with The Harley Gallery
  The Harley Gallery have created a host of virtual activities and creative sessions for you and your children to get hands-on at home. https://www.harleygallery.co.uk/learning/virtual/

• Chatsworth House Art & Archives
  Explore the Devonshire Collections which record the family's eclectic tastes and interests spanning four hundred years.
  • https://www.chatsworth.org/art-archives/
    
    
• Explore the World's Top Museums & Art Collections through Google Arts & Culture
  Visit the world's best museums online while still social distancing!  From the comfort of your armchair you can visit over 500 international museums and more unusual institutions and see the world's most famous art collections and learn about specific artworks.
  • https://artsandculture.google.com/
    
    
• The National Gallery
  Enjoy panoramic views of the Gallery or why not immerse yourself in Renaissance masterpieces from Northern Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany, including works by Titian and Holbein.
  
  • https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/visiting/virtual-tours
    
    
• The National Portrait Gallery
  • Virtual Exhibition Tour
    
    
• The British Museum
  A virtual visit or a Curator's corner, there are plenty of ways to keep exploring the British Museum online.
  
  • https://blog.britishmuseum.org/how-to-explore-the-british-museum-from-home/
    
    
• The Natural History Museum
  Delve into the Museum from home with a virtual self-guided tour of the galleries, an interactive experience about Hope the blue whale and audio guides narrated by Sir David Attenborough.
  
  • https://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/virtual-museum.html
    
    
• City Arts, Nottingham
  Fun and creative activities for all ages including workshops, performances, storytelling and lots more.
  • https://city-arts.org.uk/whats-on/


• Stonehenge Skyscape and Virtual Tour
  Watch the live view from within the stones via the Stonehenge Skyscape.  Learn about the movements of the sun, moon and planets or simply escape and relax, or simply take an interactive tour of Stonehenge with a 360 degree view from inside the monument.
  
  • https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/
    
    
• London North Eastern Railway (LNER) Rail Rides
  Journey across England by rail - you've got prime position in the driver's cab.  Edinburgh to London & London to York in 8 minutes(!), Leeds to Harrogate, Edinburgh to Newcastle, Doncaster to York and more.
  • https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLblRUu11fWjWntdoHV9KnbWFBgu-eBJte
    
    
• Royal Shakespeare Company
  Enjoy a range of RSC's shows and performances and you can discover more about Shakespeare himself.
  • https://www.rsc.org.uk/at-home-with-shakespeare
    
    
• Sadler's Wells Free Dance Performances & Workshops for Children & Over 60s
  • Weekly series of Sadler's Wells? Facebook Premieres each available to watch for 7 days.
  • https://www.facebook.com/SadlersWells/
  • Online Dance Workshops to take part at home for families with children:
  • https://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/2020/take-part-family-dance-workshops/
    
  • and over 60s:
  • https://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/2020/take-part-company-of-elders-workshops/
    
    
• The Royal Opera House's Free Online Ballet & Opera Broadcasts
  • The Royal Opera House with the Royal Ballet and the Royal Ballet School
  • Available free at any time.
  •  https://www.roh.org.uk/
    
    
• The Metropolitan Opera
  Every evening a complete performance featuring opera's greatest singers is available for free streaming for 23 hours.
  • https://www.metopera.org/user-information/nightly-met-opera-streams/

• The Vatican Museums
   Wonder at the Sistine Chapel's ceiling painted by Michelangelo and other stunning museums and rooms, and have them all to yourself!
  • http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/tour-virtuali-elenco.html
      
• Italy Guides
  Take a cultural tour or simply discover the beauty of Italy and start planning your next holiday!
  • https://www.italyguides.it/en
    
    
• Nonsuch Studios Theatre Company's Creative Quarantine newsletter
  Receive a daily email from Creative Quarantine with exciting and enjoyable creative activities & adventures for people young and old to do in their own home.
  • https://wearenonsuch.com/creativequarantine/?fbclid=IwAR1l7zvGEYwKJBS6Q1mvya81AcUwhEyeAlPobiNvJi8mogkW_wvhn58LfVI

• The Social Distancing Festival
  • This site celebrates art in all forms from all over the world, showcasing some brilliant talent. Dance, music, visual arts, theatre, musical theatre, opera and more.
  • https://www.socialdistancingfestival.com/
    
