At home things to do with friends

65. Take a tour of New York City’s secret attractions

Wanderlust getting the better of you? Don’t worry. You can still explore some of New York’s most fascinating, under-the-radar landmarks – all from the comfort of your home (and for free). The New York Landmarks Conservancy has a catalogue of video tours you can play from the comfort of your couch. In ‘Tourist in Your Own Town’, presenter Peg Breen guides viewers around historic sights like Governors Island, the New York Botanical Garden, St Paul’s Chapel, Wave Hill, the Alice Austen House and many more.

When you stuck at home for extended periods of time it’s easy for the boredom to set in at some point—you can’t just sleep in and watch tv all day (can you?). But, just because you’re not traveling the world at the moment doesn’t mean that your bucket list has to be put on hold. There are plenty of fun things to do at home with your family, friends, kids or yourself!

1. ✧ Watch all the Oscar Winning Movies

Make some popcorn and cuddle on the couch with a blanket and start your bucket list quest to watch all the best picture Oscar winning movies ever made. A subscription to Netflix of Amazon Prime is a great way to accomplish this goal, they have almost every one available for rental.

Click here for a list of the Best Picture Winners.

2. ✦ Create a Blog

Both Blogger.com and WordPress.com offer free blogs with easy setup, all you have to do is come up with something creative to talk about. Some of the most popular blog topics are Money, Travel, Food, Mommyhood, Technology and Celebrity Gossip. Put a new spin on any of these things and start writing!

If you want to start a bucket list blog (that makes me all tingly inside), then read my post on How to Start Your Own Successful Bucket List Blog in 6 Easy Steps. Follow these steps and your blog will be up and running in just a couple of hours! But, make sure to know the top beginner blogging mistakes to avoid (& how to fix them).

3. ✦ Learn to Play a Song on an Instrument

It’s time to channel your inner rock star and learn a song on the instrument of your choice. Pick something like a guitar, keyboard, ukulele or even a harmonica for your musical gadget then pop onto YouTube to find a class.

Learning a song of the harmonica has been on my bucket list and this harmonica and lesson guide will have you playing When the Saints Go Marching In in no time at all!

4. ✧ Camp out in the Family Room

How fun would it be for the whole family, kids and all, (or just the two of you) to have an evening camping in the living room? Move the furniture out of the way and set up a pop up tent right in the middle of the room. Then gather up you pillows, blankets, snacks, books and any other for activities you want to do while you are disconnected.

5. ✦ Create Your Own Cocktail

Become your own mixologist by concocting the perfect cocktail. The best part about this bucket list goal is that you will have to do a lot of sampling before coming up with your own perfect harmony of flavors. Practice makes perfect! If you’re not the best at creating drinkable concoctions, you can check these 10 tips on how to make a great cocktail. Or base your drink off of one of the Great Classic Cocktails.

After many trials and errors, my signature cocktail creation was a Lemon-Basil Fizz made with prosecco, coconut rum, raspberries, basil and lemon sorbet (see the video below and get the recipe here).

6.  ✦ Keep a Gratitude Journal

Over the years there have been many studies on the positive effects of having an attitude of gratitude. Robert Emmons is a leading scientific expert on gratitude and its affect on people physically, psychologically, and socially. His studies suggest that people who practiced gratitude had higher levels of positive emotions, a stronger immune system, felt less lonely, and had more happiness. Do you need more reasons that that?

Start each morning by listing five things you are grateful for. In the beginning it will probably be a struggle to come up with a mere five, being wrapped up in a world full of fear can disguise the good in your life. Think hard. Did you just drink a deliciously warm cup of coffee? Or did you connect with a friend by text? Or enjoy a heartwarming movie on television? There is always something to be grateful for—always.

Need help with coming up with things to be grateful for? Read the article Being Grateful: 100 Things to Be Thankful For Today

7. ✦ Get Ordained

Have you ever wanted to officiate a wedding ceremony? Then think about becoming an ordained minister — it’s easier than you think. Simply Google “get ordained” and a slew of websites will come up that offer free ordination. On my last birthday, I got ordained with the American Marriage Ministries. It was super simple, free, and only took mere minutes. Get started now with this article on How to Get Ordained Online: 5 Easy Steps to Ordination

Be aware that each state has different laws on who can marry someone, check with Marriage Laws to find the rules in your state.

