TEDDY BEAR PICNIC Grab your little one’s favorite teddy bear, set up your camera, and lay down a checkered picnic blanket on your living room floor. Munch on some snacks and chat with other moms via Zoom because, let’s be real, all parents are looking for ways to entertain their children (and themselves) while stuck at home. The event is hosted by Fit4Mom 510, a maternal fitness organization that also offers free activities for the community. Teddy Bear Picnic by Fit4Mom 510, Friday, March 27 at 11 am. Free.
ZOOM MOVIE CLUB Even though the theaters are closed, we can still watch a curated film and do a Q&A with a room full of strangers…digitally, of course. The New Parkway Theater is kicking off its Movie Club with a screening of David Lynch’s Blue Velvet, which viewers can watch anytime in the week. On Saturday, March 28, at 3 p.m., programmer Will Viharo will lead a discussion of the film on Zoom. Movie Club will meet once a week until the theater is back in commission. Don’t forget to make your own popcorn. ‘Blue Velvet’ via Zoom, Saturday, March 28, 3.pm.
DANCE AT HOME If you’ve always wanted to learn ballet or modern dance, or if you want to hone your skills, you can take online dance classes from the renowned, Berkeley-based Shawl-Anderson Dance Center. All you need is a chair which will serve as your barre and some space so you can lift your leg in all directions. The center is offering Zoom classes in mat pilates, ballet, modern, jazz, and improvisation for both adults and youths for free. Shawl-Anderson Dance Center classes are currently listed until Sunday, March 29.
MINIMIZING FEAR Anyone up for reducing fear? We sure are. On March 30 via live stream, Commonwealth Club is hosting writer and philosopher George Hammond who will discuss the prevailing emotion of the times: fear. Author of Conversations with Socrates, Hammond will explain how fear both keeps us alert and paralyzes us, and he’ll propose ways for us to stay keen without the debilitating anxiety. George Hammond, Monday, March 30, 7:30 p.m. Free.
ONLINE YOGA With all the gyms and studios closed, a lot of us are craving our daily stretch. Thankfully, if you’re a fan of guided classes, yoga can be done just as effectively through video chat. Keep your camera on and you can even make awkward eye contact with fellow yogis as you breathe through your warrior one pose. Many studios are opting for online programs, like the mindful flow and yoga for stress relief classes at Square One Yoga. If you’re camera shy or your schedule isn’t flexible, you can try the free Yoga to the People Podcast. Square One Yoga schedule.
