As much as we all crave free time, it’s hard to not occasionally feel bored, especially if the weather’s not great or you’re stuck at home. But, while the old adage “only boring people get bored” may ring slightly true, everyone feels a little ennui from time to time, so don’t feel bad!
The good news is that, with a little creative thinking, you can entertain yourself for hours on end without even leaving the house. Here are a few of our fave ways to pass the time when we’re feeling bored.
1. Draw or Paint
As you’ll see from the rest of this list, being creative is one of the best ways to kill time when you’re bored. Play a game with yourself by drawing certain animals or people without looking at a reference and see how close you get!
2. Make Diamond Art
Anyone who’s bored at home will definitely want to consider grabbing a few diamond art painting kits for some serious creative entertainment. These kits let you create (literally) dazzling works of art with rhinestones. It’s kind of like paint-by-numbers mixed with cross-stitch, and it’s really entertaining! Plus, when you’re done, you can hang your gorgeous rhinestone masterpiece on the wall.
3. Make a Wreath
If you love to get creative, why not make something you can display for everyone to see and enjoy? We’re big fans of DIY wreaths because they’re accessible even to first-time crafters.
4. Make a Wall Sign
Just like wreaths, wall signs are easy for just about anyone to make, and they can really heighten your home décor and give it a personal touch. There are tons of unique signs you can make for your home, from welcome signs to options for the home office or laundry room.
5. Learn a Dance
YouTube is filled with dance tutorials just waiting to be learned. We love this activity because it’s completely enthralling and entertaining and also serves as your daily exercise. Test yourself by going way outside your comfort zone, learning hip-hop, line dancing, salsa or something you’ve never tried.
6. Look at Old Photos
No matter if it’s the thousands of pics on your phone’s camera roll or the boxes of family photos in the basement, sifting through old memories is a fun way to pass the time. Organize as you go and pick out a few pics to print.
7. Play Cards
The beauty of a deck of cards is that it provides thousands of hours of solo and group entertainment. If you’re home alone, learn how to play solitaire in the old-fashioned way (that is: not on the computer). If you’ve got people to play with, pick up a game of poker or blackjack.
8. Jump Rope
Just because you’re at home doesn’t mean you can’t get some exercise! Bust out the old jump rope and burn a few calories. After a while, you’ll feel like a pro and want to learn a few sweet tricks.
9. FaceTime a Friend
Spend your idle time catching up with friends and family around the world via Skype, Hangouts or FaceTime. We tend to get so comfortable with texting and messaging that we forget we can video chat whenever we want!
10. Learn Something Random
Learning something new is always a great way to spend your free time. Flip through Wikipedia’s Special:Random feature to land on a totally random Wikipedia page. You’ll definitely learn something new with this feature. Who knows, you might learn how to craft your first photo book, or even learn how to speak a new language.
11. Make a Video
With a ton of free video editing apps right at your fingertips, you can create incredible home videos for basically nothing. Film a house tour, a music video, yourself doing standup—the opportunities are truly endless!
12. Write a Letter
Quick history lesson: Back in the day, before emails and direct messages, people sat down with pen and paper to write letters to one another. See what this was like by writing someone a letter and sending it in the mail. Bonus points if you send it to someone who would really appreciate it, like a grandparent!
13. Bake a Cake
If you’ve got an oven and a pantry full of the basics—flour, sugar, salt, butter, eggs, etc.—then you’re set up for success in the cake-baking department. The beauty of baking a cake is that it leaves you with something you can share with all your friends and family. And, side note: everyone loves cake!
14. Learn an Instrument
Ever wanted to learn how to play an instrument? Now’s your chance! With music apps and YouTube, you can pretty much master the basics in an afternoon’s time without spending any money.
15. Explore Google Earth
Who says you can’t explore the world when you’re stuck at home? Go in-depth into the places you want to visit via Google Earth. Whether strolling through breathtaking scenes in the national parks or getting a street-level view of the world’s biggest cities, this is one of the most mind-expanding apps ever.
Get Creative and Do What You Love
The key to passing idle time when you’re bored at home? Tap into the stuff you love and get creative wherever possible. You want to find an activity that tricks you into full focus so you’re distracted from the boredom, whether that be making art, cooking or learning something new. If you can get a creative flow going, you’ll get the added bonus of happiness and self-expression. What could be better?
For more great family tips, check out the other blogs on Cyber Parent.