Bailey's 60 things to try during 2021: Part one - 20 things to do during Lockdown 3.0

As restrictions are currently in place, we thought it wise to split this list into three sections and focus the first twenty on things that are achievable, and enjoyable, during Lockdown 3.0. At the time of writing, non-essential travel isn’t permitted, and any exercise must remain local, i.e., within your village, town, or part of the city in which you live. With this in mind, we’ve tried to tailor these suggestions accordingly, but please check the restrictions in your area – especially as guidance is continually evolving. Enjoy!

1. Lucky Dip Movie Night

Each person chooses two or three favourite films, writes them on individual slips of paper, and adds them to a bowl. With drinks prepared and popcorn to hand, a film is chosen ‘lucky dip style’.

2. Ride a Bike

Our mountain bikes accompany us on most trips, although if I’m honest, that’s the only time they turn a wheel. A post-Christmas lockdown hasn’t helped the waistline so now’s the perfect time to get reacquainted with the pushbike. Haven’t got a bicycle? There are some great deals this time of year. Sticking to a local route and using an app such as Strava allows you to measure progress with ease.

3. Enjoy Hot Chocolate Under the Stars (in your garden, or through the roof light in your caravan or motorhome)

Lockdown may limit our travel options, but as the night sky is above us, it’s possible to enjoy the stars in most areas of the UK, cloud cover permitting. Hot chocolate isn’t my regular tipple, but stargazing is the perfect excuse to enjoy some with the kids. Marshmallows optional.

4. Clean the Inside of Your Caravan or Motorhome

With light visible at the end of the COVID tunnel, why not prepare your caravan or motorhome for its first trip of 2021? Prima Leisure stocks an extensive range of products aimed at keeping that showroom shine.

5. Clean the Outside of Your Caravan or Motorhome

Washing and polishing exterior bodywork not only makes it look clean, but various products can help protect your caravan or motorhome against the elements. As above, Prima Leisure offer a dedicated range of products.

6. Cook Dinner (if you don’t usually)

Cheesed off with making dinner? Wish someone else would take the reigns once in a while? A child-friendly recipe that’s easily achievable in a caravan or motorhome allows your kids, or partner, to create a culinary masterpiece while you ‘supervise’. Poppy’s Caravan Curry recipe can be found by scrolling down this page.

7. Join a Local Volunteer Group

With so many services stretched to the limit, volunteering with a local group is a great way to spend as much, or as little, time as you can helping your community.  I’ve carried out motorcycle runs for Bike Shed Community Response, and Helen has volunteered to help with COVID vaccination programs.

8. Go Geocaching Within Your Village, Town, or Part of Your City

Download the free Geocaching app on your smartphone and start ‘treasure hunting’ in your local area. Caches are hidden at various locations and are found using app-based clues. It’s also a great thing to do when travel restrictions are lifted, as nearby caches can be checked via the app when you arrive on site.

9. Fly a Kite

Why not relive your youth by flying a kite? Watch in awe as your kids suddenly ‘click’ with instructions given and take to the skies with something non-electronic. No kite? Charlie’s DIY kite instructions can be found at the bottom of this page.

10. Go Caravanning at Home

There’s a certain type of magic surrounding a ‘trip away’ on your driveway, or in the garden. Fees are reasonable, some pitches are fully serviced, and the journey home isn’t a lengthy one should you forget something.

11. Be a Tourist in Your Own Village, Town, or Part of Your City

‘If you want to know something about where you live, ask a stranger’. An odd saying, but one that’s filled with truth, as a lot of us take our local area for granted. Visit online local tourism resources and see what undiscovered treasures you can find.

12. Build a Fort in Your Home, Caravan, or Motorhome

With home deliveries becoming increasingly popular during Lockdown, why not make a cardboard fort in your home, caravan, or motorhome? Regardless of age, few things beat the feeling of watching TV from a homemade fort…

13. Create a Scrapbook Filled with Places You’d Like to Visit

While tormenting myself with photos from far-flung locations, I’m jotting down my favourites. This ‘to do’ list, compiled from magazines, social media, and my own photos, will be resurrected once travel is given the green light.