8. ✧ Learn a New Language

You can learn a new skill at any age, so why not learn a new language? It can be a fun and interactive experience for the whole family. Perhaps you can learn the language of a dream destination where you hope to go on a vacation someday? Dream big!

Rosetta Stone and Duolingo are two great programs to get you started.

9. ✦ Make an Origami Animal

Origami is a big part of the Japanese culture and it truly is fascinating how little tiny pieces of paper can be crafted into beautiful pieces of artwork. The crane is one of the most popular shapes and you can fairly easily learn how to make one. There are countless videos and instructions online and below are two that worked for me.

• How to Make an Origami Paper Crane: Instructions for the Beginner
• Video: Origami Crane Tutorial

It’s perfectly okay to use a simple piece of white paper, but you can also buy traditional Colorful Japanese Origami Washi Paper online.

10. ✦ Write a Haiku

A Haiku is a traditional form of Japanese poetry that consists of only three lines and a total of 17 syllables. The first and third line has 5 syllables and the second has seven. The lines do not need to rhyme, actually most of the time they don’t.

On my birthday last year, I wrote this one:

A plane flies over,
you dream of being on it.
Ideas flourish.

Want to write your own haiku? The how to write a haiku article will help, and it includes 15 examples!

11. ✦ Complete a 1000+ Piece Jigsaw Puzzle

This is one of those fun things to do at home that most of us haven’t done this since we were children! You don’t find too many opportunities where you can concentrate on one thing, so be present and let everything else in your mind go. That alone will be worth every minute.

Not sure what puzzle to complete? Check out the best 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles for adults (& tips to complete one) or just buy one of these popular ones:

1. SunsOut: Ele-Fantastions
2. White Mountain Puzzles: Things I Ate As a Kid
3. Chicago Puzzle Company: Panorama Collection
4. Buffalo Games: Hummingbird Garden
5. White Mountain Puzzles: Neon Signs

12. ✦ Handwrite a Letter to Someone Special

I know, right? Why would you want to handwrite a letter while you can simply Snapchat them or send them a DM? There are many reasons you should write more handwritten letters, but one of the main things is that it is more personal, plus you have more than just 140 characters to work with while crafting the message. This cheap bucket list idea is a chance for you to learn how to express yourself in full sentences, without emojis and texting abbreviations (OMG!).

13. ✦ Make Ice Cream

Instead of going to the grocery store to buy your favorite ice cream flavor, set up shop and make some at home. And making your own is not as hard as it may seem. The trick is to perfect the basics, then expand on it by adding different flavors. If ice cream seems too complicated, try making fun flavored popsicles, like Blueberry Vanilla Yogurt. Yum!

This is the ice cream maker and popsicle molds that I use for my sweet treats.

14. ✧ Have a Pajama Day

What kind of luxury would it be to spend all day in your pajamas?!? Put on your most comfy pair and lounge for a full 24-hours.

Don’t have a comfy pair of PJ’s? Try J. Crews dreamy cotton pajama set or the cozy ones from PajamaGram.

15. ✦ Clean Out & Organize Your Closet

It is surprisingly rewarding to be able to purge some clothes, plus it is purely a bonus that you can donate or consign them! If you are anything like me then it’s pretty hard to decide what to keep and what to give away, so use these 17 Invaluable Tips For Anybody With Too Many Clothes.

16. ✧ Create the Perfect Song Playlist for Chilling at Home

Music is a great way to get you geared up for any day, especially one made for spending it chillaxing at home. Having a hard time thinking of songs? Spotify has made it easy with its hundreds of playlists to choose from, one of my favorites is the  Best Chill Music.

17. ✧ Have an Indoor Picnic

Picnics aren’t just for the outdoors—clear a space on your living room floor and recreate a memorable dining experience. You can even pack a traditional wicker basket with your favorite picnic foods and enjoy the feast without going too far. Real Simple magazine can help you out with their Picnic Packing Checklist. If you want to set up an Instagrammable picnic, here’s a cute red checkered picnic basket.

