Tap into IT updates our Things to do at home page on a regular basis, so why not bookmark it and re-visit it soon.
Have you “Liked” our Facebook page as we have been posting a few useful items there too?
Meanwhile, to reveal online links that may be of interest to you, click on the “+” sign to expand each section below.
Health
Covid Project
- Let’s Be Heard
- Online Questionnaire
- Printable Formor collect one from the Dr’s surgery or library
Coronavirus Information:
- NHS
- NHS Scotland
- ReadyScotland: CORONAVIRUS
- National Helpline: 0800 111 4000
Mindfulness, Meditation & Mental Health:
- Glorify Worship and Wellbeing App : iPad/iPhone / Android
- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChSpME3QaSFAWK8Hpmg-Dyw (Calm channel)
- http://www.freemindfulness.org
- https://www.mindful.org/audio-resources-for-mindfulness-meditation
- Clear Your Head
Scams
Digital Skills Education offers some great info around scams on their website.
Read the latest Scam Share Bulletins issued by Trading Standards Scotland.
Read The Little Book of Big Scams produced by Metropolitan Police Service.
Get Safe Online: Website Checker: is an online tool which helps you decide if a website is likely to be legitimate or a scam before you visit it.
Fake News – read all about it.
Internet Safety course from GCFGlobal and quiz at the end of the course.
Exercise
Joe Wicks aka The Body Coach:
- 10 minute home workout for seniors
- 10 minute Full body work out for seniors
- Full body work out for seniors HIIT
- 10 minute home chair work out for seniors
- 10 minute chair based work out
- 15 minute low impact work out
Diana Moran aka The Green Goddess is back:
Sunshine Delos Santos, Pilates Instructor:
Ballet
- The Royal Academy for Dance ran a block of weekly online Silver Swan Ballet classes. The 8 week course can be accessed here.
YouTube Recommendations
Cultural
Audio Drama: Leithers One Family adaptation from Citadel Arts Group
- – Betrayal
- – The Preceptory
- – The Ships
- – Unwelcome Visitor
- – The Gibbet
- – The Races
- – The Highlanders
- – The Fishwives
- – The Bank
- – The Aliens
- – The Little Pearl
Musical
- Join a virtual choir – via a Facebook Group
- Bird Song Opera – the Magic Flute “Papageno/Papagena” Duet
- Les Miserables – BBC adaptation on iPlayer
Virtual Tours of Museums / Galleries around the world
- Louvre, Paris
- Guggenheim Museum, New York
- British Museum, London
- Musée d’Orsay, Paris
- National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul
- Pergamon Museum, Berlin
- Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
- Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
- The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
- Uffizi Gallery, Florence
- MASP, São Paulo
- National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Podcasts
Virtual Travel
- Drive & Listen – listen to local radio while virtually driving through foreign cities. It’s quite fun and more relaxing than actually driving on the continent!
TV listings
- If you don’t have a smart TV or get the paper delivered you can get the tv schedule online
Educational
Languages
Commit to learning a new language with Duolingo. There are 35 languages to choose from including Gaelic, Welsh and Irish! There are no excuses now – it’s FREE!
You can download the App:
Local History / Interest / Entertainment:
- Our Town Stories
- Edinburgh Library, Museum & Gallery images
- Collection of Edinburgh Photographs and Memories from years gone by
- Photos of Edinburgh – you can search by area
- National record of the historic environment
- Britain from above
- National Library of Scotland – Online Maps
- National Library of Scotland – Digital image archive
- National Library of Scotland – Moving image archive
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/categories/films/featured
- https://player.bfi.org.uk/free
- Edinburgh Library, Museum & Gallery images
- War history online
Poetry
- The National Poetry Library: sign up to the National Poetry Library for FREE and have online access to many poetry books…. All you need to do is complete the contact form on their website and they’ll then provide you with access details within a couple of days.
- The BBC poetry Archive Celebrating 100 years of Poetry on the BBC
- Tap into Limericks with Tony Holmes: A Poet Cornered
Reading
- Books: Project Gutenberg is the oldest digital library in the world and the top 100 downloads can be viewed here. Select the book that you want to read, then select the format that you want to read it on and enjoy…
- Magazines: can be viewed online via Edinburgh Libraries if you have a library card
- Library books: can also be viewed online if you have a library card
- Newish podcast: On the Road with Penguin Classics
Typing
BBC Archive
- Interesting items from yesteryear on the BBC Archive Facebook page – worth a look!
