The same routine day in and day out can lead to boredom at best, or at worst, leave you worn out, drained and unfulfilled.
While certain aspects of a routine (like good hygiene and showing up to work on time) are important, there’s no reason for your evenings and weekends to be uneventful and humdrum.
Trying new things can make you happier.
Even research bears this out, finding that novelty-seekers are generally healthier and more satisfied in life.
What do you have to lose? Take a break from the same old, same old and end boredom with this list of fun things to do at home
While splurging on new experiences and adventures can come with a daunting price tag, it doesn’t have to.
There are many fun and affordable activities you can do without leaving the comfort of your own home.
Fun Things to Do at Home with Friends and Family
1. Try a New Recipe
Browse the internet to find a few new recipes you think your family or significant other might enjoy. Decide on one together and start cooking.
Try to choose a recipe that uses produce that’s in season to help keep your costs down.
2. Start a Garden
Pick out several types of vegetables, flowers or herbs and start them indoors before the growing season.
When they’re ready and the weather permits, move them outside and plant a full garden.
Rather than vegging out in front of TV, go outside every evening to tend to your garden. Then enjoy the fruits of your labor once your plants have fully matured.
Reading takes a backseat in today’s busy lifestyles. Reconnect with your family by taking turns reading aloud from an interesting book or listen to an audiobook together.
Take time to discuss what’s happening and share your opinions.
4. Play a Board Game
Dive into a game of Yahtzee, Apples to Apples or any other game that your family likes. Find a board game that’s age-appropriate so everyone can participate.
The family that plays games together stays together — or at least they have a lot more fun!
5. Try Yoga Classes
Yoga is an excellent way to stay fit and clear your mind.
Grab your friend or significant other and hit your mats for an evening session to de-stress after a long day.
YouTube offers many free beginner yoga classes that walk you through poses and proper postures. Like this yoga class below:
6. Make Homemade Greeting Cards
Clear off the kitchen table and break out the construction paper, pens, and glue.
Handmade cards are a unique way for your family to connect and do something creative together. Have each family member write a personal message, long or short, to the recipients.
7. Host a Bar-B-Que
Who doesn’t love a good bar-b-que? Pick a warm weekend to break out the grill and invite some friends and neighbors.
Have everyone bring a dish to share potluck style.
8. Put Together a Puzzle
Puzzles are a great way for your family to connect and practice teamwork.
Empty the pieces on the living room coffee table and work through the image together. Glue a backing onto your finished product and display your hard work.
9. Watch Family Movies
Convert those old 8mm family videos to digital and plan a movie night to watch years’ worth of family celebrations, vacations, birthdays, and milestones.
Everyone in the family will enjoy revisiting old memories and laughing at outdated clothes and hairstyles.
10. Have a Scavenger Hunt
Come up with an item you hide somewhere in or around the house, and create clues you write out and distribute to help your family members and friends find the item.
One clue should lead to the next, with the final clue leading to the hidden item. You can make the clues into rhymes if you want to make it more fun.
11. Make Holiday Ornaments.
Get some ideas from Pinterest or YouTube and create ornaments you’ll love to hang on your Christmas tree or around your home. Make extras to give to family and friends as a handmade gift.
If Christmas isn’t a holiday you celebrate, you can create ornaments or decorations for those you do. Make them personal by signing them or including a family picture.
Fun Things to Do at Home Alone
12. Knit or Crochet a Scarf
Sit down on the living room sofa with a few skeins of yarn, and try that new pattern you’ve been eyeing on Instagram. Teach your children or partner how to knit, and you can work together on new projects.
13. Treat Yourself to a Spa Night
Feeling overwhelmed at home, work or with life in general?
Decompress with a spa night. Paint your toe-nails, try a new face mask and draw a warm bubble bath. You’ll wake up feeling re-energized and refreshed the next morning.
14. Create a Scrapbook
Remember those old family photos tucked away in shoeboxes in the closet?
Take them out on a rainy day, and create a scrapbook that’s worthy of being displayed. You’ll get some good laughs sharing old memories and creating new ones.
15. Declutter a Space in Your Home
When you’re stuck at home for some reason, use the time to declutter an area of your home that’s been bothering you.
Clean out that junk drawer in your kitchen, organize the garage, or finally go through those boxes in the basement. Take it one project at a time and enjoy the process of streamlining your stuff.