    
• Barnsley Museums Interactive Jigsaws
  • Take part in a jigsaw challenge! Coming to you daily/weekly from the Barnsley Museums digital channels you can piece together beautiful, art, history and landscapes all connected to their brilliant borough.
  • http://www.barnsley-museums.com/dont-go-to-pieces-join-in-with-the-barnsley-jigsaws-
    
    
• Virtual Village Hall with the Royal Voluntary Service
  A programme of themed online activities to enjoy at home. Sessions are led by expert tutors, Royal Voluntary Service activity coordinators, volunteers and some well-known faces, and require very little space or equipment. You’ll find a wide range of sessions to take part in, like creative arts and crafts, music and singing, cooking and baking, dance and exercise, and technology skills. Join in with live sessions or catch up on demand when suits it you.
  • https://www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/virtual-village-hall/
    

NATURE & WILDLIFE / 'GET OUTDOORS'

With the help of nature and wildlife organisations in the UK we bring you an assortment of things that you can enjoy at home.

• RSPB
  Get your Free RSPB Birdsong Radio app when it come available to download. There's even a handy alarm-clock feature which will allow listeners to wake up to the gentle purring of the turtle dove rather than a blaring alarm!  There are other lovely free options available too.
  • https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/rspb-news/news/stories/birdsong-radio/
    
    
• RSPB
  There are lots of ideas on their website for things to do at home, including seasonal gardening tips, identifying birds in your garden and more.
  • https://www.rspb.org.uk/
    
    
• Forestry England
  Forestry England brings the forest to you!  Find activities to entertain the children, tips to improve your wellbeing or great information about forest wildlife.
  • https://www.forestryengland.uk/forests-at-home
    
    
• Enjoy a trip to the Canal
  The Canal & River Trust have put together a brilliant virtual hub with fun activities, fascinating features and virtual canal experiences. See canals on film, enjoy nature, history, culture, angling and boating and there are things for kids to do too!
  • https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/our-campaigns/canals-at-home-our-best-bits
    
    
• Wildlife Trusts Live Webcams
  Watch wildlife action in real time as it happens all round the British Isles. Check out ospreys, puffins, barn owls, peregrines, badgers, pipistrelle bats and more!
  • https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/webcams
    
    
• Take a Virtual Tour of Kew Gardens
  Although the gardens at Kew are shut, some of the staff are still working and posting online regular updates from inside the greenhouses, in the treetops and in the grounds. Take a behind-the-scenes tour here:
  • https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch 

EXERCISE & FITNESS

If you still haven't exercised with Joe Wicks online, now's your chance to click the link and get moving!

But Joe isn't the only one showing us how exercise can be fun, other brands are available, as they say, and here are a few of them, Notts locals and celebrity fitness trainers alike, delivering different exercise regimes for beginners, exercise worshippers and everyone in between.

• Try Live Yoga with Adriene
  • A mindful yoga practice to assist you in creating a rhythm of balance and ease.
  • https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene
    
    
• PE with Joe
  • Joe Wicks helped the nation stay fit from home during the initial lockdown. If you missed his sessions, you can catch up with them here.
  •  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy1yab7jAcU
    
    
• Mr Motivator
  Fab, fun and uplifting daily workouts.
  • https://www.facebook.com/mrmotivatorofficial/
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACOlgGK5GUU&feature=youtu.be
    
    
• NHS Fitness Studio's Online Exercise Videos
  • 24 instructor-led videos across our aerobics exercise, strength and resistance, and pilates and yoga categories.
  • https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/nhs-fitness-studio/
    
    
• Satori Health & Fitness, Retford
  • Free, live workouts for all ages and fitness levels on YouTube.
  • https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxduVLpTCNMRqh7tPfYEdBA?fbclid=IwAR2iGnkuq0c31la4WJXq1Ww_XRAaZgx0_C3lpsD_qT2GdHX8O8aeozka_8w
    
    
• BPL Home Workouts
  • Barnsley Premier Leisure (BPL) run the Retford and Worksop Leisure Centres.  Whilst they are closed these are a series of workouts that you can do at home.
  • https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU2PzPIvmY-QnhJXxAPC64gS9-2iXsS4e&fbclid=IwAR0NcILts-B3rq-5q56hPUciUnwyAW6x01IDEO4JWGyoT0aYtRJi5N9X1Eo
    
    
• Kyle Wright Personal Trainer in Nottingham
  • Free Live Online Classes on Facebook & Instagram 7 days a week.
  • https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009222539988
    
    

CHARITIES & GOOD CAUSES

The need to have contact - and fun! - with other people is more important than ever now.  Lots of local groups and organisations are now holding online sessions using online technology like Zoom, where members and guests can connect online, see and chat to eachother and take part all at the same time!

