30 Fun Things To Do At Home To Cure Boredom Alone Or With Others
Sometimes, life can be boring or you have nothing to do. I've felt this many times when I feel like I don't know what to do and I want to do something different.
Once, I even found myself browsing the internet for what to do at home for fun. And often, when the internet goes down, I'm stuck on what to do, hopelessly redoing things over again and listening to the same songs I have saved on my computer.
These activities are some that I've tried and actually work in making me and many others have fun. All of them are inexpensive as you mostly won't need to buy anything and you can do basically all of them alone. Most importantly, you can do them with kids so 12-year-olds and over won't be bored at home.
30 fun things to do at home that'll cure boredom:
If you're alone:
1. Watch TV or a movie
One of the most fun things to do at home is watching TV or a movie. I highly recommend it as it'll guarantee entertainment and it's one of my favourite hobbies. You can watch TV, movies, TV shows and mix them up to not get bored. There's probably lots that you haven't seen and it's a great time to catch up on them.
However, be sure to take a break every now and then (maybe half an hour) so your eyes don't get tired.
2. Read a book
Another idea is to read a book. Not only is it fun and broadens imagination, but it's also educational - improving literacy and grammar. Young kids and toddlers can do it too - or you can read to children, making it entertaining by acting it out.
Furthermore, you can learn new, interesting things about the world and life in non-fiction and fiction.
3. Write a story
When the internet goes down, I first go to my word document or my notebook and try writing a story. It keeps you entertained as you get to be creative and imaginative. Maybe write about a fantasy life living in another world? Indeed, there are so many possibilities.
4. Exercise
While it may be more fun with others, you can also exercise at home as it's good for your health and beneficial instead of sitting around all day. You can do some simple workouts like pushups or even yoga and stretching. There are great home workout videos online if you want something to follow.
For example, I like to listen to music while I dance for two hours and then do workouts.
5. Do some art
Another great hobby is art. If you're not artistic, that's fine because it doesn't have to look amazing but it can be really fun. Moreover, you can do a range of art, including drawing, painting, sculpting, collage, and other crafts.
6. Make a puzzle
A puzzle is a great project to do alone, especially big ones with around 1000 pieces as it gives you something to concentrate on. Additionally, it can make you feel proud when you complete it and it'll look great for decoration. I love huge puzzles as it's enjoyable and I've done many - one makes my coffee table look great.
While it can be done with others, kids might lose focus so it might be more suited for older people. Though children would enjoy puzzles with fewer pieces.
7. Do some gardening
Although it's not my favourite activity, a great way to pass the time is gardening as it's useful in keeping your garden neat and tidy. Furthermore, you can plant some flowers, grow vegetables or decorate your garden.
8. Redecorate your desk
Something I've been needing to do is clean and organise my desk. With all the free time at home, organising and decorating your desk or house is a good use of the time and will be great when you feel satisfied at the end. So if you're bored, you can tidy your desk and make it look nice to feel fresh and new.
9. Try photography
A hobby you could try out is photography. You can use a camera or even just your phone to take beautiful photos such as creating an aesthetic photoshoot space in your house. Furthermore, you can experiment with filters and simple editing.
10. Learn a language
Maybe you can try a new language as it's a great way to educate yourself about the world while not being bored. A great way to do it is to use language websites like Duolingo or a language book, and it helps to write down what you learn so you'll remember it and can go over it if you have no internet.
For instance, I use Duolingo to learn Korean and it's useful for vocabulary and different parts of the language including verbs and adjectives.
11. Write a journal
Something that people have recommended is to write a journal, which can include daily events, feelings, thoughts and dreams. Especially if you're stuck at home, it's a good way to keep track of time and keep your life feel like it's moving.
12. Try knitting or designing clothes
For a fun, fashion activity, you can learn how to knit or sew. My cousin and aunty have started to enjoy it and there are many easy tutorials online. You can even design and decorate your old clothes such as with tie-dye or acrylic fabric paint.
13. Meditate or take a nap
Sometimes, when there's nothing you want to do, try meditating or having a nap to re-energise and feel refreshed. It takes the stress away as you have some peaceful quiet time to focus on yourself.
14. Write a song or play instruments
My second go-to activity when my internet goes down is to write songs. This is great if you love music, writing or want to get creative and try something new. Besides, you never know but you might end up making catchy tunes for the family.
Alternatively, you could learn an instrument or play one that you used to learn but haven't played in a while.
