Things to do indoors in Singapore during COVID-19
As some places of attraction, nightlife spots, and concerts remain closed, here’s a list of ideas for things to do indoors in Singapore as you keep safe away from crowds.
It’s not all that bad. Fill your spare time with home workouts, cooking projects, and DIY spa sessions and you’ll soon start loving that homebody life.
Read our other COVID-related articles or other things to do indoors in Singapore:
- COVID-19 myths debunked
- Where to get masks, sanitisers, and thermometers
- Hygiene tips other than wearing masks
- Livestream concerts during COVID-19
- Indoor activities in Singapore
– Exercise at home –
1. Do yoga or HIIT workouts with help from YouTube tutorials
Having your yoga classes cancelled isn’t an excuse to start letting go of your fitness goals. Prevent yourself from morphing into a couch potato with the help of some YouTube fitness channels. With ab-tastic fitness gurus taking you through step-by-step tutorials, it’s almost like having a personal fitness class.
Find out more about these YouTube fitness channels and online gym classes.
2. Embark on a 30-day fitness challenge
It’s gonna take a while before things start clearing up, so you might as well make the time count. Committing to a 30-day fitness challenge is a good way to keep yourself preoccupied and gain a sense of achievement. From the Blogilates Flat Abs Challenge to the One Punch Man Challenge, these daily workouts will have you emerging from quarantine with a full glow-up.
Find out more about these fitness challenges.
3. Use a health app that rewards you with cash for exercising
Need some extra motivation to get moving? Download a health app that rewards you with cash for clocking in your exercise. Some of these even come with a weight loss challenge that requires you to upload photos of your progress on a weighing scale to verify that you’ve hit your targets – no cheating!
Find out more about these exercise apps.
– Cook at home –
4. Make your own cafe-worthy coffee
Hazelnut Mochaccino
Cafe-hopping might feel like a thing of the distant past, but that shouldn’t stop you from getting your artisanal brews. Make your own cafe-worthy coffee such as creamy Banoffee Milkshakes and S’mores-pressos, a liquid version of the marshmallow-filled campfire treat. Great way to get yourself raring to go for a day of working from home!
Find out more about these DIY coffee recipes.
5. Upgrade your instant noodles and canned food
Indomie Pizza
We won’t judge if you panic-bought groceries and now don’t know what to do with them. Okay, maybe just a little. But instead of eating the same dish of tuna or Maggie Mee day in day out, give your zombie apocalypse meals a little twist by upgrading your instant noodles and canned meat.
Some ideas include Corned Beef Hash, Luncheon Meat Donburi, and Maggi-Crusted Fried Chicken.
Find out more about our instant noodle recipes and our canned food recipes.
6. Cool down with easy-to-make desserts
Apple Crumble Parfait
Sweet-tooths will agree that no meal is complete without a dessert. Sate your cravings the healthier way with yogurt dessert recipes, including Peanut Butter Cookie Shots and Mango Lassi which can be made within 4 easy steps.
Your folks will love our traditional dessert recipes for cooling treats like Chrysanthemum Longan Jelly and Papaya and Snow Fungus Soup.
7. Treat yourself to cheap DIY cocktail dupes
Image credit: @foodanddrankk
Bars in Singapore have been ordered to shut their doors as part of our social distancing measures, but worry not if you need some good ol’ alcohol to destress from being stuck with your partner or kids 24/7, as you can recreate your favourite cocktails at home.
We’re not talking about the noob-level Sprite-and-vodka combinations you’ll find at uni hall parties, but rather, easy dupes of the margarita, tequila sunrise, and sangria.
Find out more about these DIY cocktails and other fun things to do indoors in Singapore.
8. Do simple healthy meal prep under 30mins
Those not blessed with Masterchef skills, we feel ya. Don’t have to worry about turning your kitchen upside down though, as it doesn’t take much to whip up a fast and healthy meal when you pick the right recipes. Meal prep can take as little as under 30 minutes with items like Japanese-style Eggs Sandos and Honey Chicken Vermicelli.
Find out more about these easy meal prep recipes.
9. Make your own BBT
Bubble tea shops might be closed, but you can still get your beloved BBT with DIY bubble tea kits. These come with everything you might need for that satisfying slurp, including toppings and flavourings.
The set from Liho even comes with the trademark cups and straws, so it’s authentic as you can get. You can make 15 to 20 cups per DIY kit — plenty of practice to open your own BBT store when Circuit Breaker ends.
Find out where you can get BBT DIY kits.
