Fun Things to Do When Bored at Home
Cook something you have only ever ordered in, like dumplings or pad thai.
Build a blanket fort and watch a film inside it.
Sort your books in a new way, by color or by the year you read them.
Repot a plant, or try growing one from an avocado pit.
Do a jigsaw puzzle. No puzzle? Print a photo, glue it to card and cut it up.
Make the recipe on the back of a packet in your cupboard.
Rearrange one room. Moving a single chair can make it feel new.
Hold a tea or coffee tasting with whatever is in the cupboard.
Things to Do When Bored at Work
Small things that leave you better off, or give you a minute away from the screen.
Clear your computer desktop down to nothing.
Learn three keyboard shortcuts for the program you use most.
Write tomorrow's to-do list now, so the morning starts easy.
Fetch a glass of water the long way round.
Tidy your inbox down to one screen.
Ask a coworker what they are working on, and listen to the answer.
Plan your next day off, down to where you will have lunch.
Things to Do Online When Bored
Take a free virtual tour of a museum you would like to visit one day.
Watch a live camera of an animal nest, a harbor or a city street.
Look up your town on an old map and see what has changed.
Learn a card game for two, like gin rummy or cribbage.
Read the Wikipedia page for the year you were born.
Make a playlist for a friend and send it with no explanation.
Take a free typing test, then see if you can beat your own speed.
Creative Things to Do When Bored
Write a letter to yourself to open a year from today.
Draw a map of a made-up town and name every street.
Take ten photos of one ordinary object from ten different angles.
Write a short poem about whatever is in front of you.
Make a collage out of junk mail and old magazines.
Invent a sandwich and give it a name.
Write new words to a song you know by heart.
Design a postage stamp for your hometown.
Productive Things to Do When Bored
The jobs that never feel urgent, which makes a slow hour the right time for them.
Back up the photos on your phone.
Cancel a subscription you forgot you had.
Fix the small thing you keep ignoring, like a loose handle or a dead bulb.
Change the passwords on the accounts you use most.
Put next month's birthdays in your calendar.
Sort the pile of paper you have been avoiding.
Learn ten words in a language you would like to speak.
Clear out the fridge and plan a meal around what is left.
Things to Do When Bored With Friends
Cook a meal together where everyone brings one ingredient.
Hold a quiz night with questions you each write.
Walk somewhere none of you have been before.
Have a bad movie night and vote for the worst scene.
Start a group drawing where each person adds one thing.
Swap phones and pick each other's next song.
Teach each other one thing you are good at.
Plan a trip you will probably never take, down to the hotel.
Things to Do When Bored at Night
Find the moon and work out whether it is growing or shrinking.
Read a chapter of a book you started and put down.
Write down the best part of today in one line.
Plan tomorrow's breakfast.
Do a crossword or a sudoku.
Watch an old film you loved as a kid.
Look for the brightest star you can see from a window.
Still Bored?
Let the I'm bored button choose for you, or try one of the games to play when bored. None of them need a download.
FAQs
- What should I do when I'm bored at home?
- Cook something you'd normally order in, rearrange one room, or start a puzzle. There are more ideas in Fun Things to Do When Bored at Home.
- What can I do when I'm bored at work?
- Pick something that leaves you better off: clear your desktop, learn a few keyboard shortcuts, or write tomorrow's to-do list. If you just need a minute off, the pop it game starts with the sound off.
- Is there a button that picks for me?
- Yes. Tap Give me an idea at the top of this page, or try the I'm bored button, which also suggests games and sounds.
Last updated October 2026