Animation: James Sandifer & Paula Harvey

If you've had your travel plans scuppered by lockdown, don't worry. You can still see many of the wonders the world has to offer, plus many more you would never have thought of, without ever leaving home. There is now a fantastic parade of 360-degree videos available that give a whole new dimension to armchair traveling.  

If you're missing being able to get out and experience culture, it may be good to know that Google Arts and Culture has spent a lot of time and money on its 360-degree videos. You can experience the great art galleries of Europe, have more than 2,000 museums at your fingertips or sit among The Philadelphia Orchestra at Carnegie Hall as they perform Grieg's In the Hall of the Mountain King from Peer Gynt Suite No.1. 

If wildlife is more your thing, you can swim with dolphins, go on a 360-degree safari or learn about lions up close with National Geographic. 

You can take your children on a roller coaster or relax on a Caribbean beach. The world experienced through 360 can take you to places you would never have dreamed of – even a trip to the edges of space – and you will have the best seat in the house. 

Make your own

If you don't have an expensive headset, don't worry, you can make your own. All you need is your smartphone, some everyday household items and a little patience to create your own VR headset.

The do-it-yourself headset project is a "create craft" project with a big payback at the end, so rummage around in your recycling to see if you have cardboard, hairbands, glue and plastic bottles, then follow this easy guide. Then the world is your oyster – even as you sit in your chair. 

Animation: James Sandifer & Paula Harvey