Staying Entertained With These 8 Fun Activities To Do At Home

Are you bored yet?! Many of us haven’t experienced staying home days on end since we were preschoolers. It’s not shocking that we’re all maybe a little stir crazy! I made it to day 10 before I wanted to tear my hair out over Jackson and Harper’s shenanigans. I’m calling that a win because I made it to double digits! 😂 Since this looks like it will be the new normal for a while (seriously, please stay home and help #flattenthecurve), here are some fun things you can do to keep yourself and your loved ones entertained!

1. Puzzles and Board Games

Drag out your stack of puzzles and board games. There’s nothing like a little competitive family time to keep things interesting! Jackson and Harper are both at an age now that they can handle playing some games on their own which is nice! Until they start arguing about who is cheating. 🤣 Which works great while Jon and I play our own adult version of Tetris where we rearrange everything in our kitchen cabinets and drawers since we’ve painted everything. We only have a few items that are winning and we’re puzzling over where to make them fit! Basically what I’m saying is things are getting wild around here LOL!

2. Home Projects

Do you have small projects around the house that have been on your to-do list forever that won’t break the bank? Jon and I have wanted to paint our kitchen basically since we moved into our house almost five years ago. He gets restless without something to do for long periods of time so one night over dinner we joked that he had all the free time he needed to finally do it. The joke turned reality when he went out the next day to get all the supplies we’d need (that was 11 days ago so long before we had orders to stay at home, so please don’t hassle me about it). While it’s still a work in progress, we LOVE how it’s turned out and find an excuse to hang out in the kitchen. 😂

3. Creative Projects

Speaking of projects…handy with a needle? Does putting paint to canvas relax you?? Now’s the perfect time to start or catch up on those craft projects you’ve been daydreaming about creating. And are no doubt stacked up in a closet or guest room somewhere? I’m team up with my good friend Christy over at Creative in Bloom to do some virtual work of flatlay templates she needs to update her website shop. It was so fun and soothing to take time to myself to be creative and have something to photograph!

4. Do A Photo Challenge

This is a unique time in our history, document it! Set a 5, 7, 10-day challenge up to document one thing each day you want to remember about your quarantine. Flex those creative muscles! It can be as simple as the assortment of food you stockpiled, the lines/empty shelves at the store, the new board game you tried, the friend you made across your balcony while self-distancing, a news headline, and so much more. We as humans have evolved to wanting that in-depth look behind the scenes of everything. We’re also in a digital age that can’t bear to put our phones down without grabbing “the” shot. Here is a simple 5-day challenge as an example. Make sure to tag @courtneycarneyphoto if you use it, so I can see all your photos!:

1. Your work from home setup

2. Most random or favorite food you stocked up on

3. Black & white photo

4. Your favorite view in your house

5. Your snuggle buddy (spouse, kids, pets, etc.)

5. Reading

If you’re anything like me, you have a revolving stack of books on your end table that you just don’t give yourself the time to enjoy as you want. Take a day to throw your to-do list out the window and crack those puppies open!! There’s nothing more enjoyable to me than cuddling up in bed or on the couch and reading!

6. Virtual Date Night

Grab a glass of wine or late night coffee and plan a virtual date night with family or friends! We’ve spent the last couple of days on FaceTime with some of our family members showing off crafts, home projects, and just goofing around. I’m working to plan a virtual date with my photog besties since we won’t be able to get together for a branding session/dinner this month. Social distancing is hard, especially for all you extroverts out there, but technology makes it easy to stay connected if you plan out time to do it!!

 How are you keeping yourself entertained at home? Are there any fun things I’ve missed?! Let me know in the comments!

Much love and stay safe friends,