We've put together some of them below and hope that you will like to join them.

• MS Society - Retford District Support Group
  Twice a week Coffee & Quiz, weekly Coffee & Chat. Group exercises - Tai Chi, Seated Yoga & Neuro Pilates.
  • https://www.facebook.com/RetfordDistrict/

COOKING

• Jamie: Keep Cooking and Carry On
• Easy to follow, flexible recipes from Jamie's TV show Keep Cooking and Carry on, which use fresh food & store cupboard and freezer items.  
  • Catch up with the recipes here: https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/category/books/keep-cooking-and-carry-on/?utm_source=kcco&utm_medium=sitewide&utm_campaign=.com
    
    
• Jack Monroe -  Bootstrap Cook / Tin Can Cook
  Budget recipes from down-to-earth food writer Jack Monroe.  It's amazing what you can do with some random ingredients including those in tin cans!
  • https://www.facebook.com/bootstrapcook/
    
    
• BBC Food
  An all-round glossary of food.  With over 10,000 brilliant recipes using virtually any ingredient, 'how to' section plus A-Z of ingredients + Chefs + Diets all with associated recipes, and more.
  • https://www.bbc.co.uk/food
    
    
• The School of Artisan Food, Welbeck, North Nottinghamshire   https://www.schoolofartisanfood.org/
  Thankfully The School of Artisan Food are back and running live courses at their wonderful cookery school in Nottinghamshire!  Tip - see their fab upcoming Christmas courses!
  They also have a fab range of online instructional videos covering Baking, Chocolate, Cheesemaking & Dairy and Butchery products.
  • https://www.youtube.com/user/SchoolArtisanFood/featured
    
    

OTHER

• Get your Weekly Pub Quiz Fix
  If you're missing your weekly pub quiz you might like to have a go at these:
  
  
  • Pembury Tavern, Hackney London
    No longer live, but the quiz questions are still there...
    • https://www.instagram.com/pemburytavern/?hl=en
      
      
  • BrewDog Online Bar + entertainment including Pub Quiz
    • https://www.brewdog.com/uk/onlinebar
      
      
  • Camden Town Brewery Virtual Bar & Pub Quiz
    • https://brewwwerybar.camdentownbrewery.com/whatson
      
      
  • The Inquizition Virtual Pub Quiz
  • • https://www.facebook.com/inquizitionquiz/
      
      
• Taskmaster  #HomeTasking

See the attempts on Twitter at https://twitter.com/taskmaster or YouTube https://www.youtube.com/taskmaster

JUST FOR CHILDREN - OFFLINE

If the kids need entertaining offline, check out our huge list of ideas for Fun Crafts & Activities for Children to Do at Home HERE!  Have you seen our What's On directory yet? There are loads of Halloween and Half Term events and activities for children.  https://www.innorthnotts.co.uk/what-s-on-events

 

JUST FOR CHILDREN - ONLINE

• Half Term Creative Digital Workshops with Young Hustlers
  FREE entertainment for children and young people over the half term break with a series of Creative Online Workshops. - Poetry, Songwriting, Graffiti Art, Rave with Big Fish Little Fish, Lyrics & Beatbox with Motormouf, The Television Workshop, Next Gen & Family Fitness class.
• https://www.facebook.com/younghustlersuk

• Magical Music Adventure for Little Ones
  Adventures in Music are live online sessions using rhythm, music and movement to develop your child's language skills, spark their imagination and build their confidence in exploring and making music. With Inspire Libraries & Culture.
  
  • https://www.inspireculture.org.uk/arts-culture/children-young-people/adventures-music/
    
    
• Spark Arts for Children in association with Inspire Culture, Lerning and Libraries
  Especially for Children and Young People - opportunities to develop their creativity through a range of exciting projects and workshops.
• https://www.inspireculture.org.uk/arts-culture/children-young-people/
  
  
  

We'll be adding to this list all the time so do keep checking back.  If you can help us to grow our list with new additions for things to do please just email them to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  Thank you! 

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Location

North Nottinghamshire
Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Mansfield, Newark & Sherwood,

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