Ideas to keep busy!
Of course, you can use this later too!
After speaking with a few friends and family members, I made a list of what all you could do during a lockdown period and otherwise whenever you get bored. While some people are busy with everyday house chores, office work and pampering their family members, others are bringing out their talents and using this time to follow their passion.
Here is a detailed list of ideas to stay busy besides house chores, office work and taking care of your kids.
Half of India is trying different dishes. Though I am a huge foodie, I have no real interest to try out new dishes every day. I do help out hubby when he is baking or cooking. I also have plenty of friends who are bringing out their hidden culinary talents with the help of Google or their grandma’s recipes. They say that this was a great way to introduce the family to various types of cuisines.
Believe it or not, I was a bookworm once. I have finished Sidney Sheldon’s novels in a few hours. Now, I have several novels lying around waiting to be read. But there are many who are using this time to finish the novels that have been gathering dust all these years. Hats off to them!
I am not a professional artist but I love trying out different types of art. I have tried Zentangle, Mandala, drawing Unicorns for my daughter and simple doodles. I find it relaxing to just sit and draw.
My daughter and I love to paint. We have tried terracotta painting, glass painting, canvas painting and painting with water colours. My 3.5-year-old son joins us with his colouring book. We have spent two whole days only painting. Some of my friends are also painting their furniture to give their homes a cheerful look. You can do too!
I started planting a few greens like mint, chilly and basil for the fun of creating a kitchen garden. Later on, my hubby got us some flowering plants and I kept taking plants from friends who were leaving for good. Now, I have a full-fledged garden to take care of. I do all the sowing, planting and re-potting while the watering is done by the men in the house. It is indeed a wonderful way to keep busy and indulge in nature. No, I do not use a gardener.
Currently, there are plenty of courses available online; through video calls as well as various websites. There are courses on languages, art, music, robotics, building bricks, baking and so on. It is a nice way to learn something new. If it was a few years ago, maybe I would’ve enrolled myself in a few, but now I only enroll my kids for these sessions. My daughter learnt basic Japanese during the lockdown. You can also self-learn how to play an instrument by following videos on Youtube. Search and you will find. Here are a few blogging courses if you are new to the world of blogging!
If you love to sing, singing on Smule is an awesome way to spend time de-stressing and exercising your vocal cords. If you have a karaoke set, you can sing with everyone at home. If other members of your family play instruments, you can go a step further and enjoy jamming sessions while playing your favourite songs.
Yeah many of us want to chill but I cannot chill every single day. I make it a point to eat healthily and do some kind of workout almost every evening. Everything is available on YouTube. Find something that interests you and give your body the exercise it needs. My workout is dancing.
I had made a resolution to call my friends and family, in the past couple of years, for their birthdays, but there are many people who are lost in the race of life. Spending some time calling an old friend is an excellent way to remember the good times and with video calling so easily available now, you have no excuse not to do so.
During the lockdown, I have watched series like ‘Four More Shots Please’ on Amazon Prime and Lucifer on Netflix. I am currently watching ‘The Blacklist’ on Netflix and ‘The Good Wife’ on Amazon Prime. Hotstar and Zee5 are also good options for movies and series. Sometimes, we also have a movie day with the kids. You can check out the list of movies and series to watch with the kids on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
This is a great way for the whole family to participate. We have played Pictionary, Cluedo, Dobble, Snakes and Ladders, Monopoly, Housie, Cards, Ludo, etc. Some of my friends are also putting together 1000 to 5000 pieces of puzzles along with their families.
This is a great option for those who love party games like quizzes and bingo. I have been taking part in them almost every week. I have come to learn about the crazy variations that are played with bingo. I play housie while cutting vegetables and cooking.
Normally, I play word games like Scrabble, Word Blitz, etc. But there are many other games that you can play for free online. Ask your friends to invite you to some or just browse through your App Store. We are currently playing Pictionary on the Gartic app.
After waking up at weird hours of the night because of babies and early in the morning because of school and work, this is the best time to snooze and let your body rest as much as possible.
I’m not sure how many of you spend time praying every day, but I feel at peace whenever I do. There are live videos that you can watch, though visiting the House of God can never be replaced by them. Some meditate. Some do yoga. Some pray. Do whatever calms your senses.
Some of us had plenty of ideas of making videos that included friends, but it is only now that many have been implemented and finally posted online. I believe in making videos that inspire people to be positive, give a message or show some kind of talent. Some friends living in joint families are also dancing with their family members and posting the videos online. It totally brings out the happiness and positive vibes within the family.
Though I do not fancy craft, I am indulging in some DIY activities along with my kids. We have melted broken crayons and made colourful ones. My kids have also created tic-tac-toe boards, photo frames, greeting cards, masks, lampshades and obstacle courses. We have tried different make-up, hairstyles and given ourselves pedicures too. Some of my friends have knitted shawls and created wool birds as house décor.
This is something I haven’t done yet but found it quite interesting. Some of my friends have created a gorgeous background and taken cute pictures of their kids. This is definitely something I want to try out soon. Other friends have dressed themselves up and had their pictures taken in different parts of the house or with different innovative backgrounds. The photographers will find this quite exciting to implement.
