Trying to work from home with the kids screaming and wanting your attention twenty-four seven is hard work.
Trying to keep yourself motivated and on top of your daily routine can be a struggle.
We’re not in normal circumstances and with the lockdown being extended for another 3 weeks, we all deserve a break.
Here are 8 apps that you can use to keep yourself and your family entertained throughout it all:
1. HouseParty
The HouseParty app is perfect for socialising with friends from the comfort of your own home. Pour yourself a drink and video call your friends and family for a good old fashioned get together- whilst practising safe social distancing. The HouseParty app is FREE, you can play games and challenge your family members to an online quiz. HouseParty makes connecting face to face effortless, alerting you when your friends are “in the house” and ready to chat so you can jump right into the conversation.
Download the app
here>>https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.herzick.houseparty&hl=en_G
2. CandyCrush
Need to keep the brain ticking over whilst in lockdown? Then the app CandyCrush is perfect for this! CandyCrush is a free to play (with in-app purchases) colourful puzzle that will definitely keep you entertained. This game is totally addictive and so easy to play in between work breaks. It also keeps the kids occupied when you’re trying to meet that important deadline.
Download the app here>> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.king.candycrushsaga&hl=en_GB
3. Tik Tok
If you already haven’t heard of Tik Tok by the time this lockdown is over you most certainly will! Perhaps, one of the most popular apps people have been using whilst in isolation, Tik Tok is super easy to use and so much fun! It is a video sharing social media site where you can film yourself taking part in fun challenges, lip-syncing to your favourite pop culture references and creating fun dances! This is a great app for the whole family to enjoy and is sure to keep you entertained for hours, you never know you might just go viral!
Download the app here>> https://www.tiktok.com/en/
4. Whatsapp
Whatsapp is a great way to stay connected with family and friends. It works as a messaging service allowing you to create group chats with the family where you can send direct messages, pictures, sound recordings and even facetime! People have been posting “emojii challenges” lately in Whatsapp groups for example, where you have to guess the film title based on the emoji’s, this is a really fun way to stay connected and have a laugh with your loved ones.
Download the app here>> https://www.whatsapp.com/
5. Disney Plus
Disney have released a new online streaming service where you can watch all your favourite disney films from the comfort of your sofa! This is perfect for the little ones to keep them entertained throughout the day, classics include the cartoon versions of Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland. For the superhero lovers all the Marvel movies are also on the app, old-school tv programmes like That’s So Raven and Lizzie McGuire are also available sure to give you the nostalgic feels! The app is £5.99 a month, with a 7 day FREE trial and can be connected to your firestick or you can watch from any smartphone or tablet. Get the popcorn and snacks ready, this really is a magical treat!
6. HeadSpace
During this overwhelming period in our lives we all need to just zone-out, switch off the news and take some time for ourselves. Just as little as 5 minutes each day to focus on mediation and your breathing can help reduce stress and anxiety. HeadSpace has simple and effective breathing/ meditation exercises that will help you to unwind. Whether you struggle to switch off before going to sleep, or you just need to calm down during the day, five minutes of HeadSpace a day will help you to relax.
Download the app here>> https://www.headspace.com/subscriptions
7. Strava
Staring at a computer screen all day can be draining at the best of times it’s important that we still continue to exercise and keep fit during lockdown. The government has issued us with a once-a-day outdoor exercise so why not use that to walk, run or cycle your way into a healthy lifestyle. Strava keeps your fitness plan consistent by tracking all your outdoor activities, how many steps you’ve walked, what distance you have run, how many calories you have burnt and an overall fitness check. It also gives you an option to show off to your friends by sharing your progress or a selfie to social media!
Download the app here>> https://www.strava.com/
8. Zoom
Another online video conferencing site Zoom is perfect for holding online meetings with work colleagues allowing over 100 participants to join the online chat. Families have been using it for online Quiz nights helping you have a laugh and stay connected whilst in isolation. Zoom is known for it’s great picture quality and speedy connectivity proving it a popular platform to network and engage with friends, colleagues and family.
Download the App here>>https://zoom.us/