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Hama Beads & 6 More '00s Hobbies That Should Make A Comeback During Lockdown
No matter how resourceful you are, it’s likely lockdown has meant you’ve had to get creative with how you spend your time. Working from home, having a drink with your friends over video call, and only being allowed out for essentials has meant getting used to being indoors a lot more than normal. If you’ve returned to your parents house you may have also had the throwback of being in your childhood bedroom. And while modern tech is all fun and games, it’s hard not to get nostalgic. Here’s the seven '00s hobbies you wish you could do in lockdown with you.
Filling your time can be tough when you don’t know how much longer you’re going to be indoors for. It’s hard not to rack your brain for the things that you used to enjoy as a kid. I’m very pleased to have Instagram to scroll through and Sims 4 to fill my evenings but nothing will beat the afternoons weaving Scoobies or returning home from school to find your Tamagotchi had lived to see another day. I may be biased but '00s kids had some seriously great toys and games and if the lockdown had been 15 years ago, it’d look a lot different.
From Hama beads to the OG Sims, here’s the hobbies you wish you could do in lockdown.
1Scoobie Doos
I’d love to know how many hours I spent weaving Scoobies to hang off just about anything I could clip them to. If you were a beginner you’d be able to weave the two coloured square pattern before graduating to the elites of multi-colour twisted creations. And if you’re feeling particularly bored with this lockdown you can still buy scoobie strings on Ebay.
2Tamagotchis
They may have been a game but keeping your Tamagotchi alive during the day while you were at school was no easy task. Feeding them, looking after them, and cleaning up their mess was a full time occupation and would kill hours in lockdown. The digital pet console also came in super cute colours and patterns.
3Friendship Bracelets
Growing up, you knew you were firm friends with someone if they went home and made you a friendship bracelet. Extra brownie points if they got your favourite colours woven into it. You’d have to wear them everyday so not to break the friendship. It’s so sad that lockdown means the only way you get to see your nearest and dearest right now is over video calling. However, bringing back some traditions with your mates might help make it go a little quicker.
4The Sims
The Sims has gone through a number of transformations since it was first released in 2000. Bob and Betty Newbie were the OG couple that kids everywhere could play god with. But now, the new games including toddlers, pets, university, so many expansion packs, and the ability to go to a bar, it might feel like the OG Sims is a little past its prime. However, I'd argue it'd be well worth going back to visit the Newbies in Pleasantview and trying to avoid the Grim Reaper while cooking dinner or swimming in the pool, for old time's sake if nothing else.
5Hama Beads
Crafting is one of the more mindful activities that you can engage in during lockdown and Hama Beads helped make some of the coolest creations growing up. From farm animals, cars, to entire universes there wasn’t much you couldn’t create out of the tiny colourful beads you placed on the pegs and then ironed into place.
6Shrinkies
Shrinkies were one of the more seemingly magical arts and crafts around in the '00s. You’d draw and colour in the pre-printed picture, hand it over to an adult to put in the oven and amazingly they’d return seven times smaller and thicker. This made for endless badge, jewellery, and keyring-making fun.
7Bop It!
Without fail, if you had a bring a toy into school day someone would bring Bop It! The source of most my arguments with my siblings growing up, if you couldn’t keep up with the commands from Bop It! you’d end up super frustrated. It took hours of practice to perfect your technique and as you’re not thin on time during lockdown now could be your chance to beat Bop It! once and for all.
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