My my, these are very VERY interesting times.
I’ve watched movies, shows and read books about pandemics and global panic but I never actually thought I would live through one myself.
This week, my supervisor notified us that over the next few weeks, we may all have to work from home.
Let me tell you why we were all shocked.
When I first started this job, there was a general understanding that we would never be able to work from home under any circumstances. One of my coworkers got chewed out by our supervisor because she kept bringing it up.
So, the fact that we are now submitting paperwork to begin telework lets me know that I probably need to prepare for much more home time.
And I know that it’s not just me.
People are being quarantined. Concerts, conferences and flights are being cancelled. People are being encouraged to avoid large crowds and gatherings.
We’re all going to be at home a lot more in these days to come.
Well, I don’t know about you but I get cabin fever if I’m inside for too long 🤷🏾♀️.
So, here’s my list of fun things to do when stuck at home.
Stay entertained until we can all move around more freely and safely!
FUN THINGS TO DO
WHEN STUCK AT HOME
1| Tour 12 famous museums from your couch
A great way to stay cultured and keep your mind stimulated, even when you can’t go anywhere.
This article has a list of 12 virtual tours of art, science and history exhibits. The included museums include the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and the Guggenheim in New York!
This is a great educational activity that kids can do while stuck at home (when you’re tired of them watching TV or playing video games.)
2| Teach your pet new tricks
Give your pet some extra lovin’ and cuddling while you’re stuck at home.
In between the love, teach him or her to do something they couldn’t do before!
Now this is a fun (and impressive) use of your time.
3| Put together a really big puzzle
A 1000-piece puzzle can keep you busy and mentally stimulated for a long time!
If you choose a really beautiful one like this one (named Canoe Lake), you can even frame it when you’re done.
4| Come up with a signature cocktail
Mix and match drinks to come up with a really unique plus yummy cocktail.
Remember to take it slow! Grab a taste tester or you might get a little too tipsy (or sick) in the process.
Oh, and don’t forget to give your new drink a clever name!
5| Fall asleep to brown noise
Have you heard about brown noise? It’s sooo relaxing.
While white noise is a combination of high and low frequency sounds, brown noise is a compilation of low frequency sounds.
Basically, instead of sounding like a loud waterfall (which is what white noise sounds like to me), brown noise sounds like the ocean at the beach
I find it extremely relaxing and it helps me focus.
Try it with this video.
6| Write and send cards
I’m starting a personal campaign where I write “just because” cards to the people I love and appreciate.
Have you ever heard the saying “give me my flowers while I’m alive”?
Well, problem is, I haven’t had any time to send any…until now.
This is a great time to express your gratitude towards your loved one and make them smile.
7| Read the most interesting articles on Wikipedia
This buzzfeed article compiles some of the most interesting reads that can be found on Wikipedia.
Trust me, this will keep you occupied for hours at a time.
8| Get to know your spouse, roommate, child, friend, etc better
To get to know them better, ask them questions and give them your undivided attention.
Here’s a long set of questions that you can start with: 239 “How Well Do You Know Me” Questions.
9| Exercise indoors
Stretch, jump rope or buy some weights like this set from Amazon to tone up!
Exercise supports your immune system and relieves anxiety- both of which are crucial in a time like this.
10| Facetime a bunch of people and pretend you’re NOT stuck at home
Just because you’re stuck at home doesn’t mean that you need to isolate in every sense of the word.
These days, you can create a whole virtual party of people using Facetime, Whatsapp or other similar applications.
11| Sign up for a monthly subscription box
Keep your morale and excitement up by signing up for a subscription box in your area of interest.
It will give you (and the rest of the family) a thrill to anticipate something new in the mail (especially now that you’re not leaving the house very much).
For ideas, read: 16 Inexpensive Subscription Boxes To Look Forward To On Lockdown
12| Bury a time capsule (or memory box)
A time capsule is a collection of present-day items and information that are compiled and stored, specifically for someone in the future to find it and learn about our time period.
I think that would be so dope to DIY a memory box that represents what we are going through right now (I mean, this stuff is bound to make the history books) and then bury it in the backyard or basement for another generation to find!
13| Binge on a TV show or watch movies
The classic Netflix (or Hulu or Amazon TV or Disney) and chill.
How can you get bored when there’s something new coming out like every day!
14| Cook and store freezer meals
Looking for things to do when stuck at home, you say?
Well, how about meal planning for the future.
Preparing extra meals and freezing them will prepare your family for any emergencies and free up your time to enjoy the outdoors when you’re no longer stuck in the house.
Read my time-saving Meal Planning Hacks For Busy(Or Lazy ) People.
15| Indoor scavenger hunt
This is a great option if you have children and they’re getting a bit stir crazy.
Hide things around the house and have them find it.
Here’s a great guide (and good ideas) on designing your own scavenger hunt.
16| Watch movies with your friends (virtually)
Netflix Party allows you to watch movies and shows with other people by synchronizing the play time and giving you a group chat for live commentary!
17| Start (or catch up on) a scrapbook or photo album
I have this tendency to look at the pictures in my phone or computer or social media and think to myself “I should really make a photo album out of those”.
I’ve been mentally prepping to make our wedding scrapbook for three years now 😭.
Well, no more excuses. This is a great time to do so.
18| Play video games
Guilt free video game marathon!
19| Plan a vacation (for when you CAN leave the house)
First step: join Scotts Cheap Flights to get notifications about bargain trips leaving from major airports near you.
