The threat of the coronavirus outbreak has caused a significant change in our daily lives. We spent most of the spring staying home and social distancing. But the bad news is that social distancing regulations are still in place and summer’s already around the corner.
What used to be a season filled with fun, adventure, and gatherings is not quite the same now that we’re living in the “new normal.” And the dilemma faced by most people at this time is how they’re going to enjoy summer. Unsurprisingly, the search phrase “social distancing get together ideas” is one of the most popular searches on Google, with a 600% popularity spurt in the last couple of weeks.
So how exactly can we have fun with our friends this summer amidst the social distancing regulations? Here are some safe summer activities you can try.
Road trip
How about bringing all your friends on a road trip? The only catch is that everyone has to bring their own cars or custom lifted trucks so that you can still respect the social distancing regulations and stay safe. Gather all your friends (and their vehicles), set up a meeting place, and explore different tourist destinations you haven’t been to!
Drive-in movie in your backyard
In the new normal, the safest place we can be is in the comfort of our homes. But still, it can be difficult to organize a movie date and maintain a safe distance with your friends gathered all around your living room. There’s still a way you can have a movie marathon with friends and family while maintaining your distance.
Set up a projector in your backyard and call your friends in for a drive-in movie theater! It’s bound to be a new experience watching a movie inside your vehicles. But it’s still going to be a fun-filled evening with a good Netflix movie, drinks, and popcorn.
Hiking
There’s so much going on around the world. Sometimes, it can get overwhelming. Let’s take this time to refresh our minds and bodies by exploring the woods—and getting good exercise too! Just make sure everyone keeps a safe distance of at least 6 feet from each other.
The coronavirus is scary, especially since there is no approved treatment or vaccine for it yet. So it leads you to wonder why people are still interested in hanging out with friends during a pandemic. The answer is because human beings are social creatures. We crave to be part of a group or circle where we feel like we belong. Psychology suggests that social interaction is critical in maintaining our physical and mental health. So this situation wherein we have to stay at home and limit social interaction is indeed rather strange for us.
Since we are naturally driven to connect and interact with people, the tendency is that we are still going to look for ways to meet with our friends—even during a pandemic. And there’s nothing wrong with that as long as we know our limits and maintain our distance. Remember that this is how we can contribute to stopping the spread of the virus. The more we cooperate with social distancing regulations, the faster we can go back to our normal lives.
Enjoy your summer as much as you can. But opt for activities like those above where person-to-person contact is rare, but the fun-filled moments are cherished.