16. Make Video Greetings for Friends
Use your smartphone camera to video yourself giving a funny or loving message to your friends.
You can create one video to send to several people, or make personalized videos for everyone in your circle to offer them a special message.
17. Print Out Photos and Frame Them
Your smartphone is likely loaded with photos you’ve taken over the years that just sit there and are rarely viewed.
Choose some of your favorites, print them out, and find some beautiful frames to display them around your house.
18. Listen to a Podcast
While you’re exercising, cooking, or cleaning house, put on one of the hundreds of entertaining and informative podcasts available.
Whether you like true crime, politics, interviews, comedy, or any other genre, you’ll find plenty of highly-rated top podcasts to choose from to keep you engaged for hours.
19. Write a Letter
Remember letters? A letter is a timeless form of correspondence showing you took the time to handwrite your thoughts and feelings.
Grab a pen and some stationery (or just notebook paper if you don’t have stationery), and write and send a letter to someone you care about. What a surprise it will be for this person to receive a thoughtful letter in the mail.
20. Bake a Batch of Cookies
There’s something so soothing to the heart and stomach about homemade chocolate chip, peanut butter, or oatmeal cookies — or any kind you love.
Whip up a dozen or two, and while they are baking, enjoy the aroma and anticipation of eating a few with a big glass of cold milk.
21. Start a Journal
If you haven’t been a journal writer in the past, now is a great time to start. You can journal about your daily life events, your feelings, your schedule, or your hopes and dreams.
You might consider a gratitude journal or a mindfulness journal to help you feel more present and engaged, even when you’re home alone.
22. Practice Playing a Musical Instrument
If you love making music (or trying to), you’d probably rather do this when you’re home alone anyway. Practice playing a particular song, so you can perform for an at-home audience when you’re not alone.
Depending on your chosen instrument, you can probably find some YouTube tutorials to help you lean a song you’ll enjoy playing.
Fun Things to Do at Home with a Friend
23. Host a Girls Night In
Call your group of friends and have them over for a girls’ night in with cocktails, cards, or a low-key dinner. Conversation and company will help you decompress from daily stressors.
24. Arrange an Indoor Picnic
Pull out a blanket and eat dinner picnic-style in a new setting. Put on an old movie or your favorite Netflix drama and enjoy an evening with your bestie eating in front of the TV.
25. Have a Self-Care Evening
You and your best friend can paint your nails together, try out new facial products, and enjoy some aromatherapy.
Once you’re done with some self-care, put on some music, mix your favorite cocktails, and dance the night away to release your stress from the day.
26. Enjoy a Baking Night
Select different pastry or dessert recipes and gather in the kitchen to try your hand at recreating them. Take turns deciding on which masterpiece to create.
Then enjoy the results together with a big glass of milk or hot tea.
27. Try a New Craft
Rummage through your art supplies and try to make something new, like a dream catcher, wind chime, or watercolor painting.
When you have friends over, why not get to know each other even better by using a great list of questions.
These can be serious, funny, or fun questions that help you learn different aspects of one another that you may not have explored before.
29. Have a Wine or Beer Tasting
Having several friends over for the evening? Ask everyone to bring a bottle of wine or a six-pack of beer.
Pour samples of the wine or beer without telling everyone what they are tasting. Have the guests rate the various samples to find out the winning libation.
30. Play Cards
A deck of cards provides endless opportunities for hours of fun with your friends. Make a night of it with snacks and drinks and even prizes for the winner.
You can play poker, bridge, gin rummy, hearts, spades, or any of the hundreds of card games available.
31. Try Karaoke
After a couple of beers or a glass of wine, you and your friends might feel brave enough for a few rounds of karaoke.
If you don’t have your own karaoke machine, you can still play using an online version of the game that includes the music and lyrics.
You’ll just have to belt out the song louder without a microphone.
32. Play Charades
Some of the old games you played as kids are still some of the most fun — even when you’re an adult. It’s a game guaranteed to keep everyone laughing.
You don’t need to purchase the game. All you need is a timer, paper, and a container for the slips of paper with the phrases each player needs to act out. The rules are simple but the game can challenge your acting and guessing skills.