10. Learn new one-pot recipes
If washing up puts you off cooking, you’re not the only one. Luckily for us, one-pot recipes exist. You can cook these dishes with just one pot, so that means less cleaning and more eating.
With dishes like Chilli Crab Pasta, Salmon Bibimbap and Laksa Fried Rice, you’ll have enough variety to last you till the next cafe visit.
Learn more easy one-pot recipes.
– Entertain yourself at home –
11. Travel the world with virtual tours of museums, zoos, and theme parks
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image credit: @caramellechaos
Though your vacation plans may have been cancelled, you can still travel the world through the virtual tours offered by museums, theme parks, and zoos. This includes world-famous ones like the Louvre in Paris, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, and Walt Disney World, just to name a few.
Disneyland
Image credit: @ourmagicaldreams
Check out our list of free virtual travel experiences and other fun things to do indoors in Singapore!
12. Find “love” on a weird Japanese dating game app
While all your attached friends are cosying up with their partners in their shiny new BTOs, you’re stuck in your childhood room in your parents’ house with no bae. You’ve already maxed out all your dating app swiping options, and it’s not like anyone’s up for a date in such circumstances. Can’t get any sadder than this.
Stave off the loneliness by finding “love” on a Japanese dating game app in the time being. As we all know, these Japanese are known for their crazy, quirky inventions, and they’ve come up with various dating sims where you’ll win the affections of a human-horse, 13 handsome step-brothers, and…a girlfriend-turned-alpaca?!
Well, all in the name of good fun. Don’t get too absorbed!
Find out more about these strange Japanese dating games.
13. Get creative with a home photoshoot using simple tricks
Expectation
Creative peeps who are itching shoot some photos to update their social media accounts with need not leave the house to do so. Armed with just your smartphone and a few nifty items like a torchlight and compact mirror, you can easily hack the system and take stunning shots in your living room with special effects like bokeh and soft coloured filters – all without Photoshop.
Reality – using a ziplock bag and coloured markers to create soft filters
Find out more about these phone camera tricks.
14. Download some new mobile games
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
We don’t exactly advocate being glued to your smartphone, but we’ll make an exception given current events. Catch up with the newest game launches in the form of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, Dr. Mario World, and even a BTS World game for those obsessed with their oppas.
Find out more about these mobile games.
15. Do online surveys for shopping vouchers
Image credit: ApiaryBuzz
Love sharing your opinion? Put that forthcoming nature to good use by signing up to do online surveys on sites like ApiaryBuzz, which gives you points for every questionnaire successfully completed. Once you have enough points, you can use them to redeem shopping vouchers for stores like Guardian, Cold Storage, 7-11, Giant, and more!
Find out more about ApiaryBuzz.
16. Play party games with your family without needing poker cards
Now’s the best chance to engage in some family bonding time, so have a mini party with your immediate family members with a few fun and easy games. All you need are a few items you can find around your house such as chopsticks, forks, and coins – you don’t even have to use poker cards.
Drinking, optional.
Find out more about these party games.
17. Create jazzed up Instagram stories using free apps
Now that you’ve got all the time in the world, you can spend extra effort in beautifying your Instagram stories that show off your work from home sitch. Apart from the “stay home” sticker, you can download tons of free apps to jazz up your IG stories with special templates, font packs, and cool video effects.
Find out about these Instagram apps.
18. Start your own garden
Image credit: @noahgardencentre_sg
If your hands are feeling idle, why not start developing a green thumb? You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to grow one of these planters in your home. Just decide on where you want your garden to be and use this guide to help you get started.
For next-level gardeners, you can even try planting your own fruits and vegetables at home. Some veggies might take a while to grow, but others you can harvest within 7 days!
Find out how to plant your own vegetables at home.
19. Start a new hobby
Apart from sleeping and working out, add to your hobbies list this Circuit Breaker. There are many resources to get you on track, like these stay-home activity kits.
You can also complete your reading list or kick start a new reading habit with online books. Oh, and did we mention they’re free? Simply head over to any of these websites to download some new reads to curl up with.
Check out stay-home activity kits. Check out how you can download new reads for free.
– Have a spa session at home –
20. Do a DIY manicure with nail wraps
Image credit: @nodspark
Even if things seem like they’re falling apart, your nails don’t have to be. If you’ve chosen to skip your regular manicure appointments, you can still keep your digits pretty with nail wraps. They come with all sorts of fun patterns and are really easy to use – just stick them on and file away the excess. As a bonus, all the Singapore-based brands we know, like Nodspark and EM.MEzing Nails, offer convenient delivery right to your home.
Find out more about where to get nail wraps in Singapore.
