Life in the time of COVID-19 is weird, and we can all admit we’re dealing with it in different ways. Some people are, rightfully, very anxious about things. Others are worried about their jobs, their families, their own health, or how to occupy themselves and the others in their household without losing their minds. This article is for those people. 

Whether you’re at home alone, back with your parents, in school, or working from home, I hope there’s something here for you that will help occupy you during social distancing without breaking the bank, and perhaps it will introduce you to a new favorite service that you will support with a full subscription. 

From TV to education to music and more, I hope these subscriptions and offerings can help you lose yourself in a new binge, beloved show, or just take your mind off the present situation. 

Scribd: 30 Day Free Trial For First Time Users

Scribd is an online library-type service that has lots of e-books and audiobooks, sheet music, and more. They usually offer only a 7 day subscription, and they don’t have every book in the world, but if you’re looking for some more reading options at home, and you’ve never used the service before, this 30 day free trial might be perfect for you. 

JSTOR: Free During Pandemic

Still in an academic setting? Or wishing to use your isolation to better your educational prospects? Check out JSTOR, one of the best online databases out there. They’ve got a ton of scholarly works, articles, and about 35,000 books too!

Audible: Free Audiobooks for Kids

Whether you’ve got a kid at home or enjoy books that might be geared towards children (but are great for all ages) or the classics, check out this new feature from Audible that allows listening from your device without a subscription for the rest of the school year, at least. Some of the free books include Winnie-the-Pooh, Anne of Green Gables, Camp Red Moon, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, The Bone Witch, Brave New World, Moby Dick, Pride and Prejudice, and more.

Disney Plus: Free 7 Day Trial

If you feel like you’ve finished Netflix, check out Disney+. They offer a seven day free trial, and with a lot of time on your hands, you’ll be able to make a good dent in their catalogue in that week. They’ve got beloved DCOMs like Eddie’s Million Dollar Cook Off, the Luck of the Irish, and High School Musical, as well as new original series, documentaries, and more. They’re latest movie, Onward, is also coming to the service on April 3rd. 

YouTube TV: 2 Week Free Trial 

I know that I for one don’t have cable, and I know many of my friends do not, but in a time of pandemic, you sometimes want to tune into the mainstream news networks. Of course, there are ways to stream them from those networks, but if you want a cable-like option, consider a trial of YouTube TV. They’ve extended the trial length to 2 weeks until April1 4th, so sign up now to reap the rewards, but be sure to cancel to avoid being charged the hefty subscription fee. 

Hallmark Now: 1 Month Free Trial

Why not turn your isolation time into a chance to re-celebrate Christmas, binge sweet romances, or lose yourself in the Aurora Teagarden mysteries? Hallmark Now, the famous channel’s subscription service,is offering a one month free trial right now and it’s a great way to take your mind off of things. 

Peloton App: 90 Day Free Trial

Trying to get your exercise on? The Peloton App is offering a free 90 day trial of their app–no expensive bike required. They’ve got lots of options for workouts on the app to do from home, in your backyard, or on your bike if you’ve got it. 

RELATED: 14 Completed Series You Can Binge on Disney+

Gaia Yoga: 1 Week Free Trial

If you’re looking for stress relief and a good workout, try a one week free trial of Gaia Yoga. It’s all digital, you’ll learn some great moves, and you’ll find that calming moment we all need so badly right now.  There are also a lot of free yoga classes on YouTube. 

National Theatre Live: Free Screenings Weekly

Want to be cultured and enjoy some free theatre, since so many theatres had to end their seasons early? Check out the free screenings from National Theatre Life. The first screening, One Man Two Guvnors with James Corden can be found here. They’ll be releasing a new show each Thursday, including productions of Shakespeare and Jane Eyre, so why not tune in? 

Riveted Lit: Free Ebooks

Riveted Lit, a project of Simon & Schuster Publishing, releases free books to read, and free excerpts, each month, pandemic or not, but they’ve got some extra special offerings going on right now. Some of their free reads for April include City of Bones, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Come Back to Me, The Last Magician, Hush Hush, Autoboyography, Love & Luck, and more. You can also pick one of their free e-books to keep by signing up for their email list. 

Aryssa D

FFL Cabinet Member

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