20| Paint your nails
You can give yourself a mani/pedi with a cute nail polish color or go as far as setting your own acrylics or customizing a set of press-ons with glam stones.
21| Start an audiobook
Are you on Audible?
If not, sign up for an account here and start listening to the books on your “Read Next” list right away.
A big perk with audiobooks is that you can multitask while being read to!
22| Rearrange your furniture
You know all those times when you walk into a room and think to yourself “I really need to get around to decorating this room”, it’s TIME!
23| Color an adult coloring book
Coloring books are relaxing and get rid of pent up stress and anxiety.
There are so many good coloring books out there these days.
24| Make a vision board
A vision board (or a dream board) is a collage of pictures, words and items that represent your goals and desires.
It is meant to inspire you just by looking at it.
What better use of your time than to create a visual source of motivation to keep you on track for the rest of the year!
25| Learn to knit or crotchet
You don’t even need to take an in-person classes to learn how to knit or crotchet. You can order supplies from amazon and learn on youtube.
26| Play board games or cards
There’s no boredom that a game of Taboo or Scattegories won’t fix!
27| Clear out your email inbox
This is both productive and extremely satisfying.
Go through and unsubscribe to all the annoying email newsletters.
Create folders for the important documents, delete the outdated stuff and voila! You have yourself a clean email inbox.
28| Binge on youtube videos
Find some new channels that are down your alley and get sucked into their content. Or! Go back and watch old content made by your favorite creators before you knew about them.
29| Catch up on blogs
Find and subscribe to new blogs that you identify with (like this one! Don’t forget to subscribe!)
Or, catch up on your old and familiar blogs.
30| Practice your dancing
Remember as kids when we used to come up with new dances for popular songs? Or was that just me and my friends?
31| Self reflect by journaling
Discover more about yourself and the things that move you, inspire you and disturb you by letting your thoughts flow through your writing.
For a long list of writing ideas, check out my List of Writing Prompts for Self-Reflection and Self-Discovery.
32| Learn another language
DuoLingo is known to make learning a new language feel like a game.
They also have an app which makes it extra convenient!
33| Read!
Self explanatory, I hope! What a great time to catch up on your reading!
34| Practice mindfulness
This is a weird one to include on a blog post that is basically a list of distractions but I just want to remind you to take a minute to be mindful and conscious of everything happening within you and around you right now.
Want to know how? Read our $163 lesson on how to be more present.
35| Paint, draw ceramics or other arts & crafts
Get them hands dirty (in a good way) with some arts and crafts.
36| Shop online
Ever heard of retail therapy???
Well, it’s not just limited to going to the mall and trying on clothes in the dressing room.
You can achieve retail therapy by going online and adding things to your cart.
37| Catch up on your phone calls
I always have a long list of relatives and friends that I need to catch up with, don’t you?
38| Start working on that business idea
The first step in coming up with a business plan is to research, research, research.
There is no better time than this to research your plan, strategy and niche! Make this time work for you.
39| Clean
if you’re one of these weirdos that enjoy cleaning, this would be a good time to deep clean and sanitize everything!
40| Update your resume or curriculum vitae
I feel like I never remember to update my CV until I need to apply for something and then all of a sudden, I have to remember all the significant things that I achieved over the past couple of years.
Don’t be like me- update as you go or at least take this opportunity to update it before you need it.
41| Memorize bible verses
You can’t live what you don’t know.
For that reason, find the scriptures that you want in your life and commit them to memory. This will help you to grow spiritually and speak God’s words into your life and other peoples lives.
42| Read my list of 30 productive things to do while in bed
If you’re lounging in bed for the day, might as well do a few productive things in between youtube videos and rounds of Candy Crush.
Check out my list of productive things to do in bed.
43| Sign up for a subscription box
One way to thrive while stuck at home is to have entertainment come to you! I’ve been into subscription boxes lately and there are a large variety of them available.
For example, here is a subscription box for wine and even one for perfume / scents.
44| Make (or just watch) TikToks
TikToks are short-form mobile videos meant to entertain.
It is currently the fastest growing social media and apparently, you can get addicted to the videos real fast.
45| Plan your upcoming birthday trip, party, get together or getaway
I’m a birthday person.
I love to celebrate my birthday with a trip, party, get together, getaway, something!
Being stuck at home is a great time to get a head start into birthday planning!
46| Look for great deals on Craigslist
From furniture to vintage goods, you can find a lot of treasures on Craigslist (for cheap).
An added bonus is the sustainability- we get to reuse old items instead of constantly producing new ones.
Just remember to be safe when using craigslist!
47| Practice your calligraphy
I had never recognized calligraphy was a good hobby until I saw one of the Youtubers I watch practicing her calligraphy. That is such a good idea!
Calligraphy is relaxing, beautiful, artistic plus, it’s a marketable and valuable skill!
48| Bake something delicious!
When in doubt, bake something yummy and your tastebuds will thank you!
49| Organize
Tackle that junk drawer.
File those loose papers.
Marie Kondo that closet!
50| Learn new makeup techniques
Time to pull out those unused eyeshadow palettes and figure out how to cut-crease, contour and take your current skills to the next level.
Whether you’re quarantined at home or social distancing or just stuck at home with nothing to do at the moment, I hope this list of things to do when stuck at home is useful!
Did you find something fun to do?
Comment below and let me know!
Jasea Lynch says
This is so cool!
Deze says
Thanks Jasea!
Zoe Beudeker says
I agree Duolingo is the best learning app