135 Fun Things to Do at Home When You’re Bored

As wonderful as it is to get outside, sometimes you just need to take the fun indoors. Whether you’re hiding from the blazing heat or waiting out the rain, it’s key to have a long list of things to do at home. (If there are kids involved, it’s important to have plenty of ideas up your sleeve!) Rest assured there are plenty of fun (and mostly screen-free) things to do with friends and family, or by yourself — all at home.

There’s something comforting about having a day where you just stay home, plus there’s the added benefit of not having to spend money on new things. In case you need a few new ideas, we’ve rounded up a ton of nearly free fun things to do at home. Here are 135 of our very favorite ideas. 

1. Download a language learning app and pick up some vocab in a new language. 
2. Try a new kind of journaling, like a contribution journal or a junk journal. 
3. Teach yourself a new one-player card game. 
4. Learn the art of amigurumi.
5. Watch a watercolor tutorial on YouTube.
6. Try your hand at blind contour drawings.
7. Bring out that crochet project that’s been languishing in the closet.
8. Watch a drawing tutorial on YouTube, and practice.
9. Practice hand-lettering.
10. Make some cute little air-dry clay bowls.
11. Spray paint some plant pots.
12. Spray paint some frames.
13. Make a decorative garland or banner.
14. Cut some paper snowflakes.
15. Color with Sharpie on aluminum foil.
16. Press some leaves (or flowers!).
17. Print out some favorite family photos to frame and hang on the wall.
18. Bake something challenging, like a multi-layer cake or French macarons.
19. Decorate cupcakes.
20. Try a new recipe.
21. Propagate some plant babies.
22. Do some needle felting.
23. Make friendship bracelets.
24. Make your own jewelry using a jewelry-making kit.
25. Put together a photo book. 
26. Try a paint-by-numbers kit. 
27. Fold some origami flowers.

1. Create a gallery wall (or a gallery cluster!).
2. Wallpaper something (check out these removable wallpaper brands).
3. Empty and edit. Take every single thing out of a room and then add things back, piece by piece, until you have just enough in the room.
4. Rearrange your furniture.
5. Repurpose items. See if those baskets you’ve had in the garage solve your pantry storage problem.
6. Swap curtains between rooms.
7. Clear all decor from that counter/shelf/accent and see what (if anything) you really miss.
8. Clean. You’ll be amazed at how much better your decor looks when there’s less clutter covering it up.
9. Cut some flowers or greenery and display them inside.
10. Declutter one small space. (We have plenty of decluttering inspiration.)
11. Rearrange your books and choose some to donate to your local Little Free Library.
12. Create a distressed look on a piece of furniture using chalk paint.
13. Print out some photos you’ve been meaning to display. 
14. Browse TV art on Etsy, buy something new, and add it to your TV. 
15. Color drench a room. 
16. Declutter the outside of your fridge — if it’s covered in magnets and takeout menus — for a fresh look. 

1. Clean under your bed.
2. Clean your dryer vent.
3. Use car cleaning putty to clean debris out of the nooks and crannies of your car.
4. Wash your sheets. Enjoy sliding into fresh ones tonight.
5. Spritz your bedding with a linen spray (or make your own!).
6. Refill your homemade cleaners. 
7. Clean your windows. 
8. Scrub your grout (check out our favorite grout cleaning tips!).
9. Dust the baseboards. Try a microfiber duster or a dusting mitt. You can run dryer sheets over them to help repel dust.
10. Vacuum all the carpets, blinds, and fans.
11. Wash your bath mats.
12. Bleach one of your sinks.
13. Fluff your pillows. Instantly perk up a bed or the sofa cushions by giving the pillows squeezes and pats.
14. Take a Magic Eraser to your doors and door jambs. High-traffic areas like these can get dirty faster than you think.
15. Sweep your entryway. Give yourself many happy entrances home.
16. Polish your granite counters — easy to do and part of routine maintenance anyway.
17. Clean out your purse. You’ll be surprised how good it’ll feel.
18. Wash your car.
19. Shine all your stainless steel appliances. 
20. Deep-clean your oven. 
21. Vacuum inside your kitchen drawers.
22. Give your plants a shower. It dusts them and gives them a good soak at the same time. 
23. Clean your trash cans and recycling bins. 