14. Make Your Own Ice Cream

As a huge ice cream fan, I’ll happily tuck into tubs, cones and bowls filled with any flavour, but I’ve yet to make my own!

15. Have a Dance Party in Your Caravan or Motorhome

As the proud owner of two left feet, I usually look as though I’m dancing to a different song. However, with the blinds down and no near neighbours to upset, it’s almost impossible not to feel the benefit of throwing ungeometric shapes to ‘guilty pleasure’ music.

16. A Frosty Morning Walk in Your Village, Town, or Part of Your City

Wintry mornings are made for wrapping up warm and taking a walk. Dog, or children, optional.

17. Enjoy Breakfast in Your Caravan or Motorhome

I’d originally planned this idea as ‘breakfast somewhere different’, but current restrictions suggest we breakfast at home. Glass half full, the hob in your caravan or motorhome makes a full English breakfast the only sensible option.

18. Go on a Night Walk in Your Village, Town, or Part of Your City

Everything looks different in the dark, even surroundings you see each day. Armed with a torch, and possibly a ghost story or two, explore the darker recesses of where you live.

19. Feed the Birds

Bird feeders have come a long way since my homemade Blue Peter items, with modern variants attaching to caravans or motorhomes with a sucker or two. It’s also possible to resurrect the Blue Peter fat ball recipe thanks to YouTube.

20. Couch to 5K in Your Village, Town, or Part of Your City

My clothes appear to have shrunk in the wardrobe (again) and even though (at the time of writing) gyms are currently closed, the Couch to 5K plan can help with a New Year’s resolution. As the distance builds incrementally, this plan is perfect for staying local and exercising within current guidelines. As the title suggests, it’s perfect for beginners, details of which can be found on the NHS website.

Poppy’s Caravan Curry

Ingredients:

• 250g diced chicken
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 350g broccoli
• 1x parsnip
• 1x onion
• 2-3cm ginger
• 1x lime
• 2tbs oil
• 3 tbs curry paste
• 400ml coconut milk
• 50g almonds.

1. Prepare vegetables
2. Heat oil in saucepan and fry onions for 2 minutes.
3. Add the ginger and mix with the onions
4. Add the chicken and cook thoroughly (no pink meat!)
5. Add curry paste and cook for a further minute.
6. Add vegetables and coconut milk. Grate zest from the lime and add with the lime juice. Mix.
7. Simmer for 10 minutes and serve over rice, or with naan bread.

Charlie’s Homemade Kite

Kite-Making Kit:

• A ruler, or tape measure, for aerospace-levels of accuracy
• Two sticks cut to size. One 60cm, the other 45cm
• A binbag, carrier bag, or newspaper large enough to cover the frame
• The more the merrier
• Sellotape

1. Cut notches into the ends of each stick. This will allow a length of string to run around the kite’s outer edge.
2. Measure 20cm along the longer stick and attach to the middle of the shorter stick with a mixture of tape and string.
3. With the sticks reasonably sturdy, feed the string into the notches and tie at the bottom to form a diamond shape.
4. With the string forming a border, place on top of the binbag (or newspaper) and cut 3cm larger than the frame
5. Fold the bin bag over the string and secure with tape
6. Fashion a tail from two lengths of Sellotape, with binbag ribbons sandwiched in the middle. Cut ribbons to the approximate size of a mobile phone, which, depressingly, seems to be a universal indicator of size among children.
7. Tie a length of string to the ends of the smaller stick, with enough slack to allow it to be an inch or two away from the frame while flying.
8. This length of string has the main ‘line’ tied to its centre and, hey presto, with a bit of teamwork, you’ve just made something that flies!