Some of us find it thrilling to keep shifting our furniture around the house. I mean it’s possible when you have the space to do so, but clearing out unwanted items is also a good way to rearrange your things.
I am a part of an association whose main aim is to help those in need, mostly by educating the underprivileged. While that is at a halt as of now, a few of us, with precautions, are helping daily wage earners and stray animals around us, with essentials like food and cover. If this is a feel-good factor for you too, do check if you would like to help those who are not as blessed as you are during this pandemic. I’m sure you will find many.
For those of you who are working from home, check out how you can meet work obligations with kids around you!
This list can also be used when you are waiting for hubby to get home or missing the kids who have gone for month-long camps. Do share if you have any more ideas on how to stay busy in addition to the above mentioned because I would love to know!
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[…] and Smule – Even if you have no kids, you can enjoy these for hours. Check here for more ideas on how to stay busy. Karaoke and Smule have kept us busy for 5 hours a day at times. I find it to be a stress buster […]
Yes we all are trying to keep ourselves busy in this lockdown. This is a great list of ideas you shared. I am trying cooking and diy activities to keep myself busy..
Cooking, painting and playing games are the activities that have kept us sane during the lockdown.
Thanks for the list but to be honest I’m left with No free time 🙈 busy with my little ones online class daily chores and what not.
Wow. Such an elaborate list. These days, during the lockdown that is, I try to watch Netflix, catch up on some sleep, do karaoke/singing whenever time permits, and also help my wife in cleaning. I am going to start working out as well.
Lockdown has definitely carved out the expert areas in all and gave us some valuable time to fine-tune them. I love crafts and tried many things that I wanted to do since many years.
Wow that’s a great list , singing and calling out friends worked best for me. Thanks for sharing.
Thia list is exhaustive..amazing what a detailed compilation you have done to be sure…I’ve been doing wfh but have to say this is really helpful for all the hours to fill otherwise
I think I have covered nearly everything frm this list. This lockdown is bringing out the chef, artist, interior designer and what not out of me
Totally helpful list , not only in this lockdown but many other times as well. Im busy doing some online courses & writing ! Also dabble in dancing & workout & some cooking. Planning on catching up more from list.
Thanks for sharing so many great and amazing ideas during the time of lockdown. Right now I am learning cooking these days and I am doing very well 🙂
Apart from cooking cleaning for a joint family and homeschooling, I neither left with any time or energy to indulge in any hobby. This is a great post though.
Those are some cool ideas for lockdown. Thanks for sharing 👍
A very useful article especially for this lockdown period. I am also pursuing many online courses and reading my favorite books to keep my self busy in a fruit full way.
I am cooking, reading books and completing online courses which would benefit me in the future. This list is surely helpful to all.
This is a very comprehensive list you have shared, Cindy. I am doing a lot of these. Videos, dance, art, cooking. But the thing is I am making time for these. Time is quite crucial now with so much of work that we are having to do due to the lockdown!!
Completing some online courses which I signed up way back is the no. 1 on my list too . Thanks for sharing the list .
You have covered almost all the interesting ways to stay busy in your list and after going through each one I think I have done a bit of everything during the last 3 months to keep myself busy.
These are some great ideas for time passing during lockdown time. I have tried listening to music, playing traditional games with my kiddo, watching tv series and catching some sleep. This lockdown has given sometime for us to pause.
Wonderful ideas Cindy, we are doing lot of things during the lockdown time. Beginning from morning virtual classes to evening co-curricular activities. I also enjoy reading and Netflixing. It is fun to have everyone at home at times.
Thanks for sharing this list it’s really helpful…I am doing my most favourite baking and it’s really helpful in keeping my calm
Its a tough time and with so much extra to do,this list is great for relaxation options.Thank you for sharing this list about lockdown entertainment options.
I was nodding through your post and have ticked off most of them from my list. There’s still a lot I know I can do though. I’m back to dancing, though it’s just a hobby.
Awesome. Do tag me in your videos in case you make any.
Great list Cindy! My husband is working so I feel the pressure and some kind of fear occasionally but I follow the same with my kids to get rid of the anxiety and negativity.
Its a tough time and with so much extra to do,this list is great for relaxation options.Thank you for sharing this list
Here we don’t have a lockdown but we are not stepping outside. I feel there is always a silver lining to every situation. Our current circumstances have given us plenty of time to indulge ourselves in those activities which we used to miss out on during post corona days. Well, I just finished A2Z challenge so I hardly used to have any time in hand. I am spending more time in generating content for my podcasts and recordings.
Really? Where do you live? I thought the whole world is in Lockdown mode.
Your list ensures there is something for everyone to keep themselves busy with in this Lockdown. I have done one big thing, cleared my phone gallery and pruned my contact list! Took me three days to do so, but so worth it!
Oh this I do every 2 or 3 days or on the weekends on normal days. I’m just continuing the same during lockdown. But that’s a good thing to do.
So many new ideas you have shared. I am currently cooking many new things indian as well as international dishes. It’s fun.i want to do some online courses but unable to get time.
I love the list you have shared. I am completing an online course I had enrolled for and now taking free classes in Origami. It has been mu childhood hobby and this is the right time to explore more in this field
Thanks for such a detailed list. I have been watching Blacklist too, such a fun show. Planning on taking up online Zumba next 🙂