- Quiz – 10 questions every hour!
Wine Tasting
- Free Online Wine Tasting Course from Aldi! (Module 1: Course notes (PDF))
Hobbies
Gardening
- Jane Perrone’s Podcasts feature lots of information about Houseplants – helpful as you are probably shielding at the moment. Nothing fancy is required to listen to these podcasts…just a gadget!
Family Tree
- Free temporary home access to Findmypast via Edinburgh Library. Just email informationdigital@edinburgh.gov.uk with your library card number and they’ll let you know how to login from home.
Railway Enthusiasts
- Here’s how to build a model railway
- Pixel Federation’s – Train Station FREE build your own railway 🚃 game
- Footage of the first diesel-electric train journey from Glasgow to Euston – from the BBC archive
- Enjoy a virtual tour of the Railway line in Yorkshire – Watercress …
Travel Virtually
- Nature Relaxation Drone films of idyllic destinations – worth a look!
Knitting
- The Innocent Big Knit – knit tiny hats to raise funds for charity
- Water bottle string cover – quite cool!
Sewing
- Make your own 😷 mask: remember it is not a substitute for good hygiene – keep washing your hands 🤲
Mindfulness Colouring
- Johanna Basford – free colouring downloads
Recipes
- Supercook: Add the ingredients that you have and Supercook will give you a list of recipes (really for when your cupboard is getting bare!)
- Quick Banana ice cream – recipe from BBC Good Food.
Games
- Learn to play Chess
- Play online Scrabble with a friend once you have both registered
- https://nerdschalk.com/best-zoom-games/ (Zoom games for all ages)
- Hangman using the Zoom Whiteboard
- Pictionary using the Zoom Whiteboard
Magic Lessons
- Quantum Magic Lab – Learn 30 tricks over the next 30 days
Sport
Football
Watch various FREE NOT live
Golf
- Replay The Masters 2017
Tennis
- Wimbledon YouTube channel with lots of clips available for Wimbledon fans
Rugby
Basic DIY/ IT
DIY RESOURCES:
Requested info
- B&Q Youtube video explaining how to change a plug and a fuse
- Cut men’s hair using clippers and scissors
IT Resources:
Skype sound issues
- Android issues with Skype volume – try this to fix
Zoom Meetings
- Read our How to Set up a Meeting on Zoom from a WINDOWS based gadget (PDF 1MB)
I.T. Jargon Buster
- Not sure what a Dongle is? Check out O2’s Jargon Buster
Web Cam
Birds (the feather variety!)
- For all the budding TapIT ornithologists, why not check out this live web cam streamed from Ohio and this Eagle’s nest in Bluff City, TN
- WinterWatch – you need to sign into BBC player to enable you to view this live footage of birds in Norfolk and Edinburgh
Animals
Places
- Visit exotic places around the world 🌞🏝
News
Landline switch from Analogue to Digital
Web of the Week
- A resource for that you can use to explore interesting, uplifting and inspiring stories. And a bit of IT help too…Check it out
Looking through Windows
- A live and random look at the views through other people’s windows throughout the world.
National Entitlement Card
- Apply for a National Entitlement Card if you are 60+ online and save yourself at trip to the library
Fun!
Brain Games
Puzzles
- Lots of Online Jigsaws to choose from…. Thanks Margaret
- TapIT Christmas Word Search (PDF 111KB)
- TapIT Online Jigsaw Puzzle
- Online Jigsaw Puzzles – new ones added daily!
- Wordle – guess the word!
- If Wordle is too easy, try Quordle – guess 4 words!
- If Quordle is too easy, try Octordle – guess 8 words!
- If you are bored of Wordle try Absurdle – it’s quite tricky as the secret word changes as you make guesses!
- Globle – guess the country!
- Mathle – guess the sum!
- Moviedle – guess the movie!
- Heardle – guess the song!
- Bookdle – all things literary
- Byrdle – all things classical
Quizzes
- https://www.sporcle.com
- https://www.geoguessr.com
- https://www.randomtriviagenerator.com
- BBC Archers quiz
Videos from the TapIT cast:
- A TapIT Christmas Carol
- A TapIT sledge race
- TapIT turning on the Christmas lights
- ElfYourSelf 2019
- Happy
- Halloween 2020
Other Christmassy things:
#LimerickYourselfChallenge