78 things you can do without a mask and still be safe

picture of a kid in a toy car
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated masking guidelines since this was written. Get the latest information.

We get it – wearing a mask all the time isn’t fun. But there are plenty of activities you can do without a mask while staying safe and following local guidelines. We compiled a list of 78 things to do safely without a mask. You’ll definitely want to try some of these with your family.

Dog removes his mask

Get creative and crafty

1.    Knit or crochet
2.    Macramé a plant hanger
3.    Create a digital photobook or scrapbook of all the things you've done this summer
4.    Learn how to do origami
5.    Design a card for your parents or grandparents
6.    Make a quarantine time capsule
7.    Teach yourself to play an instrument (ukulele anyone?)

Learning a new instrument

8.    Cut your own hair (if you're daring)
9.    Learn a language

 

Take some you time

10.    Give yourself a spa day: facial, bubble bath and candles

Spa day just for me

11.    Take a drive in the countryside
12.    Paint a picture
13.    Take some pictures
14.    Read a book
15.    Try a new meditation app like Insight Timer or Headspace
16.    Write a poem
17.    Create a backyard oasis with a fire pit, hammock or a cozy chair
18.    Make your own candles
19.    Clean out your closet with Marie Kondo's method

Maria Konda sparks joy

 

Get outside

20.    Do some bird watching at your park or in your backyard
21.    Go on a nature walk and name as many trees as you can
22.    Hop on a bike
23.    Go fishing
24.    Help someone else find a loved one's resting place with volunteer photography
25.    Do a monument/statue scavenger hunt in Omaha
26.    Go geocaching
27.    Create a garden
28.    Take a hike at Hitchcock Nature Center or Fontenelle Forest
29.    Go golfing

Child celebrating a successful golf putt

30.    Explore state parks
31.    Make a compost bin
32.    Go kayaking 
33.    Get out Christmas lights and make designs in the yard
34.    Take up longboarding

 

Online activities

35.    Stretch out with online yoga

Yoga at home with a cat

36.    Watch a new YouTube series like Brave Wilderness
37.    Video chat with your grandparents
38.    Find a new podcast like Science Vs
39.    Unwind with some video games
40.    Research local nonprofits donating food to families in need
41.    Plan a happy hour on Zoom or Discord

Parks and Rec cast meet on a zoom call

42.    Use Tabletop Simulator to play board games online with friends who don’t live with you
43.    Take a virtual tour of a museum like the National Gallery in London 

 

Young at heart

44.    Plan an indoor scavenger hunt
45.    Make a blanket fort
46.    Play Pokémon GO on your phone
47.    Or if you're a Harry Potter fan, Wizards Unite
48.    Make your own mini-golf with homemade obstacles
49.    Craft some puppets and put on a show

Batman puppet show

50.    Play the Floor is Lava
51.    Create something new with Legos
52.    Run through sprinklers
53.    Have a glowstick party
54.    Use sidewalk chalk
55.    Make a paper mache pinata
56.    Make a box fort or castle

Kids having fun with boxes

57.    Create giant bubbles with hula hoops

 

Culinary adventures in your kitchen

58.    Make kombucha
59.    Bake chocolate chip cookies

Baking cookies

60.    Try home brewing your own beer
61.    Start a kitchen herb garden
62.    Bake bread (it's a quarantine favorite)
63.    Make salsa from scratch

 

Family fun

64.    Watch a movie together
65.    Pack a family picnic
66.    Dress up for a tea party with your little ones
67.    Play board games 
68.    Teach your pet a new trick (or just cuddle)

Cuddling with your dog

69.    Write a letter to your favorite aunt or uncle
70.    Try simple science experiments
71.    Have a family dance party with homemade decorations and a sick playlist
72.    Play disc golf
73.    Put on Disney songs and do a lip sync battle

Frozen lip sync

74.    Nurture a live butterfly garden from caterpillars 
75.    Use painter's tape to make an indoor hopscotch or race track
76.    Explore the Wildlife Safari from your car
77.    Chill out with a classic puzzle
78.    Make your own movie starring your pets

 
Images from GIPHY