A lot of people are looking for things to keep themselves entertained right now during the pandemic (me included!). I thought I would share this list of what to do when you’re bored at home.
I love anything that can help me learn, and even though I am not loving such a huge change in routine, I am appreciative for all of the free services being offered to people at home!
While we may be at home for the unknown future, what to do when you’re bored at home has never been easier to figure out. 🙂
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU’RE BORED AT HOME
Services for free online
If the services have something age-specific for children, I put a star by them.
- YMCA online*
These exercise classes are free and online! The classes range from youth sports performance classes to barre classes. - Free books through New York Public Library*
To gain access, NYPL’s free e-reader app, SimplyE, can be downloaded for iPhone or Android. - Free audio books*
Audible released A LOT of audio books for a wide age range, classics are also available! - Free creative classes through March 29th
Go here and use the code: SELFCARE. - 33 national park tours*
Go here to view all of the tours. - 450 Ivy League courses for free
Classes range from humanities related content to computer science. - 12 virtual tours of museums online*
This list offers museums from Washington DC to Chicago.
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU’RE BORED AT HOME WITH CHILDREN
Free educational services for children online
These are free learning resources that are online for children. In addition to the websites below, click here to see educational companies that are offering free subscriptions while school is out.
- Switcheroo Zoo
Watch, listen, and play games to learn all about animals. - Fun Brain
Play games while practicing math and reading skills. - National Geo for Kids
Learn all about geography and fascinating animals - Into the Book
Go “into the book” to play games that practice reading strategies. - Star Fall
Practice your phonics skills with these read along stories. - Seussville
Read, play games, and hang out with Dr. Seuss and his friends. - Storyline Online
Have some of your favorite stories read to you by movie stars. - ABC YA
Practice math and reading skills all while playing fun games. - Highlights Kids
Read, play games, and conduct cool science experiments.
Services offered online from the Washington DC area
- Panda Cam
Watch a panda from the national Smithsonian zoo! - Bloom Cam
Watch the famous cherry blossom festival blooms from the comfort of your home.
WHAT I’M DOING AT HOME RIGHT NOW
I pay for some of these services. However, many of them are available for free as a trial.
Open fit
I quit my gym membership once I realized it was more of a hassle than exercising at home. I love this app because I can stream it to our TV from my phone. My daughter enjoys mimicking me when I do different poses too.
Audiobooks
I listen to audio books non-stop through the library and I’ve also been looking at books on Audible.
RELATED // the last 20 audio books I listened to
Ebooks
I have had a Kindle Unlimited subscription off and on since I was married. I love that they have such a large variety of books!
RELATED // my book recommendations here
Mindfulness journaling
A friend suggested this journal to me a few months ago. I picked it up again and I’ve been enjoying it! You can pick this journal off of Amazon.
Going on daily walks
Our family has been taking daily walks outside. We live in a town home and absolutely love it, but it also means we do not have a large enough private yard space to play right now. I’m grateful for the weather gear I’ve bought for our daughter.
Bonus: it looks like THIS outside right now.
Perfecting my curly girl hair technique
I decided about a month ago that I would do the curly girl hair method! I researched products, have been trying out different techniques, and then after taking the photos… I promptly cut my hair off because I realized it was thin haha.
I will be taking new hair photos and sharing what I have learned so far. Honestly, I just thought I was doing a fun hair experiment, but it turns out curly hair method is basically a cult.
Doing yard work
In evenings, Devin has been doing some yard work. We’ve had some leaves to rake up and bag, some small limbs to take off of our tree, and we’re planning on planting some flower bulbs with Evie.
Playing ukulele with the tabs app
One of the things I bought for myself this year was a subscription to the tabs app. I have been slowly teaching myself some new chords on my ukulele. I also screen mirror the app onto our smart TV. My little girl really loves this time. I think I’m going to buy her her own ukulele to play with.
Religious worship at home
Our church is doing church via Zoom! I didn’t know what I would think about it at first, but we have really loved home church. We spend the time also listening to church talks and scriptures.
Taking care of my house plants
I bought a few new houseplants last month and now I am more appreciative of them than ever! I love being able to see greenery in our home.
RELATED // how to make your African violets bloom every week
Practicing gratitude
I used to keep a monthly gratitude journal and post it on my blog. I decided recently that I needed to resurrect this habit because I do have a lot to be grateful for.
Coming up with more intentional toddler activities at home
When our routine is normal, we typically leave the house 1-2 times a day to do toddler-specific activities from the library to play dates at people’s home. Since we are home now, we are making more of an intention to do interesting activities where we talk, read, and sing a lot.
I’m currently looking at different preschool curriculum that I can adapt to my daughter’s age. If I find something I really love, I’ll share.
Using writing prompts
These are journal writing prompts I have shared in the past to help inspire your writing.
RELATED // writing prompts to get to know yourself better
Communicating with my friends
It has been surprising to me how much a phone call or video call from a friend has meant to me! Even when we’re just discussing the basics, it means a lot.
Cooking more
I made these muffins and this banana bread recently. I’m loving trying out some more recipes and spending more time in the kitchen.
With the internet, it has never been more easy to figure out what to do when you’re bored at home. However, the time away from technology to breath some fresh air has been just as important to my family.