15. Learn calligraphy
A handy and fun thing to do is to learn calligraphy. You can brush up on your fancy handwriting skills and write birthday cards for people.
Things to do with kids:
16. Play a board game or card game
For the best activity to do with others, especially kids, you could play a board game like Monopoly or Scrabble or card games like Uno or Snap (which are all family favourites that kids love). This is definitely fun and I always enjoy it as it's great for socialising. Or if you've played all the games stocked in your cupboard like my family has, you can try making new games or adding twists to the old ones.
17. Build a pillow fort
One of my favourite childhood memories is building a pillow fort as it's really fun for kids.
A pillow fort is a childhood activity that involves building a houselike structure out of pillows, blankets, sheets and other bedding material.
You can do anything with a pillow fort, including having a nap, reading, and playing games or role-play.
Indeed, it's quite easy and there are many ways to do it depending on what you have at home - you don't need to buy anything. Here are some ways I've tried.
To make a pillow fort, you can put a blanket stretching over your couches and/or coffee table with pillows on the end to hold it down. Or, you can put some chairs in a circle and drape a blanket over them.
18. Play with lego
Lego is guaranteed to cure boredom as it's really fun and the creative possibilities are endless. It's great for kids and adults as well. You can build things or even make up characters and a fantasy story as I sometimes do. If you don't have lego, you can try making things out of playdough or other materials.
19. Play hide and seek
A classic game you can always do with kids is hide and seek. I used to play this all the time with my younger cousins when they come over and it's always fun. You can find new spots to hide and when you've run out of ideas, maybe do some treasure hunts where you can hide small things like a pencil or winning ticket.
20. Do a role-play or tea party
Kids will also really enjoy a role-play as they act out funny and entertaining scenarios. Likewise, it's one of my childhood favourites. You can make it even more enjoyable with a tea party or maybe an indoor picnic.
21. Play dress-up
To take it a step further, you can play dress-up with kids by wearing fancy clothes or costumes - even making costumes for more fun. Indeed, it's something different that will cure boredom with a fun catwalk or role-play. And you can make use of that time to tidy and reorganise your wardrobe too.
22. Make an obstacle course
As kids are quite energetic, you can get them to have fun by making an obstacle course, which I did a lot of when I was younger. This is free and can be done inside or outside. For instance, my siblings and I put the couch pillows on the floor and jumped from one to the other to the couch and so on.
Things to do with others:
23. Cook new dishes
Something my family does in quarantine is cook new things for lunch every week, which includes a lot of different BBQs. This benefits the family as the children say what they want to eat and the parents experiment in cooking, adding new recipes to their list.
24. Enjoy music
Something I love is music and as a popular hobby, it'll be sure to make you not bored. There are a variety of songs and genres so you can explore the range of interesting music. While it's fun alone, I prefer to listen to music with others and also sing.
Having a karaoke night is great to spice things up at home and release your stress by singing out loud.
25. Play video games
For those who love games, you can spend some time playing video games as it is actually fun and you'll forget that you were ever bored. Moreover, it's a great way to hang out with friends and you can do it with friends online as well. There's plenty to suit everyone including Minecraft, League of Legends or Mario Kart (my personal favourite).
26. Paint your nails
While you can do this alone, I think it's more fun to do it with others as you can talk with one another as you do it and wait for it to dry. It's a simple but fun activity that'll make you feel great.
27. Make a scrapbook
Similarly, you can make a scrapbook by yourself but it's more enjoyable with friends or family. You can reminisce and tell great memories as you paste photos in a scrapbook and decorate them with pictures and words.
28. Play sports with a ball
If you're someone who loves sports, you can try doing it at home or in your backyard. This is especially great to get kids active and have fun. With a simple ball, you can throw it around to each other, use volleyball passes, try keep it in the air or go competitive in teams. This can include classic games like 'piggy in the middle'.
For homemade table tennis, you can use a ping pong ball on a table with a line drawn in the middle (or made of tape), and small pans or flat objects for rackets.
29. Make a family video
Something that my family and my friend's family likes to do is make family videos, whether it's for vacations or just at home having fun. It's a great way to make memories and have fun together as you film and then you can edit it nicely so when you watch it later, it'll be a significantly great experience.
30. Video call or chat
Frequently, I've been video calling my friends, and I've seen many people video call their friends and family. This is important to remember that you're not alone and it'll help you forget your boredom. Therefore, you should stay social by talking to others about anything, even watching past videos or looking back on fun memories.