Traditionally “home is where the heart is,” but sometimes being homebound isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Whether it’s due to transportation, health, or weather-related, there are times when we can’t help but stay at home. From visual entertainment to treats for the tastebuds, here are a few ideas of fun things to do when at home and you can’t get outside
Tour a Museum – Virtually
If you are an art lover or enjoy history, you can make the best of your time by pretending to be somewhere else. Take a Louvre tour, explore VanGogh’s works, and see The British Museum’s collection all from the comfort of your recliner.
Find a Pen Pal
With all of the technology nowadays, we tend to communicate digitally via text, email, and DM. Go old school and find a friend in another part of the globe. Sites like PenPal World and Snail Mail Penpals can make connections safely. If you don’t want to write a letter to a stranger, send a letter to an elderly family member or friend – they will greatly appreciate it!
Take a Class
Want Natalie Portman, Gordon Ramsay, or Penn & Teller to keep you company while you are bored? It’s possible! Use your time to learn acting skills, take a cooking class, master a few magic tricks, or learn photography online without having to leave your couch by taking a MasterClass.
Shop Your Pantry
One of the most fun things to do when at home is to try unique recipes & cook together. At home, we all have stashes of stuff in our pantry, fridge, or freezer that were saved for a rainy day. Being stuck at home is an ideal time to take inventory and cook with those items. Sites like MyFridgeFood and SuperCook allow you to plug in what you have on hand so that it can curate recipes utilizing those items. Voila!
Learn Your Favorite Song
Do you only know the chorus of your favorite song? Whether it’s one of today’s hits or your favorite from a 90s boy band, search for the lyrics online and commit them to memory. If no one else is home, sing it karaoke style once you’ve learned it all.
Binge
Ok, we aren’t talking about food here, but if you are going to be at home, why not take a bit of time to catch up on a show or read a few books? Do enjoyable things you never have the opportunity to tackle with a traditional schedule. Cozy up and settle in for a few hours – no one will judge!
Try a New Workout
Being at home involves a lot of sedentary time, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Scour YouTube for yoga routines, weightlifting exercises, or aerobics to keep that blood flowing. When all else fails, put on your favorite tunes and dance the day away.
Take Inventory
Being housebound is a great time to assess all of the things you own. One of the things to do when bored at home is to go through your closet and sort out the pieces you don’t wear anymore. Cull through your stash of books, movies, and DVDs and only keep your favorites. Then set a date for a yard sale or donate your goods to an organization, such as Dress for Success or your local charity thrift store.
View Life Through a Webcam
Where can you watch animals nesting, life on a New York street corner, or get a live satellite view of earth? Heading to a site like EarthCam or Webcamtaxi provides the mind with hours of entertainment and exciting perspectives of life going on around the globe.
Put on a Mask
Even if you have work to do from home, one of the fun things to do at home, which also focuses on self-care, is moisturizing, applying a homemade hair mask, or homemade face mask. You can even soak your feet while you do computer work or just read and relax in a bubble bath. Don’t let the opportunity to pamper slip away!
Make a Photo Book
Download the SimplePrints app, and transform photos in to photo album. Reminisce over vacation pictures and turn them into a travel photo book, capture your adorable furbaby’s finest moments, or select favorite family photos to create a memorable keepsake. You can surprise a relative or a friend by mailing one to them! What a nice way to brighten up their day.
GUEST BLOGGER: JENNIFER PRINCE
Jennifer Prince lives in VA with her husband, kids, and kitties. Beyond writing, she enjoys vintage things, exploring her hometown, and finding content for her travel blog.