33. Host a Pot Luck Dinner
The best parties are those where you don’t have to do all of the cooking. Invite your favorites friends over for a pot luck dinner, and ask each person to bring a specific part of the meal.
You’ll need to provide plates, utensils, glasses, and perhaps beverages. The main point is to enjoy each other’s company while eating delicious food provided by everyone.
Would you rather questions can compare two equally unpleasant scenarios or two experiences you’d loved. The key is making the difficult decision about which one to choose.
35. Create a Vision Board
Throw a vision board party for you and a friend, with music and snacks or drinks. Cut out the images and words you want from magazines and attach them to a large poster board.
Your friend will have an inspiring new creation to take home. And you can enjoy seeing your own as you go about your day.
Fun Things to Do at Home on a Rainy Day
36. Take an Online Class
Take an online course to hone or develop a new skill. You can find a wide variety of courses online, from language learning to learning how to write code.
You’ll find hundreds of courses to suit your interests on learning platforms like Teachable, Udemy, and Coursera.
37. Catch Up on The News
Get cozy with your laptop or television network of choice and get informed about the latest happenings around the world.
Look for more in-depth news outlets that offer a balanced perspective and more thorough reporting.
38. Call an Old Friend or Family Member
Forget texting or social media. Pick up the phone and reach out to a friend or family member you haven’t chatted with in a while.
They might be surprised to hear from you, but it is an excellent way to keep connections and relationships strong.
39. Make a Family Video
Grab your smartphone and take turns filming with your spouse as you share the top reasons why you fell in love with one another.
Or let your children use the phone to interview every family member to create a “documentary” of your family life together.
Check out Splice, a free video editing software you can download for free to help you create your own Academy Award-winning production.
40. Play Indoor Badminton
Just because it’s raining doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy an outdoor activity in the comfort of your home.
Use a sofa or a chair as the badminton “net” and grab your badminton rackets and birdie. You and your partner or a friend can hit the birdie back and forth using boundary lines you create.
41. Listen to an Audio Book
Curl up on the sofa with a blanket and a cup of tea, watch the rain, and listen to your favorite book on audio.
Maybe a good mystery or love story would fit the mood on a rainy day.
42. Look through Old Photos
Do you have boxes of old photos or a collection of photo albums from years past?
What a perfect day to travel down memory lane and look at photos of your past life and adventures. Pull some out to send to family and friends to share the memories.
43. Binge Watch a TV Series
Just give in to the urge — kick back with a bowl of popcorn and settle in to watch that TV series you’ve been trying to get to.
Since you can’t go outside, you might as well take advantage of the downtime and get lost in a great story.
44. Play Some Brain Games
A rainy day is a perfect day to train your brain and sharpen your mind. Work on some crossword puzzles, a Rubik’s cube, or a word game.
You can find hundreds of brain teaser apps on your smartphone and free brain games online to keep you busy for hours.
45. Make “Gourmet” Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Whatever your bread and cheese of choice, get your sandwich makings out and grill them on your stove, adding whatever extras you like: bacon, tomato slices, spinach, etc. Make them to order for anyone interested in some classic comfort food.
Then add some the soup of your choice, and enjoy your meal while the rain falls.
Fun Things to Do at Home with Your Boyfriend
46. Carve Pumpkins
Fall is pumpkin season, and whether or not you participate in Halloween festivities, pumpkin carving can be lots of fun.
Jump on the bandwagon and carve a few pumpkins to put out on your front porch as decorations. Save the pumpkin seeds to roast for a delicious and healthy snack.
47. Build a Snowman
Don’t hide from winter, embrace it. Bundle up and head out into the snow. Bring a camera with you, and take a few shots to remember the occasion. Bonus points for a snowball fight. Afterward, warm up with hot cocoa or tea.
Don’t live in a snowy climate? Build an outdoor stick fort or tepee with your guy instead.
48. Play Outdoor Badminton
Don’t hide away in the air conditioning all day. Get outside with a badminton set and challenge your boyfriend to a match.
You can play singles or doubles, improving your agility, reflexes, and overall fitness, all while having a great time.
49. Watch Old Classic Movies
Remember those classic movies your parents watched years ago? Make a batch of popcorn, and find the Academy Award winners from the decades past. You might be surprised how exciting and romantic these old classics can be.