18. ✧ Brew your Own Beer

It has been claimed that beer is the most consumed alcoholic beverage in the world. No matter where you are, you’ve probably noticed craft breweries popping up with uniquely named flavors — the industry has grown way beyond the simple Coors Light! Why not try your hand at creating your own flavor profile that fits your taste buds? It’s easy to do with the perfect beer making kit and a few award-winning home brew recipes.

19. ✦ Make a Bucket List

If you don’t have a bucket list yet (why the heck not?!?!?!), take this opportunity at home to create one. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to start—you’ve come to the right place—here are some articles to help you:

• How to Make a Bucket List: 5 Easy Steps to Create a Great One
• 1000+ Ideas for Your Bucket List
• 10 Incredible Ways a Bucket List Can Improve Your Life
• 5 Tips to Help Conquer Your Bucket List
• Bucket List Meaning: What’s the Definition and What is it?

20. ✦ Read a Classic

I know, this doesn’t sound like the funnest thing to do when you’re bored, but have you ever read ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee? How about ‘Diary of a Nobody’ by George and Weedon Grossmith? The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien? Well, the movies are more entertaining but the novels are pretty sweet too and more detailed. The point is, you can learn more when you read these wonderful classics than you typically do playing Candy Crush on your phone.

You can easily download many classics to your Kindle for free. Find a ton of free classics on Amazon.

21. ✦ Finish a Crossword Puzzle

Select a challenging crossword to attempt and don’t cheat! No dictionaries or assistance allowed! Finishing a crossword puzzle can take many hours, but if you don’t want too much of a challenge buy the New York Times Light & Easy crossword puzzle book and make it a challenge to see how many inside the book you can complete.

22. ✧ Have a Family Game Night Marathon

Stay in for the evening, get cozy in your jammies and have a game night marathon. There are different games for all ages, but Bingo and Scrabble are favorites for almost everyone in the family (this bingo set comes with everything you need!). You can make it even more fun by adding prizes for the winner, like store gift cards, candies or extra TV time for the kids.

My favorite adult game night involves a few fierce rounds of Cards Against Humanity, but Smart Ass and Drink-A-Palooza will also make it a lively night. If you want to make your game night more family friendly for the kids then look at these family games. Still unsure of which games to play? Check out this list: Board Games Bucket List: 50 of the All Time Best Ones to Play

23. ✦ Bake a Pie

There’s an art to making the best homemade pie. It’s all about the fruit inside, creating the perfect pie crust and making it with a touch of love. It doesn’t matter if it’s apples, lemons or peaches — choose whatever is sure to make your mouth water.

Get yourself The Perfect Pie cookbook or use one of these popular recipes to help you with your pie:

• Perfect Pie Crust
• Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie
• Peach Lattice Pie With Bourbon Caramel

24. ✦ Write a Letter to your Future Self

Writing a letter to your future self can help to lead your life in the right direction. Share your current thoughts on love, family, career, finances, aging, etc. and also your hopes for each of these things in the future. Tuck your letter away and do not open for at least five years!

On my 40th birthday I wrote a letter to my future self. It is a beautiful piece about exactly how I felt at that point in my life. After not reading it for five years, I have now vowed to visit it on every birthday.

Make your letter even more special by picking some pretty paper (like this Japanese Stationary) and handwriting it.

25. ✦ Recreate a Dish From a Different Country

Be it a simpler Swiss fondue or a complicated French filet de bœuf en croûte, recreate a foreign dish that brings back a memory or inspires you. It could be meal from a plate that reminds you of that tiny little village in Greece or one that motivates you to visit a place you have never been, like the South of France.

26. ✧ Make a Bucket List Vision Board

Get some old magazines, a pair of scissors and a board, and start to dream freely—with no limitations—of all the things you want to do and achieve. Find pictures, words and art that represent these dreams, then make a collage of them all. It will be a masterpiece that hangs on your wall to give you inspiration everyday.

You can use a simple cork bulletin board, cheap poster board or just a cut up cardboard box. If you want to fancy up your dream masterpiece us some decorative masking tape or  artsy push pins.

