10 Fun Things to Do At Home Alone or In a Group
Are there fun things to do at home? Have you fallen into the habit of mindlessly surfing the web on your phone? Are you wandering from Facebook to YouTube and Instagram and back in a continuous mind-numbing cycle?
How can we have fun at home other than doing the above activities that are so common now? Do you feel frustrated and go to bed feeling like you had an unsatisfying day only to repeat that same cycle the following day?
You spend more time browsing through the selection of movies and dramas on Netflix than you spend time watching something.
We all try to entertain ourselves but when the activity is not fulfilling, you end up feeling that time has past but your sense of dis-satisfaction lingers.
Do we really have to spend money on crazy nights out on weekends in order to have fun? Is it not possible to do some productive things at home when you’re bored?
So, here is a personal list of 10 Fun Things to Do at Home that I indulge in which leaves me satisfied with time well spent.
10.Let your Creativity flow with a Coloring Book
We may not all be good artists who can draw and paint something beautiful on paper but filling up pictures with color is a much simpler task.
Coloring together with your kids, or as a couple can be an entertaining way to spend time together at home. You work together, discuss the color schemes you want and complete the work as a team. A great bonding session.
You do feel a sense of satisfaction when you see your masterpiece completed. If it is not up to standard, move on to the next page and start over. No pressure at all.
I highly recommend The Secret Garden and The Enchanted Forest coloring books which gained popularity in 2013. You will have hours of fun at home where you immerse yourself in deep concentration filling up the books with colors of your choosing. See the world you have created come to life.
9. Play a game of Mahjong
Mahjong is a 4-player game of tiles and is an entertaining game to past time with family and friends.
It is not a game of pure luck but one that takes skills, understanding of probability and concentration in anticipating your opponents move. Invented by the Chinese and gaining popularity in the West.
Definitely a novel game to introduce to your friends. If you are unfamiliar with Mahjong, you should check out this scene from the hit film Crazy Rich Asians.
8. Cook A Meal
Prepare a nice meal for yourself and the family once in a while. The preparation phase, cooking phase and the anticipation for a meal well cooked and well received is a source of pleasure for any cook
An interesting tool for cooking that is growing in popularity is the air fryer. As we get more and more health conscious today, the air fryer can help us achieve a deep fried crispiness without actually deep frying something with oil.
It is also extremely fun to try out new recipes and variety of dishes with this piece of cool gadget in your home.
7. Listen to music on a good sound system
Nothing beats putting on a good pair of earphones or headphones and cutting yourself away from the world for a good 20-30 mins with relaxing music.
I personally use an In-ear Wireless Earbud with noise-cancelling effect for music. While not an audiophile myself, I am at least able to tell a good headphone from the average. The UI-8 Pro is has very good sound for such a low price.
Good sound does not simply mean having very strong bass (which was what I thought initially) but also having crisp and bright sound. I shall leave further discussion to the experts.
For listening to music as a group, I use the Creative Sound Blaster Roar 2 Bluetooth speaker. For a small size and a very reasonable price, this speaker produces amazing sound.
My wife and I love playing music in the background from this speaker while performing household chores. The music in the background fills up the otherwise monotonous atmosphere while we go about doing our household chores.
In fact, it turns the dreaded task of cleaning up the house into something fun and enjoyable as we sing along and distract ourselves from the task on hand.
6. Learn to play a new instrument
We experience joy when we learn something new. The reason is that the brain has to focus on an unfamiliar task and therefore uses much more of the brain’s capacity compared to mundane activities like watching TV.
Challenges involved in learning to play an instrument like the piano engages the mind and encourages deep focus. The result is an enjoyable experience of “flow” which makes time fly by.
You will definitely rush home from work daily to have fun improving your skills.
5. Game Night with Arcade Machine at Home
I was born in the 80’s and grew up through what I would call the Golden Era of the Gaming Industry. I wouldn’t call myself an expert in the history of how gaming evolved but all that I can say is that many old games are still very fun today.
With an Arcade Emulator, you can easily plug and play the device into your TV or Projector and start playing classic Arcade games in the comfort of your home. Unlimited credits. Unlimited fun.
These come preloaded with thousands of games from various platforms to save you the trouble of trawling the internet to download and set up these games yourself. Some also have the additional option to add on games you downloaded.
It is a fun way to spend time together with family and friends at home. The younger generation should not be deprived of the great enjoyment these classic arcade games provided.
4. Movie Night in your Home Theater
Invite your friends or family members over for a movie night. Pixar animations are always good choices to watch as a family.
With friends, try watching Game of Thrones together and the fun will definitely be multiplied. You not only get to enjoy the show but also the reaction of your friends to twists in the plot.
Make sure you kick the plot spoilers out of the room though.
My Home Theater Set Up 
Different Colors for Different Mood
If you have the space and budget, convert one of your rooms or basement into a home theater. Your home will become one of the most popular hang out spots in your circle of friends.
3. Chill out on the Balcony and Contemplate Life
At the end of a hard day at work, all we may want to do is to sit outdoors, with a can of chilled beer in hand and enjoy the light breeze and quietness of the surroundings.
My favorite spot in my home for relaxing is the balcony. I like the peace and quiet when I sit there alone to contemplate life and reflect on myself. Time passes quickly and this alone time re-charges me and has effects close to that of meditation.
At times, my wife and I we enjoy each other’s company with some red wine and a small candle light. We chat and exchange notes on how the day went for each of us.
Essentials for this activity
- Out door furniture
- Chiller for wine or beer
- Commitment to leave your cellphones off
2. Read a Book Challenge
As the saying goes – “An idle mind is the devil’s playground”. What better way to occupy your mind than to read a book?
Challenge yourself to reading one book a week. Check out Bill Gate’s Reading List or 1000 books to Read before you Die.
If you start reading at 1 book per week, it will take 19 years to finish the 1000 books in the list. This goal is fun as you compete with your friends to see who can accomplish this feat.
1.Exercise at Home as a couple
Spend 20-30 mins every day doing some aerobic exercises together as a couple or alone.
In the end, health is the most important factor for allowing us to have a fun and enjoyable life.
To overcome the inertia of a sedentary lifestyle, motivation is important. Exercising together as a couple can help keep each other on track for your fitness goals.
If putting on gym attire and running shoes is too much of a chore, exercising at home can be just as beneficial to your health.
A yoga mat, a dumbbell set and a self-suction sit up bar are all you need to get a complete work out at home. Expensive gym equipment takes up way too much space at home any way.
Other Ideas for Fun At Home
Which of these ideas appeal to you? Do you have other creative activities that you indulge in at home without costing an arm and a leg? Leave your comments for discussions below.
Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.
Fun Things At Home is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
