Staying inside because of the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic? Snowed in? Bored with nothing to do? Here is a list of 130+ things to do when you’re stuck at home.
- See how quickly you can write down all 50 states, then go back and try to name the capitals.
- Have a family poker night, use chips, pennies, or whatever you can find to bet with. Get creative and make your own paper poker chips (if you have kids they can help cut them out and color them)
- Start a jigsaw puzzle. Then finish it.
- Pick a book or book series that your whole family would enjoy and take turns reading it. You can mind lots of free books on the kindle app if you don’t have a book the whole family would enjoy.
- Play charades and be sure to videotape it so you can have fun watching it another evening.
- Teach your kids to cut and fold the paper to make snowflakes.
- If you have a bouncy ball and some space outside or in the garage use duct tape or chalk for the lines and have a 4 square competition. Back out of the garage if you need to.
- Find a dance exercise video and get the family involved in learning all the steps.
- Play find the thimble.
- Need a little quieter activity play I spy with my little eye something…
- Have everyone pick a country, learn a little bit about it and some fun facts and then share what they found out. Or have one person research several countries (or states) for fun facts and then have everyone guess what country they come from.
- Make and decorate cookies.
- Get the kids set up to paint some rocks and then they can take turns hiding them inside or out after they dry.
- Organize and label all the family photos, Already organized, get them out and take a trip down memory lane.
- Pick a topic and see who can write the funniest haiku.
- Make some play-do and let the kids get creative, join them.
- Pick a drawer each day you are home and clean it out and organize it.
- Have everyone in the family pick 5 things they own that can be tossed, recycled, or donated.
- Empty a closet completely, clean it top to bottom. Go through everything that was in there to see if anything needs to be thrown out then organize the rest and put it away.
- Go out in the backyard and play red light green light and mother may I.
- Call grandma and grandpa put them on speaker and ask them to tell you a story about their childhood or how they met.
- Create or organize your recipe book or create a recipe book on Pinterest.
- Start a diary.
- Create or update your life’s goal plan.
- Create a home management binder
- Clean out the attic.
- Start learning origami. Make a butterfly, a flexagon, a bird.
- Give yourself a pedicure.
- Give yourself a manicure.
- Paint your nails. Discover new nail designs and make a wish list of colors to buy.
- Learn how to make lip balm. It’s fun and easy.
- Use up that facial mask you bought 3 months ago.
- Give your spouse a full body massage.
- Meditate.
- Practice mindfulness.
- Listen to your favorite podcast and take really good notes or put what you learn into practice.
- Start that blog you always wanted. Yup, you can do it all from home.
- Create a YouTube channel and start vlogging.
- Clear out all kitchen drawers and give everything a good cleaning and organizing. May as well get rid of stuff you just don’t use.
- Clear out your pantry and reorganize. Look for outdated food and get rid of it. Use up any food near to expiring asap. Remember FIFO (First In First Out).
- Stay active. If you typically go to the gym you can still get a great workout with bodyweight exercise. Head to YouTube to find plenty of workouts.
- Find 20 ways to simplify your home life. And do them!
- Call around to your entire family and request their favorite recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and/or dessert. Then put together a family recipe book.
- Find a science experiment that you can do at home with your kids and conduct it.
- Give your dog a bath.
- Groom your pet.
- Check the fluids in your car.
- Clean out your attic. Who knows what you will find up there.
- Build a house out of toothpicks, cards, or popsicle sticks.
- Clean out your purse. You know there will be some surprising discoveries at the bottom.
- Learn more about each of the herbs and spices in your spice rack. The origins, uses, flavors, etc.
- Meet someone new on social media.
- Research your genealogy.
- Plan your next vacation or your dream vacation.
- Design your dream home in detail.
- Take a hot bubble bath.
- Download an ebook and read it.
- Get your bills organized and in order.
- Create a budget.
- Do your taxes.
- Clean and organize your home office.
- Clean out your email.
- Organize digital pictures. Back them up, upload them to the cloud, create albums, etc.
- Start a podcast.
- Create emergency kits for each of your vehicles and home.
- Organize your computer wires.
- Rearrange your living room furniture.
- Flip the mattress on your bed.
- Shampoo your carpet if you have one on hand.
- Clean and organize the garage.
- Wash draperies.
- Wipe down ceiling fans.
- Check your home air filter.
- Make a list of your favorite affirmations. Say them out loud.
- Go camping in the backyard. If the weather is bad campout in your living room.
- Sing silly songs with your kids or by yourself.
- Make paper airplanes with different designs.
- How many useful things can you make from a paper clip.
- If you love to write, search online for fun writing prompts and get started
- Play hide and seek.
- Take turns reading a book.
- Make a movie with your kids. Try a comedy, a drama, or a scary movie.
