Free or Cheap Educational Activities to Consider This Long Weekend
The long weekend is almost here, and while many of us have planned exciting activities like a road trip with friends and catch-ups with family, you could also consider occupying yourself with something more educational – and free (or super-cheap).
One example of such an activity that comes to mind is visiting a museum – I was surprised to find out that most major museums across New Zealand stay open on Labour Day! If you are based in Auckland, Wellington or Rotorua, consider checking out the Auckland Museum, Te Papa or the Rotorua Museum (free admission is only for Rotorua residents with relevant ID). I feel that I discover something new every time I visit a museum, and I believe that this could definitely be a great way to spend the long weekend without having to go through too much moola. Visiting a library is another way to expose yourself to tonnes of educational and entertainment materials and learn something new. Most libraries also have an extensive range of CDs and DVDs you may want to check out, so why not drop in and see what your local library has to offer?
Listening to a podcast is my favourite way to learn something new while doing another task, such as household chores or driving. Podcasts are episodic audio snippets dedicated to a certain topic, and they are super-easy to find, as long as you know what theme you are interested in: be it personal finance, food, technology…
And while listening to podcasts doesn’t involve too much thinking or having to memorize things, my next proposed free long weekend activity is a bit more engaging, although a bit more fun, too… I’m talking about learning a new language online! Gone are the days where you had to either go to a class or bore yourself to death by going through dusty books to acquire a new linguistic skill; now it all can be done online or even on a mobile phone in a super-fun interactive way. Not only can learning a language be a fun free long weekend activity, knowing multiple languages is a great life skill which can also look great on your CV and may lead you to new exciting employment opportunities.
Speaking of better employment opportunities, online learning courses or professional forums are a big thing right now, and they may help you secure a better pay or a new job. Participating in them is a great way to converse with professionals in the field, ask any questions you may have or earn a new badge or line for your resume. Self-education is a great way to show people that you are an ambitious and keen learner, and there are many free resources online that you can check out this long weekend.