We all know that the outside world can be fun. After all, that’s where cinemas, restaurants, bars, and all the rest exist. At home? It can be cozy and comfortable, sure, but it’s not automatically fun. And sometimes, that’s quite alright — we all need some space to rest and recuperate, and that’s just what our homes provide.
However, that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun at home. We absolutely can and should! This is especially true for winter when we spend more time inside than normal. If you’re looking for inspiration on what you can do at home during the chillier time of year, check out the thirteen fun activities outlined below. We’re confident there’ll be at least a few things you want to try, and who knows, you might have so much fun that you don’t care if the warm weather ever comes back.
Have a Movie Night
Spending a night watching a movie doesn’t sound like a groundbreaking idea, but hear us out. We’re not suggesting you just flick through Netflix to see what’s on. We’re suggesting that you have a true movie night, one that brings the cinematic experience to your home. Investing in a projector can be a game-changing move that allows you to have awesome movie nights with your family. Pick a blockbuster, make popcorn, and settle into an evening with the big screen.
Get Out the Board Games
In an age when everything is digital, it seems quaint to think of the olden days when people would play board games all afternoon. They still exist, so why not grab a few and keep them in your cupboard for rainy days? We spend all our time looking at screens, and you can spend a few hours having non-digital fun for a while. You can play those classic board games or check out the best new board games on the market — there are some pretty awesome ones that the whole family will enjoy.
Spend the Afternoon Reading
All of us are busier than ever, and if you’re like many people who previously used to read a lot but no longer seem to have the time, you probably have a reasonably long list of books sitting on your shelf. Well, they’re not going to read themselves! All it requires is a little bit of effort. If you’re sitting bored at home, pick up that book you’ve meant to read. If you’re out of practice, look at creating an environment conducive to reading. Lighting a candle, switching off any screens, pouring yourself a cup of tea, and getting snug under a blanket will all have you ready to read.
Complete a Virtual Escape Room
Did you know that virtual escape rooms are a thing? If you’re looking for a fun and challenging way to pass some hours at home, then look at loading up one of the best virtual escape rooms on the web and seeing if you can bust out. Most come with different difficulty settings, so you can always start with the easiest before building up to the most difficult.
Start a DIY Project
Always loved arts and crafts, but never got around to trying it for yourself? Consider this your sign that now is the time. DIY projects are awesome for two reasons: you’ll have fun completing the project, and you’ll have something to show for it once you’ve finished. There are plenty of options to choose from. If you’re looking for a nice decoration for your home, then consider macrame; with the help of some macrame design patterns and a few supplies, you can create a beautiful item that’ll take pride of place in your home for many years to come. In the early days, it’s best to focus on the process rather than the outcome, but with time you’ll realize that everything’s coming together.
Host a Karaoke Night
There’s much to love about karaoke, an activity that often seems to be overlooked when it comes to having fun with your friends and family. And one of the reasons it’s overlooked is because you have to go to an establishment and endure other people singing. Let’s be honest: karaoke is only fun when your friends and family sing. So why not host your karaoke evening at home? You don’t need much to get started — if there’s a will to make it happen, it’ll happen. And you might just get some all-time classic videos that you return to again and again.
Learn a New Language
Want to impress your friends, people you meet traveling, and yourself? Then use your time to learn a new language. There are a million apps and other online tools that will have you speaking the basics of a language pretty quickly, and you don’t have to dedicate all that much time to it. Get started today if you’re looking for a productive way to spend the winter months. By spring, you may be able to speak a foreign language and take a trip that puts your newfound skill to good use.
Go Down Memory Lane
We all tend to think about the future. And that makes sense since that’s the direction we’re all going in. However, it can also be valuable to spend some time looking back on all the things we’ve done in the past. If you’ve had plenty of good times, then why not spend some time reminiscing and going through old photographs and videos? If you have kids, then you could even spend an evening telling them stories of what your life was like before they came into your world. They’ll love it.
Start a Vegetable Patch
Looking for a way to boost your home’s eco credentials, pass some time, and end up with a delicious meal? Then consider starting a vegetable patch in your yard. This is much easier to do than most people realize, and we can’t tell you how satisfying it is to see the literal fruits of your labor. Don’t expect a whole supermarket’s worth of groceries, but you can produce a few carrots, potatoes, and the like. And we’re pretty confident that they taste better than anything you’d buy in the store for several reasons.
Nurture Your Creative Side
Everyone is creative. It’s just that not everyone sets aside time to practice it. If you’re looking for something fun at home, consider putting your drawing pencil to your notebook and pen. It’s not about creating a masterpiece; it’s about spending a little time digging into your creative side. Even if no one else sees what you’ve come up with, you’ll likely have a great time just producing the work.
Host an International Cuisine Evening
Love traveling? Then why not bring an international touch to your home by hosting your international cuisine evening? By this, we mean looking up a dish from a far-flung corner of the world, playing music that’s local to that region, making some cocktails with the vibe of the destination, and so on. It’s about bringing a slice of the world into your home.
Discover a New Website
The internet is an endless source of entertainment when you’re bored. The only issue is that many of us can grow bored of the internet quickly, largely because we’re all spending our time on the same few websites. And social media, while fun for a bit, grows boring after thirty minutes or less. So why not see what else is out there? There’s a whole bunch of websites that you may never have heard of that’ll keep you entertained. The Internet is Beautiful subreddit is a good place to find fun and inspiring sites.
Switch off the Internet
We know we just said discovering a new website is a good plan, but also, if you’re feeling bored at home, then consider switching off the internet. This might sound like a counterproductive move since, well, the internet is full of entertainment. But there’s an upper limit to how interesting it can be — if you’ve already spent a couple of hours online, then you’ll be ready for something else, only you’ll likely still be clicking around hoping that something good will come your way.
The solution here is to switch it off. It may provoke ten minutes of intense boredom, but if you can ride that out, you’ll likely find that you come up with something fun to do. People were having plenty of fun before the pre-internet age; you might have thought you’d lost that skill, but trust us, it’s still there.
Conclusion
And there we have it! We wouldn’t call this an exhaustive list of things you can do in your home, but we’re confident it’ll get you moving in the right direction.
