Virtual Activities
Take a few minutes and explore the following resources compiled by your Campus Activities office. For all of these virtual activities and games, we suggest setting up a video call with friends or family to enjoy together!
Take Care of Yourself
Virtual Games & Activities
Free games you can play!
- Collection of virtual games (board, card, social, more!)
- 35 Virtual Game Night Ideas
- Trickster Cards - Spades, euchre, hearts, and more!
- Kahoot - create your own trivia game
- Virtual Karaoke
- Among Us - time to dust off this fan favorite game from last winter! Free game app.
Entertainment, Creative Arts, and DIY
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Check out CornellCast for recorded performances including Lessons and Carols from Sage Chapel
- Coloring books depicting over 100 museums art collections
- Online art classes (15-20 minute sessions)
- 15 Broadway plays and musicals you can watch from home
- Teleparty - watch Netflix, Hulu, and more in sync with friends
- Journaling or photo journaling! Journaling is a great outlet and useful opportunity to capture all the emotions and changes that are happening.
- Learn a new recipe with one of the many virtual cooking classes being offered online.
- Fun Fashion DIY Crafts (Thanks to Michelle and her Girl Scout troop!)
- "How to Cook" Recipes (Thanks to Michelle and her Girl Scout troop!)
- Crafty Hands: Art Projects and Activities (Thanks to Ty and his Boy Scout troop!)
- Virtual & Print Art Travel Activities (Thanks to Kara and the All Girls STEM Club!)
Health and Wellness
Take a moment to breathe, re-center yourself, and/or be active.
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Free virtual fitness classes - Cornell Recreational Services
- PE 1420 Introduction to Meditation 3-week course Jan 3-21
- Meditation and calming music
- At home health and fitness videos
- Calming aquarium videos
Spiritual and Religious
Check out what’s on offer through the various organizations at Cornell United Religious Work. Many of the religious communities stream weekly services, and some organizations will be offering online programming over winter break including book discussions, virtual get-togethers, and retreats. Below is a sampling of some specific opportunities.
Outdoor and Nature
By taking proper public health measures, you can take a break from indoor spaces and get out to enjoy the coming spring days. Studies show time spend in nature decreases stress and anxiety. Whether you are on Cornell’s campus, in NY state, or your home state, these ideas will motivate you to go outside a few days in the week. Please note: students in isolation for COVID-19 may not leave their isolation location until notified by Tomkins County Health Department or in an emergency situation.
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Cornell University on-campus hikes – Check out the beautiful trails and natural areas right here on campus managed by Cornell Botanic Gardens.
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Hikes in Ithaca – Did you know that Ithaca is one of the top hiking destinations in NY state? The friends at Ithaca Trails have created an online resource to find a trail near you.
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Biking in Ithaca – Want to ride your bike? Here are some local favorite bike routes. Not in Ithaca? Find a biking trail near you.
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Birdwatching – Download Merlin Bird ID free app from the Lab of Ornithology and enjoy the spring bird migration.
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Stargazing – Have you looked up at the sky lately? These free stargazing apps can turn any night sky (even from inside) into a spectacular show of constellations.
Virtual Community Service
Virtual service is a type of volunteerism that allows you to share your time and talents as members through service away from any physical site of an organization or project.
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Be My Eyes: Be of service to those who are visually impaired through FaceTime
- Charity Miles: Earn money for the charity of your choice by walking
- School in the Cloud: provide guidance and inspiration for children abroad
- Free rice: Answer questions to donate rice to people in need
- DoSomething.org: All you need to make a difference is an internet connection.
Be sure to connect with the Einhorn Center for Community Engagement at Cornell for more ways of engaging with virtual service.
Professional Development and Networking
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CUeLinks: A university-wide online networking platform where community members can connect with the people and resources they need to achieve their academic, career, and personal goals.
- Ted Talks - Select a Ted Talk and follow it up with a group chat/community discussion.
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Cornell Career Center - online personal and professional development opportunities available.
Music, Concerts, and Documentaries
This list provided by the Cornell Concert Commission (CCC) and Slope Day Programming Board (SDPB).
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NPR Music: Tiny Desk
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Chicken Shop Date (Youtube channel)
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Top 5 songs of music albums (Youtube channel)
Netflix Specials:
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Justin Timberlake - Justin Timberlake and the Tennessee Kids
- Beyonce - Homecoming
- Taylor Swift - Reputation Tour & Miss Americana
- Lady Gaga: Five Foot Two & This is Pop
- Once in a Lifetime Sessions with George Ezra, One Republic, etc.
- Steve Aoki - I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead
- Summer of Soul (Hulu)
- Get Back (Disney+)
- The Velvet Underground (Apple TV)
Educational, Travel, and Exploration
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Duolingo - learn a language! Or, better yet, have you checked out their TikTok page?
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Virtual field trips to Mars, Yellowstone National Park, San Diego Zoo, The Louvre, and more!
- Explore 12 different famous museums like Guggenheim, National Gallery Art, and more!
- Interactive National Constitution Center
- Virtual theme park rides (including Disney!)
- Discover the world by visiting the Blarney Castle, Cliffs of Moher, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Parks, and more
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Access to more than 12 million academic journal articles, books, and primary sources
Cornell Events
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Check the CampusGroups Calendar of Events for events by student organizations, departments, and offices! It will be constantly updating as groups add their events.
- Follow @CornellActivities on Instagram -- we are spotlighting student orgs and past events, as well as advertising events!
Cornell Pride
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You can also add a Cornell Zoom background to your next meeting!
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Cornell Chimes -- listen online!
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Follow @CornellStudentLife on Instagram
If you are a Cornell community member (student, staff, or faculty) with a new resource to add, please email activities@cornell.edu with your suggestion.