50. Have a Dance Party for Two
Throw together a playlist with great beats and start moving. Have your boyfriend add their favorite dance party songs too. Put on some strobe lights, and soon you’ll be tearing up the kitchen dance floor.
51. Play a Video Game Together
If your boyfriend has a favorite video game (or you do), why not spend some time in friendly competition or playing as a team? Prep your refreshments and pull those blackout curtains shut for the ultimate gaming experience.
Play as long as you’re both enjoying it.
Fun Things to Do at Home at Night
52. Play Dress-Up
Dig through your closet for old Halloween costumes, dress clothes or what-was-I-thinking purchases and play dress-up with your kids.
Encourage them to think of different scenarios centered around their costumes to come up with an in-home Broadway production.
53. Have a Bonfire
Break out the marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate and head to the great outdoors of your backyard for an evening fire under the stars.
Share your favorite camping memories and teach your children how to build a fire in the wilderness.
54. Clean Out Your Closet
Gather your family and start going through the things you no longer use or wear. Rather than throw them in the trash, donate them to the Salvation Army or wrap them as holiday gift donations for families in need.
55. Christmas Shop Online
Start browsing sales on winter gear in the spring or early summer to get the best deals for Christmas presents.
When November rolls around, you can rest easy knowing all that’s left to do is the wrapping.
You don’t have to pay a fortune or even leave the house to switch up your routine. You can find plenty of fun, affordable entertainment under your own roof. There are so many great Christmas ideas here for the next holiday season.
56. Look at the Stars
How often do you take the time to stare at the stars? Grab your binoculars or a telescope if you have one. Turn out the lights (inside and out), find a place to recline, and look at the stars.
You might find a stargazing app on your phone to help you identify what you’re seeing in the night sky.
57. Spend Time Coloring Together
Each of you can choose your coloring books and your favorite fine-tipped markers. Find a spot where you can all work comfortably — with or without music playing in the background.
After you’ve each finished a page, you can hang them for a family “art exhibit” or add them to a ‘family time’ scrapbook.
Fun Things To Do With Kids
58. Create a blanket fort and have an indoor picnic.
Get your essential furniture in position and create a blanket fort big enough for you and your kids to hunker down in. Then create a picnic you can enjoy with them. Swap stories and talk or read to them.
If it’s not raining or stormy outside, you can always simulate the sounds with a white noise machine. Or play some of their favorite music while you work on something together. If a full picnic meal isn’t practical, bring some fort-friendly snacks.
59. Get acquainted with one of your kids’ favorite fandoms.
You’ve probably heard your kids talking about their favorite shows on Netflix, Hulu, etc. Why not set aside some time to get acquainted with one or more of them.
For one thing, you’ll be more aware of what they’re watching and the messages those shows are sending them. If they’re messages you can get behind, then you can enjoy the whole series with them.
If they get to see you enjoy stories they’ve fallen in love with, this can draw you closer together during family fun time.
60. Build an edible house or village.
Find some recipes and instructions online for building a gingerbread or graham cracker house, and collect all the ingredients you need to make it as fun to put together as it will be to eat.
Each of your kids can build and decorate a structure of their own, whether it’s a house, a tent, a tower, or something completely different. Get their favorite candy decorations to make the project more enjoyable. They can snack a bit while they create.
61. Play with blocks.
They aren’t just for toddlers. If your kids are older, try the competitive STEM game, Blocks Rock! Or find some challenging Lego kits for their favorite fandoms (Marvel, Ninjago, etc.) and spend some time putting them together.
If you’d rather build something you can knock down with your younger kids, try this 100-piece set of wooden blocks in various sizes. Or break out the Jenga, using a large set that can stand up to five feet tall.
62. Make furnishings for a dollhouse.
If your kids are into dollhouses, why not spend some time creating or painting furniture and other ornaments for it. You can find simple wooden dollhouse furniture online or find an eclectic assortment of doll-sized furnishings at your local thrift store.
Or make some yourself using materials you can find at home — scraps of fabric, unused toy blocks, folded paper. You can even knit or crochet area rugs. Or sew curtains and blankets, as well as beanbag/rice chairs, beds, and small cushions for seating.
63. Have an indoor (or backyard) treasure hunt.
Why not hide some treasures and treats somewhere in the house (or your backyard, if the weather is nice) and create a map for your kids to follow.
