Recommended ways to kill time that you can do alone at home
Hey you over there, lounging around at home with nothing in particular to do, thinking “I’m bored…”! Here are some easy ways to kill time without even leaving the house.
Maybe your plans with friends didn’t work out, or you just can’t be bothered to go out—there are plenty of times when you end up bored at home, right? For those moments, we’ve gathered activities you can enjoy by yourself at home.
From little things that let you forget the busyness of everyday life, to tasks that deliberately get you moving instead of taking it slow.
Everything here will help you make your free time feel worthwhile.
Give them a try!
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- Perfect for killing time! Games you can play with two people.
Recommended ways to kill time you can do alone at home (31–40)
Ball games you can play alone
Here are five ball games you can play by yourself! First: kick the ball yourself, run, and pass it through your legs.
You’ll use your head, too, as you think about how hard to kick.
Second: toss the ball up and pass it through your arms—moving your body is the key.
Third: balance one ball on top of another and keep it still.
Fourth: hold the ball above your head, bend your body backward, pass it through your legs, and catch it—great for flexibility.
Finally, a game using a hula hoop: while the hoop is spinning, move the ball.
You don’t need to throw or kick hard to have fun with any of these, so give them a try!
Make and Play! Solo Balloon Volleyball
Balloon Volleyball is a game kids can play on their own using a balloon and a rubber band.
It’s fun indoors not only for elementary schoolers but also for younger children.
For example, by connecting balloons with a rubber band, kids can tap or return incoming balloons gently, which helps them control their strength and play safely.
Watching the balloon float softly and chasing it slowly also naturally nurtures focus and a sense of timing.
You can even try kicking it like in soccer—simple tweaks make it a game you can enjoy over and over.
It’s perfect for indoor play, so give it a try!
Traditional playground games techniques
Kendama and spinning tops may seem difficult at first, but when you keep trying and finally succeed, you’ll feel a real sense of “I did it!” As you practice, you steadily develop fine finger movements, body balance, and hand-eye timing—that’s a key benefit.
Focusing while you play also nurtures perseverance and a never-give-up attitude.
If you practice and show off your tricks with friends or family, their “That’s awesome!” will give you courage and confidence.
These toys help both mind and body grow while having fun, so give them a try!
Shrinky dink crafts with everyday materials
Everyday items can actually be used as materials for shrink plastic crafts.
There are many types of plastic, and not all of them will work.
Polystyrene is fine.
Check the symbol on the container carefully when choosing.
Once you find something usable, draw on it just like you would with regular shrink plastic.
Polystyrene cups shrink and crumple into a rounded shape as they bake, which is fun to watch.
Be careful, though—aluminum foil can sometimes stick! You can turn them into coasters or make a toy wristwatch.
Before you throw containers away, be sure to check them and give this a try!
New block play
Here’s a new way to play: use a construction toy as the base and run a Plarail track underneath like a bridge! It feels like an idea you could have thought of, yet somehow hadn’t.
Construction toys also help nurture children’s thinking skills.
How can we make it taller? Will it collapse? As kids stack blocks while pondering these questions, they start inventing ways to make it sturdier.
Another great point for indoor play is how absorbing it can be—when they’re focused, they can forget the time.
After fixing and rebuilding it over and over, finally completing it with a triumphant “We did it!” brings a huge sense of accomplishment.
If you’ve got these toys at home, give it a try!
Explore
This is a site where you can enjoy real-time footage of natural landscapes and wildlife from around the world.
Because you can watch live streams of stunning natural scenery and animals, you’ll feel as if you’re actually there.
A variety of videos are available—such as nighttime flamingos and manatees under the sea—letting you easily experience breathtaking views and ecosystems that are hard to see in everyday life.
It’s perfect for when you’re stressed or want to relax, offering excellent soothing effects.
For people who want a taste of travel or who love nature and animals, it’s the ultimate time-killing site that you can enjoy without getting bored.
GeoGuessr
It’s a world-exploration location-guessing game that uses Google Street View.
Players are dropped at a random spot somewhere on the globe and, using the surrounding scenery as clues, try to guess where they are by pinpointing the location on a map.
It’s simple yet surprisingly deep, and as you infer from cityscapes, signs, climate, and more, you naturally pick up geographic knowledge.
One of its charms is that by observing unfamiliar countries and streets, you can feel like you’re traveling the world.
This site lets you explore the globe in a game-like way, making it a perfect pastime for geography enthusiasts and anyone who wants to enjoy a bit of virtual travel.
NHK High School Course
This is a convenient site where you can learn high school subjects through archived streaming.
You can watch classes on a wide range of school subjects for free, structured to cover everything from the basics to advanced topics.
Because the lessons are in video format, they’re easy to understand and feel close to actual classroom instruction.
It’s great for review, overcoming weak areas, and studying for certification exams.
It’s suitable not only for students but also for adults looking to relearn, and you can casually study fields that interest you.
It’s a site where you can enjoy educational content when you want to deepen your knowledge or spend your free time productively.
OpenRailwayMap
An online map that displays the world’s railway infrastructure in detail.
It leverages OpenStreetMap data, allowing you to closely examine line types, signaling systems, and operating status.
It shows everything from urban subways and regional local lines to high-speed rail routes, making it a valuable resource for rail enthusiasts.
If you’re interested in overseas railways in particular, you can take a careful look at networks in countries you don’t usually see, which may lead to new discoveries.
It’s also a useful site for travelers and railfans to compare railways around the world and plan their next trip.
Webcams of the World
World webcams that let you enjoy real-time footage from around the globe.
You can watch city scenes in Los Angeles, the beautiful beaches of Phuket in Thailand, the vibrant streets of Brazil, and more—live from all over the world.
Because you can sense local weather and changes throughout the day, it’s perfect for when you want to feel like you’re traveling.
You’ll see cityscapes and landscapes you don’t normally encounter, letting you relax and take in a foreign atmosphere.
This site, which lets you easily check in on the world during breaks in a busy day, is the perfect time-killer for travel enthusiasts and anyone interested in other cultures.