11 Fun Screen-Free Activities at Home

By Yourself

Practice mindfulness

This is my favorite thing to do when stuck at home, because you don’t need anything except an open mind.

It’s simple. Before you drink your coffee or tea in the morning, pause for a moment.

Take in the aroma, hold it up to the light and swirl it around.

Now take a sip. Hold it in and think about the people who cultivated the beans and roasted them.

Let it captivate all your senses.

Enjoy every moment of the drink and you’ll always be satisfied.

Now practice this with everything else you do. You may appreciate how much you have and stop worrying about everything else.

Write a letter

A hand-written letter can be way more personal than an email.

Why not pick up a pen and paper and reach out to someone?

You can choose anyone like grandparents, acquaintances and friends you haven’t spoken to in a while.

They’ll be thrilled to hear from you!

Picnic at home

No park? No problem!

Imagine you’re in a beautiful forest. Lay out a blanket and fill a basket with your favorite outdoor treats.

As a bonus, play some nature sounds and turn on a fan. You’ll be in the great outdoors before you know it!

Or, do some forest bathing if you have access to a park.

Start an indoor garden

Nothing’s more relaxing than gardening.

Not only will you enjoy the process, but you’ll get some much needed oxygen.

Look up some easy plants to start with and have a great time! 

Know thyself

-Socrates

Get to know yourself

Make a list of activities you:

• like doing
• don’t like doing
• are interested in trying

This can be a great opportunity to re-evaluate your goals in life, or just find fun things to do.

You might surprise yourself.

Get organized

Spring cleaning is always in season. Getting organized is a great way to take control of your situation and feel better.

You can use the Marie Kondo method of keeping things that bring you joy and throwing away everything else.

Or, for the more practical types, ask yourself if you’ve used something in the last year. If the answer is “no”, toss it.

You might even be able to sell or give away some of your findings at a thrift shop.

Meditate

Sounds cliche, but it’s worth a try.

Even 10 minutes can greatly improve your outlook on life and quiet negative voices in your head.

I like to keep it simple and turn off my phone and any other distractions.

Sit comfortably while focusing on breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Clear your mind of all thoughts.

That’s all there is to it!

Find a cause

It feels good to make a difference.

Choose an outlet you have a personal connection with.

From there, you can check out Charity Navigator to see how much actually goes to the intended recipients.

Or, you can volunteer your time even at home by organizing canned food drives or knitting clothes for the less fortunate.

Start that journal finally

This one’s been on my to-do list for a few decades.

If you don’t want to spend too much time on it, you can always do a monthly or yearly summary.

Bonus points for detailing your experience surviving a pandemic. Future historians will thank you!

Scavenger hunt at home

This one’s great for families. Make a list of things to find and place them all over your space.

Sprinkle in some clues to spice things up and add a time limit.

Don’t forget to have a prize ready for the winner!

Play the positivity game

I did this often with my partner when we were stuck at home during the pandemic.

Do the upward salute and take turns saying something that you’re grateful for.

You can also do it by yourself in the mirror(we won’t tell).

You’ll feel better immediately and appreciate what you have.