Latest Tempe News
Stress Relieving Activities in Tempe
Due to COVID-19, we’ve all had to make significant changes in our daily lives. We’re all spending the vast majority of our time at home, waiting to find out when we can begin a safe return to normal activities. To say the least, this is a stressful time for all of us.
At the Tempe Tourism Office, we’re looking forward to welcoming visitors again. But, in the meantime, we wanted to provide a few ways to reduce stress and remind ourselves of the laid-back, come as you are spirit that Tempe, Arizona is known for.
Here are a few creative ways to take a break and get ready for better days ahead.
#BreatheWithTempe
When you are feeling a bit overwhelmed, find a second in your day to #BreatheWithTempe. The Tempe Tourism Office created a series of short video clips each week that showcase sights and sounds around Tempe that are serene, peaceful, and joyful. Visit our YouTube Playlist, Instagram or Facebook to see the videos.
Get your creative juices flowing
During this time, you can’t put a price on creativity. It keeps the mind productive and in a healthy space. Several Tempe partners have taken note and are here to give you that creative outlet.
If you need creative ideas without leaving your home, Tempe Public Library has you covered. They have curated a ton of free coloring pages, craft projects, fitness and cooking videos, virtual museum tours and more! Better yet, new content is added weekly.
Did you know coloring reduces stress and boosts creativity for both children and adults? Get ready to grab your own crayons and unwind with Desert Botanical Garden coloring pages. Choose from various coloring pages that will have you reminiscing of the very landscapes featured at Desert Botanical Garden. To download, visit their website and click and drag the coloring pages to your desktop computer. Print at home and get to work!
Check out Tempe History Museum for lots of fun activities while learning Tempe’s history! From coloring session to puzzle-solving mystery, you will not get bored with these. Enjoy coloring pages of the original Gammage Memorial Auditorium and the Hayden Flour Mill. After you’re done, compare your masterpiece against the original photograph featured at the Tempe History Museum!
Say ‘Thank you’ to our heroes while coloring and destressing at the same time. The Tempe Center for the Arts launched a community coloring campaign to thank local heroes. This is an easy and fun way for kids and family members to show their appreciation for front line heroes using the timeless art of coloring. After you complete your coloring page, make sure you post on social media with the tag #ThankYouHeroes. The goal is for these heroes to be flooded with thanks as they drive down their streets or check their social feeds.
Don’t worry adults, we’ve got some coloring fun for you too! Kill some time (and stress) with Four Peaks Brewing Company coloring book series featuring some of your favorite beers. Just make sure to color responsibly!
Create more memories at home with pottery-to-go. Visit As You Wish online, to purchase your pottery or canvas, and they will prepare your order and have it ready within 24 hours at their Tempe Marketplace location. Each to-go kit comes complete with your pottery piece or canvas, brushes, a tracing template, tracing paper, and a step-by-step instruction guide. You can also paint in their studio but reservations are recommended since seating is limited.
Learn something new
Driving yourself crazy trying to fill every day with educational content for your kids, or would you like to pick up a new interest or hobby, but don’t know where to start? Worry no further, we’ve compiled a list of educational, and just plain fun things to do, in our Virtual Tours blog.
You can now view videos from some of Tempe’s finest attractions such as the Phoenix Zoo, Hall of Flame Fire Museum, Gallery at Tempe Center for the Arts and ASU Art Museum. The Tempe at Home series from the City of Tempe includes all kinds of activities for adults and kids such as fitness classes, arts activities, music and gardening tips.
The Tempe History Museum has also created a couple of very fun online games. Check out their eMuseum Bingo cards. Visit the eMuseum and use the digital Bingo cards found here to guide your search for photos and artifacts that match the squares on the card. You’ll learn a bit about Tempe’s history along the way. Print the cards or use them as a digital reference. You can also find the Museum’s Memory Match Game, a highly addicting digital memory game where you flip cards to find matching historical images.
Order delivery or curbside pick-up
There is nothing quite like ordering curbside pick-up from your favorite local restaurant. Not only does it get you out of the house for a change of scenery, but it stimulates the local economy at the same time. Sounds like a win-win in our book! Check out our list of Tempe restaurants of Tempe restaurants where you can order delivery or curbside pick-up orders during the COVID-19 (Coronavius) closure period.
Get outdoors
Sometimes anxiety comes from of a place of uncertainty. One thing we can be certain of is Arizona is full of sunshine and warm weather. From taking a hike or going for a walk to renting a boat on Tempe Town Lake, we have you covered on places where you can explore the outdoors responsibly.
Connect with family members via Zoom and use our Tempe backgrounds
Since we can’t see all of our friends and family in person, the next best thing is connecting with them via a FaceTime, Skype or Zoom video call. Zoom might be our favorite because you can use a custom background. And, the new Tempe Tourism Office backgrounds mean that you can share sunny Tempe with everyone. You can download the Tempe Zoom backgrounds from our blog.
Listen to music – the Tempe way
Live music is something that we don’t have the chance to see right now. But, there are a few ways to experience music from Tempe.
The ASU School of Music has a collection of streamed concerts from Katzin Concert Hall and Recital Hall. Watch them on their YouTube channel.
Low Key Piano Bar broadcasts a performance from their talented, fun-loving musicians every Friday and Saturday night starting at 9 p.m. on their Facebook page. You can even send tips to their musicians via Venmo or Paypal during the show.
Live music on the weekends is currently cancelled at Tempe Marketplace, but you can listen to “A Little Bit Live,” clips of live music created by musicians who have played on The District Stage. Check out these special live performances on the Tempe Marketplace Instagram page under their IGTV.
Tempe’s own Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers have created a series of videos, the Quarantine Sessions, presenting some of their most beloved songs on their YouTube channel.
While the Broadway series at ASU Gammage is postponed at the moment, we can look forward to their 20/21 season starting in October with everyone’s favorite show, HAMILTON. The season also includes FROZEN, MY FAIR LADY and JERSEY BOYS. Download the soundtracks on Apple Music or Spotify and get ready for Broadway magic.
Take an online yoga class from a Tempe instructor
We don’t know about you, but we’re all moving around a bit less these days and we could use a way to release some stress and just breathe.
Start or end your day with a yoga class taught by a local instructor. You can choose what works best for you, a relaxing Yin class or a heart pumping Vinyasa practice. There are several yoga studios in Tempe that are sharing classes from their awesome teachers online. Options include CorePower Yoga, One Tribe and Joyful Yoga. Some studios are streaming classes online for free, some classes are offered for a minimal fee or a donation. Check each website for details. Namaste.
Take a class from the City of Tempe
Our friends at the City of Tempe have recently added a variety of classes and online activities to their website and social media channels. Tempe at Home is a series of virtual content that showcases things to do from Tempe’s parks and recreation team, the library and the arts. While encouraging social distancing, it’s so important to keep our minds and bodies active. Who knows, you might even stumble upon your new favorite hobby.
There are daily activities, videos, arts and crafts and game ideas to help keep the whole family entertained. You can subscribe to the Tempe at Home playlist on YouTube so you won’t miss a single video.
Places to watch the sunset
No matter what is happening in the world, you can count on one thing in Arizona. It’s a beautiful place. The sun rises and sets each day with an awe-inspiring array of colors from cotton candy pastels to the brightest oranges and purples.
Whether you just step outside your door, you go for a walk in your neighborhood, or you practice social distancing from a hiking trail, be sure to time your outing so you can get your daily dose of inspiration from the larger than life Arizona sky.