- Learn new dance moves
- Make sock puppets and then take turns putting on a show. If you have family in other locations have them do the same and then send them to each other. You can have a sock puppet movie night.
- Learn a new yoga pose every day. It doesn’t have to be hard.
- Post a new yoga pose to your Facebook each day so others can learn.
- If not everyone in the family knows how to change a tire, now would be a good time to teach them.
- Detail your car, spray in some air freshener then it will be all ready when you are mobile again.
- If you have some preteens or under 16 you can print out a driver’s manual and get them prepared for when they are 16. Be prepared to have some backseat drivers full of newfound knowledge.
- Have an indoor camp night. Take some sheets and blankets and make a fort with tables, chairs, etc. Make some microwave smores, tell scary movies and make shadow puppets.
- Show younger kids how to use measuring cups. Have them measure out the popcorn, rice, water, or whatever you have on hand. They can learn about measuring spoons too.
- Have a scavenger hunt. Make a list of items you know are in the house and see who can find the most in a certain amount of time.
- Prepare a treasure hunt. Get some colored paper for your clues and lead them on an adventure. Don’t forget to have a treasure for them at the end.
- Pick a place you would like to vacation too. Have everyone figure out what they would most want to do if you get to go. Plan for fun.
- Get out some yarn and glue and let kids make their own creations.
- Have a spelling bee, find age-appropriate lists for everyone and see can spell the best.
- Play checkers. If you don’t have a board you can easily make one. Use buttons, colored rocks, pennies, nickels, etc for your pieces.
- Pick a new series that no one has seen and everyone things they might like and binge watch some tv.
- Go through your house and yard and take magnified pictures of common items and see how many your family can guess correctly.
- Teach your kids the two-step or the hustle. Maybe both. Have fun and laugh.
- Plan your garden, get the kids involved, what is their favorite vegetable they want to see grown.
- Plan some meals, let the kids help decide what meal to have next.
- If the sky is clear in the evening go find some constellations.
- Make Christmas cards early
- Keep a journal of your adventure and what you did every day, get the kids involved.
- Take a trip down memory lane and look at old photo albums.
- Dust off the old board games and play a game or two.
- Look up new card games on the internet and learn a new game, does everyone know how to play pitch, spades, hearts, etc…
- Take some blank papers, fold them in half and staple them together (make a blank book). Give everyone in the family the same amount of pages and take turns writing and illustrating the story. Let everyone’s imagination run wild.
- Have everyone come up with a playlist on their phone or computer and play name that tune.
- If your kids don’t know how to count money get out the change jar and start teaching them.
- Teach your kids to whistle if can’t already.
- Sing some songs in rounds like row row row your boat or 3 blind mice.
- Lots of famous museums have virtual tours, go explore them.
- There are plenty of free webcams out there that are suitable for kids. Zoos, tourist attractions, Old Faithful, etc….
- If you are going to be stuck at home for several days pick a room each day and totally declutter it. Put away what needs put away, throw away what you don’t need. Then give it a good cleaning. Don’t try to do it all in one day, just one room at a time. Just how we get through life one day at a time.
- Reserve an hour for yourself and take a hot bath, with your favorite candle and glass of wine.
- Update your resume, you never know when you may need it.
- Uninstall all the apps on your phone you no longer use.
- Go through all the pictures on your phone, delete all the blurry ones and the ones you do not need, then make sure your photos are backup up on another computer or a cloud.
- If you have a puzzle book, find one everyone can do, make copies of it then see who can finish it the fastest. You can find some printables on the internet as well.
- Calculate all the money you are saving by not eating out.
- Go through your phones contact list, is there anyone you haven’t talked to in a while? Give them a call see how they are doing. Just because you are stuck at home doesn’t mean you can’t reconnect with old friends.
- Research a new hobby or craft you would like to take up.
- Pick a new language and start learning some phrases, teach the kids how to count to 10 in a different language.
- If you have some old magazines let the kids cut them up and make a collage.
- Make a paper-mache pinata and fill it for the kids, or save it for a different day.
- Design your next or first tattoo.
- If you can get outside and the weather is suitable, go sit in the sunshine or moonlight.
- Rearrange the furniture.
- Go through your pantry and/or spice rack and throw out anything you will never use.
- Download a new game on your phone that allows you to play against friends all over the world, especially if they are trying to keep busy too.
- Organize all your Christmas decorations and wrapping paper
- Save some of your water/soda bottles and lids, put a little water in the bottles to stabilize them. Then set up your own bowling alley with whatever kind of ball you have around the house.
- Blow up some balloons and let the kids bat them around the house.
- Youtube some card tricks or magic tricks and have a show for your kids or practice and amaze your friends the next time you see them.
- Change or update all your passwords on important accounts. It may be a good time to start using a password manager and put that in place.
- Take a self-improvement course.
