Fun Online Classes You Can Do From The Comfort Of Your Home

Need to fill your time while social distancing? Online courses will keep you from reaching for the Roku remote.

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In recent weeks, Google searches for online classes have catapulted, likely because people who are social distancing are looking to make the most of their newfound alone time by doing something productive.
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In recent weeks, Google searches for online classes have catapulted, likely because people who are social distancing are looking to make the most of their newfound alone time by doing something productive.

Class is in session — from a distance.

Google searches for online classes have catapulted in recent weeks, likely because people who are social distancing are looking to make the most of their newfound alone time by doing something productive.

Fitness classes were quick to adapt to the surge in online-only demand. Brands as big as Peloton and as small as local yoga studios are now offering online workout courses.

Many fitness studios and instructors are offering classes online.
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Many fitness studios and instructors are offering classes online.

IPA Gym in Jersey City, New Jersey, is among the fitness businesses that have started offering virtual group classes for members through Zoom meetings.

“We want to assure them that we will still be available everyday to keep them active and accountable,” Joshua Teves, the gym’s founder and owner, told HuffPost Finds. “We are there to give them a sense of community and emotional support by communicating through Zoom.”

But the hunt for online activities doesn’t stop at breaking a sweat.

Sites like Skillshare, Creative Live and Udemy offer online classes focused on creativity, whether it’s brushing up on painting skills, playing an instrument or learning a new language. If you want a class that’s streamed live and feels more intimate (or just want to support a local business), platforms like Dabble and Groupon offer courses from local shops near you.

That’s been the case for Dan and Josh Lucero, the brothers behind Wine & Design in Weehawken, New Jersey. The creative studio typically hosts events where the local community can gather to enjoy a drink while painting and crafting. After brainstorming with other Wine & Design franchise owners, they agreed to offer virtual classes. Participants just have to pick up a take-home painting kits that contain canvas, paints and supplies for the project.

“More than anything, we wanted to continue to provide a space for positivity and creativity, whether physically or virtually, for our customers to get together and forget for a bit about what was going on in the world around them,” Dan Lucero said.

Online platforms like Dabble and Groupon offer courses from local shops near you. You can also check with the local businesses in your area to see what virtual or takeaway activities they are providing to the community.
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Online platforms like Dabble and Groupon offer courses from local shops near you. You can also check with the local businesses in your area to see what virtual or takeaway activities they are providing to the community.

If workouts or artwork aren’t your thing, there are plenty of other online classes that’ll keep you from reaching for the remote. Skillshare, Creative Live and Udemy also have plenty of professional courses available in business, branding and creative programs. Masterclass features everything from screenwriting with Shonda Rhimes to cooking with Gordon Ramsay. And Coursera partners with Ivy League universities to bring you the best of their curriculum.

Break up your binge-watching bender with something a bit more productive. Because we could all use something to do that doesn’t involve Netflix, we’ve rounded up a complete guide to classes you can take online.

Below, a guide to places you can take classes online:

Find the best online classes for arts and languages, from knitting and learning a new instrument, to Spanish or French.
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Find the best online classes for arts and languages, from knitting and learning a new instrument, to Spanish or French.

1. Online arts and languages classes

Find the best online classes for education and professional skills, from business analytics to mastering the freelancer life.
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Find the best online classes for education and professional skills, from business analytics to mastering the freelancer life.

2. Online education and professional skills courses

The best online fitness and wellness classes, from dance classes to massage classes.
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The best online fitness and wellness classes, from dance classes to massage classes.

3. Online fitness and wellness classes

The best online cooking and bartending classes, from wine tasting and cocktail making to bread baking.
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The best online cooking and bartending classes, from wine tasting and cocktail making to bread baking.

4. Online cooking and bartending classes

  • Bluprint: Sharpen your knife skills and learn how to cook a wide variety of recipes using professional techniques.
  • Masterclass: Learn wine tasting from James Suckling and French pastry fundamentals from Dominique Ansel.
  • Udemy: Find classes like bread baking, bartending and cooking your choice of cuisine.
  • Sourced: This service employs bartenders who are out of work due to the coronavirus to deliver everything you need to create a craft cocktail directly to your door. While it’s not exactly an online class, many of these bartenders share their tips and recipes on social media.

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