If you are officially quarantined or practicing social distancing I have some news for you. Just because you are stuck at home doesn’t mean you have to be bored! There are plenty of ideas to entertain yourself and avoid stressing too much about the world around us. Here are 50 ideas to keep yourself entertained while you are doing your community a favor.
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Read! It can be educational or just for fun. Look up what your local library is offering during this time, mine offers to pick up when you request books online. If that isn’t an option there are many online options for your phone, laptop, or tablet.
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Catch up on writing in your journal or blog. Practice that cursive even though it’s becoming less popular
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Do some spring cleaning; clear out that closet, disinfect every surface, and maybe find a five-dollar bill deep in the couch.
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Update the feng shui in your home. This is a great form of exercise and creativity along with a positive change.
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Catch up on binge-watching YouTube. My secret pleasure is watching road-rage videos or gym idiots until 3:00 am.
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Practice new cooking or baking recipes! Reach out to your grandma for ideas.
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Pet your dog endlessly, they deserve it. Or at least take them on a few extra walks. If you don’t have a dog, try and take your hamster, cat, or bird on a walk and record it for the rest of us to enjoy.
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Update your goals or set new ones. Especially since our lives might be changing for a few months.
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Create a budget or track expenses since now you finally have the time you were avoiding to make. We are only a few months into the years so tracking the past three months is a great start.
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Create. A. Fort. Let out your inner toddler.
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Watch all the Netflix movies that were too long to watch before.
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Clean out your fridge. We both know there’s a jar of something back there that is unrecognizable.
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Re-organize the cabinets in your home. This seems like a chore on a normal day but can feel amazingly productive when you actually do it. Plus there might be some bowls or mugs that you haven’t used in a while, so you can donate them!
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Can’t watch basketball? Discover a new sport like water-polo or bowling that you become addicted to. If that doesn’t work there’s always Quidditch of FLARP to watch on YouTube.
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Uhm??? Do your taxes already! We received an extension on making payments, but the deadline to file is still April 15 (check to see if your tax date has been extended due to the pandemic!).
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Got any toys or furniture lying around in pieces? Get your DIY on and fix or build them!
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Sign up for a free trial of Disney+ and don’t leave the couch until the 7 days are up.
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Order delivery or take-out from your local restaurant. I bet they ordered way too much in planning for normal business.
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Try new foods from local restaurants, safely of course. They need your business more than ever right now.
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Exercise! I don’t want to hear any more excuses that you don’t have the time. Even if your gym is closed, bodyweight exercises still provide great results.
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Plan a self-care day. Go the whole nine yards now that you have all this uninterrupted time.
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Stretch often. All this sitting at home compared to your normal habits will leave your muscles tense.
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Start a Twitter fight with someone who is sharing false information about the COVID-19 virus. Or just politely correct them. :)
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Play board games or puzzles! Challenge your mind as equally as you kill off brain cells watching Netflix.
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Pick up that weird skill you’ve always wanted to have. Personally, I want to learn how to do a handstand or juggle.
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Write postcards or letters! Everyone loves receiving letters, especially your relatives who don’t like to text.
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Research something you’ve always been curious about. Is it the stock market, GMO foods, dark matter, languages, the physics of baseball pitching, or Brittney Spears’ life story? It could be anything, but it’s definitely entertaining.
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Learn to sew! This will never go out of style as long as humans wear clothes, and its a useful adult skill.
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Get creative with the ingredients long forgotten in your cabinets. You could be inventing a new cocktail or desert and have no idea.
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Update the skills not related to your current position, major, or career in life. I can’t tell you a time I’ve needed a Calculus derivative rule in my life, but it might come in handy one day.
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Create some art pieces! Even if you’re not artistic, there are studies that show boredom fuels creativity.
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Learn a new language, because why not?
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Go for a walk or a hike! Exercise is good for you and it doesn’t require being near others. Your pets will also be more than happy to provide companionship.
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Do an exercise you have been too hesitant to do in a public gym. Like a box jump or one-handed push-ups. Even if you mess up no one will know, and then you can come back and show-off that awesome exercise.
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Practice your public speaking skills to the empty chairs in your dining room. If you have children or stuffed animals, plop them down in those chairs. Your kids might not last long but at least it’s 15 minutes of entertainment.
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Write a play. Use your siblings, children, or family. It’s kind of corny but could turn out to be great fun.
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Check on your elderly neighbors. They might need help fixing a doorknob or connecting an electronic and they can’t access that assistance right now.
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Nap whenever you feel like it. Be wary that it could totally screw up your sleep schedule.
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Go house “window-shopping”. Not because you are looking for a house, but because you want to pretend you have the funds to rival Lady Gaga’s $22.5 million home.
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Teach yourself how to dance and become Tik Tok famous for the renegade or go on American’s Got Talent for Bachata.
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Go through all your makeup and try new makeup looks. If that isn’t entertaining for you, go through all your toiletries and get rid of stuff that’s old or donate the products you aren’t going to use.
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Harass your siblings for entertainment. Especially the ones that play video games because they are easily agitated.
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Collect your unwanted clothes from Spring Cleaning and donate them to a shelter! If there aren’t drop-offs, then switch to donating to the drop-off containers located in many parking lots.
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If you are in a warm climate then do some yard work or gardening!
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Organize the photos on your phone or laptop.
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Practice meditation or mindful thinking. Taking care of your mental health right now is more important than ever since you don’t have full control over your surroundings.
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Do middle school science projects, like Coke and Mentos or paper airplanes.
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Create a list of the places you want to go and what you want to do after social distancing is over.
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Learn how to make homemade ice cream.
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Replicate your normal life by copying your usual schedule! I promise it will help you feel comfortable and promote a sense of productivity.