You can even hide multiple treasures for them to find. Hide something for each kid or multiple parts to something they’ll all enjoy. The treasure could also be handwritten “coupons” for things they keep asking for or want to do.
Hide them well enough that it takes them a while to find it — but not so well that they give up.
64. Make some 5-minute ice cream.
Use the recipe and instructions here to make a batch of ice cream using airtight food storage bags. Stick with plain vanilla ice cream for the first batch.
If your kids like the results, you can get more creative with future batches by adding chocolate syrup, raspberries, strawberry preserves, toffee bits, etc.
Every kid who wants ice cream has to do their part with the mixing and shaking. Once you have enough ice cream for everyone, get the bowls and toppings out and have an ice cream party.
65. Start a story and take turns adding to it.
You can do this in a blanket fort or just anywhere you and your kids like to hang out for fun. Instead of streaming shows or watching DVDs, make up your own stories based on the kinds of stories you know they enjoy.
Start with a character similar to one they know and love and give that character a problem. Give just enough information to get the story started. Then point at one of your kids and let them pick it up from there. You can even use a talking stick to take turns.
66. Have a pizza (bagel) party.
Use the recipe and instructions here to make mini pizzas with bagels, pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and any other toppings of your choice.
Make sure you have all the things your kids like to have on their pizza, whether that’s pepperoni, bacon and pineapple, sliced tomatoes, and basil. Assemble and toast them at 375 degrees ’til they’re crispy at the edges (about ten minutes).
67. Make a piñata.
Using corn starch, water, strips of newspaper, and as many balloons as you need for the shape you want, create a piñata — first by covering each balloon with a thick layer of starchy paper strips, and then by assembling the dried parts and decorating the whole.
Once it’s all dry and ready to hang, set a date for a piñata party to celebrate something your whole family can get behind. Cut a hole into the main cavity to pop the balloon and fill the space with candy — fun size bars, toffies, chocolate kisses, etc.
68. Learn and practice origami (the art of paper folding).
You can learn origami from watching YouTube videos. See how many different critters you can create with whatever paper you have on hand, whether it’s scrapbooking paper, printer paper, or last Sunday’s news rag.
Start with something simple and let your kids try making whatever appeals to them most: flowers, birds, dragons, etc. Or learn how to fold paper airplanes and gliders that soar across the room.
69. Build a backyard (or indoor) obstacle course.
Create an obstacle course in your living room or backyard with whatever you have handy. Then time your kids as they work their way from the starting point to the finish line.
A fenced backyard is ideal since it provides privacy while still making your obstacle course roughhouse-friendly. Try to keep breakable things out of harm’s way.
Keep your kids hydrated and, if you have them, provide helmets, knee pads, and shin guards if crashing into hard wood, stone, or concrete is a possibility.
70. Play “The Floor Is Lava.”
Pretend the floor in your living room is lava and find ways to get around without touching it. Make it safe but challenging for your kids to do the same. And give them a reason to reach a safe exit from lava land, whether it’s “lava cake” or something else they enjoy.
If it’s possible to do this, pretend the whole lower floor of your house is lava and find a way to get from the front door to a chosen destination without touching it. No one gets to stay in one place for longer than a minute. The last one alive wins.
71. Rearrange or redecorate a room.
You can have an ulterior motive for this, and it’ll still be more fun than “Who can be quiet the longest?” Also, the results will last longer (you hope). When you’re done, you have a “new” room to enjoy, even if all you did was rearrange the furniture and vacuum the floor.
If one of your kids wants a specific theme for their bedroom, you can look for linens, wall art, etc. for that theme. Or make some of your own. Then try a new furniture arrangement and add your thematic decorations. Don’t forget to take before and after pics.
Which of these fun things to do at home will you choose?
It’s fun to go out on the town with buddies and family on occasion, but home is where the heart is. And it’s your own personal space where you can let your hair down, relax, and plan your good times on your own terms.
Choose a couple of these fun things to do at your home and give them a try this week. Read the list to your family and friends, and come up with a plan for an amazing staycation afternoon or evening that brings joy to all of you.
Staying at home doesn’t have to be solitary, lonely, or boring. With a little creative thinking and pre-planning, you’ll be longing to spend more time at home with the people you love.