27. ✦ Binge Watch a New TV Series

Cook up some popcorn, cozy up under a blanket and find the perfect TV series to binge watch. My husband and I just obsessively watched all the seasons of The Good Place, You and Schitt’s Creek. They were all fantastic! You can easily find something fun and entertaining on-demand or there’s plenty of option if you are a Amazon Prime member. If you are struggling to find a show , then the 33 of the best TV shows to binge-watch list will help you out.

28. ✦ Bake Cookies

Baking cookies can get a little messy, but who doesn’t like a home filled with smiling faces and the smells of fresh-baked cookies? It doesn’t matter whether it’s snickerdoodles, oatmeal raisin or simple chocolate chips, spend an entire day just baking. The one who does the most work gets to lick the spoon!

For some delicious cookie ideas see the Epicurious’ 113 Favorite Cookie Recipes (and send me a dozen of the spiced molasses cookies!). Don’t forget the cookie sheets! The Rachael Ray Yum-o! Nonstick Pans are amazing, or at least get yourself some silicone baking mats that make the process so much easier!

29. ✧ Have Breakfast in Bed

Start your morning in a truly relaxing way, with a tasty breakfast in bed. The easiest way to complete this goal would be to order room service at a hotel, but don’t cancel out the opportunity to do it in your very own home too. How dreamy does it sound to indulge in some waffles, eggs and mimosa’s while still cozied up in your bed.

Hey husbands—the wife will love breakfast in bed! And if you’re worried about making it here’s some help:

• How to Make and Serve Breakfast in Bed (Without Being Cheesy)
• 20 Breakfast in Bed Favorites

30. ✧ Stay Up All Night

Do you remember when the two of you just started your relationship or you just got some news to share with your BFF? You would spend the wee hours of the morning just talking on the phone. Try to replicate that special period of time by planning an all-nighter that may include chatting, laughing, cooking together or dancing in the kitchen.

Need some ideas for this all nighter? You can ask your friend these 365 thought provoking questions to get to know them even better or check out the top 20 stay-at-home date night to share with your spouse.

31. ✦ Make Homemade Pizza

People can be picky little eaters, but almost everyone loves pizza! From kneading the dough to adding your favorite toppings and sprinkling hearty amounts of cheese, everyone in the house can have fun making their own personal pie.

Get started with this easy pizza dough recipe and these 20 homemade pizza recipes.

32. ✧ Research your Family Tree

It’s getting easier to find out your roots, so spark up an interest for genealogy and start researching your family tree.  You can start your search at My Heritage who offers a 14-day free trial or Ancestry.com who gives you a free starter account.

33. ✧ Learn to Juggle

You’ve got some time to kill at home? Grab a few oranges (or apples) and perfect your juggling skills. This video says that you can learn in 10 minutes—let me know how that turns out for you!

X

34. ✦ Go 24 Hours without Internet, Radio or Television

Now, I know, this is a tall order and may not be easy for some. We use the internet for everything nowadays. But think about it. When was the last time you went for two hours without your phone? Try going 24 hours without internet, radio or TV. Read a good book, talk to your family or use the time to complete some of the ideas on this at home bucket list. Soon enough you will wish you had these quiet and peaceful moments more often.

35. ✧ Learn Calligraphy

I have always been wowed when I see a perfectly calligraphed letter—it truly is an art form! You can start with faux calligraphy that uses a standard ballpoint pen or buy a simple lettering set that includes a brush pen!

36. ✦ Build a Model Airplane or Car

With the hundreds of little pieces, building a model takes a lot of time, effort and dedication. That is why it is an excellent activity to add to your At Home Bucket List. Choose from these best selling model airplane kits or these top car models, and then put your patience to the test.

37. ✦ Knit a Scarf

Go to the local craft store (or just order online) and pick out your favorite yarn to knit yourself a cozy scarf. You can find several different How-To videos on YouTube, but this step-by-step video on How to Knit a Scarf for Beginners is one of the best.

38. ✦ Make Fresh Pasta

One of my fondest memories as a child was helping my Italian grandmother make fresh pasta on the kitchen table. It didn’t matter what shape it was, the handmade pasta always tasted better. There is nothing like the taste of fresh pasta and it is fairly easy to make, using only 3 ingredients you can make fettuccini, pappardelle or tagliatelle. This pasta recipe is the one I use at my restaurant.