1. Make homemade bath bombs.
2. Make movie theater butter popcorn. (Bonus fun points if you pop your own.)
3. Have a movie night. 
4. Build a fort (you know the kind — living room couch cushions, sheets, flashlights, the whole bit).
5. Make ice cream sundaes.
6. Have hot chocolate. Dig the packets from last winter out of the pantry or, better yet, make your own.
7. Bake cookies. Chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, peanut butter, whatever your fave is. Make enough to freeze some for later.
8. Do a puzzle. You’ve probably forgotten how fun it is.
9. Play a game. Don’t miss Blokus and Monopoly Deal.
10. Play a game of hide-and-seek or sardines.
11. Make a scavenger hunt. You’ll have fun making up rhymes and hiding objects, and then you’ll have fun watching the kids decipher the clues.
12. Read aloud. Picture books, a favorite chapter book from your childhood, or get in on a book your kids are currently reading.
13. Have a coloring contest — adults included. Find a page online and print out as many copies as participants.
14. Finger knit. It’s totally fun and easy to get started.
15. Use veggies as stamps. Check out this veggie stamp inspiration to get started.
16. Have a shaving cream bath. This just means you put the kids in the tub and squirt some shaving cream on the walls for them to finger-paint with.
17. Turn the sprinkler on and run through it. No explanation required, but get the camera ready to snap some idyllic scenes.
18. Play duck-duck-goose. Relive your preschool days.
19. Camp in the backyard. 
20. Make s’mores. Extend the fun by taking a walk around the yard or neighborhood to collect sticks for the fire beforehand.
21. Look through photo albums (or digital pictures on the TV screen).
22. Make a bucket list. Not only will you come up with more ways to make memories together, but you’ll also probably learn something new about your kids.
23. Build a LEGO city. Put together the LEGO sets you have from their instructions or make your own creations.
24. Make an obstacle course. Do this inside or out (think: things to crawl under, jump over, tiptoe on, etc.). If you don’t want to use furniture, use painter’s tape or crepe paper streamers to lay out the course.
25. Make lemonade. Here’s how to make the best batch possible. 
26. Blow bubbles.
27. Draw hopscotch.
28. Play four corners.
29. Make your own homemade Play-Doh.
30. Make a sensory bin using water beads and small toys.
31. Make a track and race toy cars.

1. Make a life goals list.
2. Come up with a family or household statement of purpose.
3. Set up a new budget.
4. Take a look at your existing budget.
5. Read up on money matters such as investment strategies, paying off debt, or how to save money — whatever fits your situation.
6. Get caught up on your bills.
7. Go through that pile of mail.
8. Gather your returns and exchanges.
9. Make a list of errands you need to run next week.
10. Make a meal plan.
11. Make some lists. It can help declutter your brain.
12. Learn something new on Udemy or SkillShare.
13. Make some freeze-ahead meals.
14. Schedule any necessary upcoming appointments (like doctor, dentist, optometrist).
15. Clean out your email inbox.
16. Delete and organize the photos on your phone. 
17. Declutter your old, unused clothes.
18. Put donations in your car, so the next time you’re out, you’ll donate them.

1. Read a book. You’ll be amazed at some of the mental health benefits of reading.
2. Browse your stack of magazines and then recycle the ones you don’t need anymore.
3. Binge-watch an old favorite series. Or start a movie marathon.
4. Watch a documentary.
5. Sit outside and listen to the sounds around you.
6. Have a picnic in your outdoor space.
7. Have a picnic on your living room floor.
8. Take a bubble bath.
9. Talk with someone over a glass of wine.
10. Take a nap.
11. Swap foot rubs or back massages with a loved one at home.
12. Give yourself a manicure.
13. Give yourself a pedicure.
14. Soak your feet.
15. Do an at-home face mask.
16. Place a grocery order. If you don’t have a subscription, consider a free trial to see if it’s right for you.
17. Meal prep for the coming week.
18. Request any books you want to read from the library (they may be on hold or take some time to arrive, so this is a gift to future you!).
19. Set up Subscribe & Save on Amazon for regularly purchased household items.
20. Do a yoga video on YouTube.