21. Give your hair a new coat of colour
Image adapted from: @caramellechaos
Add some colour into your life by giving your tresses a fresh new shade – without making a trip to the hair salon. It’s a little time consuming, but hey, time’s not an issue when you’re embracing the stay-at-home life.
Box dyes for regular colours like brown and blonde are easy to use, but you’d be surprised to know that it’s possible to DIY bleach your hair and give it a crazy hue like purple without frying it – all for an affordable price from $30.
22. Relax by giving yourself an acupressure massage
Being all cooped up can take its toll on your body. Though a spa session might be out of the question at this point, you can still give yourself an acupressure massage to sort out any discomforts caused by neck aches, fatigue, and eye strain. There’s even one for period cramps!
Find out more about how to do these pressure point massages.
23. Binge watch Netflix shows and Korean dramas
Image credit: Netflix
Now’s your chance to go on full couch potato mode without your mum nagging at you to “go out and do something useful”, so take the opportunity to binge watch all the TV series and movies you’ve been dying to catch up on. Check out our recommendations on Netflix shows and Korean dramas if you’re not sure where to start regarding things to do indoors in Singapore.
– Shop at home –
24. Get fresh vegetables and meat from an online grocery store
Image credit: Sasha’s Fine Foods
There’s no fun in finding empty shelves at a supermarket, nor queueing for ages just to buy that one remaining roll of toilet paper that you’ve managed to get your hands on. Skip the jam-packed supermarkets and opt to get your groceries online from a Singapore-based supermarket instead. Most of these have fresh food – including seafood, vegetables, and even yong tau foo – and offer free doorstep delivery.
Find out more about online grocery stores.
25. Stock up on some reading materials from an online bookstore
Image credit: @readwithsera
No point shopping for clothes when you’ve got nowhere to wear them, but how ‘bout stocking up on some novels to pass the time? Going to the library may not be the best of ideas, but you can get tons of titles at online bookstores. A majority of the ones we found are based in Singapore, and those that aren’t mostly offer free delivery here.
Find out more about online bookstores.
26. Go on an online shopping spree
Whether you’re a shopaholic or not, retail therapy is always a welcome break. Start your shopping spree with these blogshops, all stocked with the latest styles to impress your friends post-Circuit Breaker.
Don’t forget to check out these great deals with DBS, including 15% off Love Bonito, up to 20% off EAMart and 12% off Sephora. With all these on top of cash rebates, shopping has never felt so satisfying.
– Feast at home –
27. Hotpot delivery
There might be a ban on dining out, but you still can have your hotpot and eat it too. Hotpot delivery services bring the full dining experience to you, from table covers to complimentary snacks. Visiting your friends is out of the picture but you can feast with your family, or even on your own. There are plenty of individual sets available if it’s just a one-man craving.
Find out more about hotpot delivery.
28. Brunch delivery
Image credit: @twentygrammes
Our favourite cafes might be closed for dining in at the moment, but brunch is far from cancelled. Get your poached eggs, thick toast and rostis from these cafes that are still open for delivery and takeaway. With an array of cafe food available to order, the only thing you have to do is throw on some nice clothes for a change.
Find out which cafes offer delivery.
29. Fancy dinner delivery
Image credit: Oxwell & Co
Whether it’s to celebrate an anniversary, or just to give yourself a pat on your back for a productive week, don’t let Circuit Breaker be a wet blanket. These restaurants bring all the boujee goodness to your door with impeccable packaging and good food to match.
Tip: Planning a surprise date night around a fancy feast is sure to please.
Find out more about bringing restaurant fine dining to your home.
30. Cocktail delivery
Image credit: Jigger & Pony
It’s Friday night – and that means time to celebrate the end of the week! You might be stuck at home, but these cocktail delivery services have got you covered. Whether you enjoy yours ready-made or deconstructed, these bars will send what you need. Put on some nice clothes and some music, and you’ve got the perfect TGIF complete with your favourite cocktails and bar food.
See if your favourite bar is doing cocktail delivery.
Things to do indoors in Singapore while staying home due to COVID-19
For those who are still happily out and about, we urge you to think twice and stay home as much as possible as a form of social responsibility. While you may feel well and healthy, remember that COVID-19 can be asymptomatic.
Even if you aren’t affected, there’s always the off-chance of becoming a carrier and passing the sickness to others – some of whom may be more vulnerable as a result of age or a weaker immunity system.
Staying in can be fun with these things to do indoors in Singapore – you just gotta find worthwhile ways to pass the time while within the four walls of your home.
Original article published on 2nd Apr 2020. Last updated by Ian Ling on 2nd Jun 2021.