At my Italian restaurant we use the red Marcato Atlas Pasta Machine every single day and love it! They have a bunch of other cool colors too.

39. ✦ Make a YouTube Video

We are all gifted with unique natural skills like dancing, singing, drawing, acting and so on. To showcase your skills or creativity and to get a chance to see just how many people find that impressive, why not create a YouTube video? Just create your first YouTube video cshowcasing your natural flair and upload it. It’s a brilliant way to tap into your creative side and you just might make money out of it. Plus, it can be simple and free!

40. ✦ See a Foreign Film

Sometimes those darn subtitles keep us from watching a foreign film—this time, don’t let them! There are masterpiece flicks made around the world and here are 25 of the best.

41. ✧ Learn a Magic Trick

Bring on the abracadabra! Everyone can appreciate the good old vanishing coin trick or pulling a flower bouquet out of your sleeve. If your whole family is bored, you can even have each member in the household learn a different trick and then put on a show!

You should be able to find an illusion to attempt within these 10 easy magic tricks, or simply buy a Card Magic Kit that includes tons of tricks to try. By the way, if you want to perform a card trick, but no ordinary deck will do then step it up a notch with some sparkling gold foil cards.

42. ✦ Create a Scrapbook

Creating a scrapbook is a great way to be able to look back and reminisce about all the adventures and good times you have had. You can preserve all your experiences in the form of pictures, ticket stubs, pressed flowers or just about anything else. And if you get the entire family in on this beautiful project, it will be something you cherish for a lifetime. PS: Here are some cute layout ideas!

43. ✦ Make a Homemade Beauty Product

Homemade facials, deodorants and shampoos can be made using products found in your kitchen cabinet for a fraction of the cost as purchasing them at the store. My Experience Making a Homemade Beauty Product was not only fun, but practical too. If you need some inspiration, then see these 15 Homemade Beauty Products and 17 DIY Beauty Products to Whip Up.

44. ✦ Learn to Use Chopsticks

Not very many adults know how to do this and even fewer kids can comfortably use chopsticks. Do you want to seem sophisticated and well-cultured, then learn how to use chopsticks. It can even be a fun way to eat your favorite bowl of noodles, and you can impress your friends when you are all out for sushi.

45. ✦ Write a Book

Writing a book is on many people’s bucket lists, and it’s a perfect goal to tackle when you have a big chunk of time at home. My book, Bucket List Adventures, was written right on the couch of my living room! Before you begin you are probably going to want to read the 9 things NOT to do when writing a book.

46. ✦ Learn to Meditate

Meditation is much more than sitting in a lotus position chanting “om” over and over again—it is a way of life. Clearing your mind through meditation has many benefits, like lowering blood pressure and anxiety levels. Plus, it can give you a brighter outlook on life! Having an “empty mind” for even a few seconds can seem like a challenge, but this 10-minute guided meditation will help you along the way.

47.  ✦ Reconnect with an Old Friend

In the chaos of our everyday lives it’s easy to let old friendships be pushed into the background. Reconnecting with someone doesn’t have to be a time-consuming plan or outing. How about committing to a short Facetime sesh or simply sending a few texts to catch up on the latest.

48. ✦ Read the Book Before the Movie

Haven’t you always heard people say “the book was so much better than the movie.”? Now’s your chance to find out! There are plenty of adaptations to choose from and here are 100 of the best.

49. ✦ Write a Thank You Note to Someone Who Deserves It

So often people want to tell a company or friend how they feel when they are not satisfied, instead write a thank you to show your appreciation for a job well done.

Writing your note on a simple sheet of paper is fine, but stocking up on blank greeting cards may be a good idea instead. I literally just bought these bird greeting cards which would be perfect for a simple thank you.

50. ✧ Volunteer—Virtually!

You no longer have to be onsite to do the good deed of volunteering—you can help right from your comfy couch! Many organizations need help fostering dogs and the United Nations online volunteering program needs everything from researchers to designers to content editing.

What can 2 friends do when they are bored at home?

What can 13 year olds do with friends?

What do 12 year olds do at home with friends?

What can 2 people do together at home?