Bored with nothing to do and too much time on your hands? This article introduces time-killing toys that will fill those idle moments.
We’ve gathered a variety of toys, from brain teasers that give your mind a workout to stress-relief gadgets.
There are options perfect for keeping your kids entertained, too! When it comes to killing time, we tend to reach for smartphone games, but once you get into the kind of analog games we’re about to introduce, you might find yourself completely hooked.
Be sure to give them a try!
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- [Solo Time] A roundup of ways to kill time without using your smartphone
- Simple and easy! Crafts perfect for killing time
- Single-player games: a roundup of time-killing games
- A roundup of games and recreational activities for relieving stress
- A special feature on nostalgic toys and the trends we craved as kids—loads of the things we wanted back then are here!
- [For Adults] Fun recreational games. Perfect for short breaks too!
- Brain-teasing game roundup
- Indoor games for parents and children: fun activities that use the body and the mind
- [Starting Today!] Recommended Ways to Kill Time on Sleepless Nights
- Kill time while waiting or stuck in traffic! A roundup of games four people can play
- Fun for kids and adults alike! A collection of DIY beanbag (otedama) ideas
- [Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
Recommended toys to kill time. Also great for stress relief (1–10)
Infinity Cube
The endlessly unfolding infinity cube is a type of fidget toy for passing the time.
How to play is super simple: just open the cube vertically and horizontally.
If you keep your hands moving without thinking too hard, your stress and restlessness might gradually ease.
Unlike a Rubik’s Cube, there’s no goal like “matching colors,” so you can simply enjoy the movement.
As long as you supervise to make sure it doesn’t go in the mouth, it’s something you can enjoy playing with even with small children.
Squeeze
Squeezes, those irresistibly tactile toys, spread worldwide thanks to overseas YouTube videos and have become hugely popular in Japan too.
They’re perfect for passing the time when your hands feel idle or when you’re stressed.
You can even make your own squeezes if you have slow-rebound sponge, paint, markers, and the like! It’s also a great idea to try crafting an original squeeze based on your favorite character or food.
Just be careful not to create so many that cleaning them up becomes a source of stress instead!
tape ball
The tape ball that went viral in videos by famous influencers and creators! Many of you have probably thought, “I’ve never made one, but I’ve seen it countless times in videos,” right? You roll up only the adhesive side of vinyl tape, layering it over and over and shaping it into a ball.
If you use a few different colors, you’ll see beautiful layers when you make the final cut! If you score the side with a utility knife, multiple layers of tape will seem to burst out from the inside like a living creature! Thanks to its massive popularity, there are even “tape ball–specific tapes” on the market now, so give it a try.
fidget cube
A fidget cube you can touch, press, and twist for fun! “Fidget” refers to a type of toy you can fiddle with to feel a bit calmer and pass the time.
As its name suggests, the fidget cube is shaped like a die, with different mechanisms on each face.
You can roll a steel-ball-like part, rub a textured surface, or click little buttons… Nothing in particular happens, but it just feels good somehow—an ideal toy for zoning out and pleasantly passing the time.
Snake cube
Popular as an educational toy, the Snake Cube is a toy that lets you create various shapes by twisting a cube made of small tetrahedral or cubic parts.
As its name suggests, you can wiggle it like a snake to make all kinds of shapes—rockets, balls, hearts, flamingos, and more! For those who enjoy puzzles, it’s the perfect way to pass the time.
Since the difficulty varies depending on what you make, why not start by challenging yourself to transform it from its long, rod-like state into a cohesive form like a large cube?
Peg Solitaire
Peg solitaire is a single-player board game in which you move pegs placed on a board with holes.
You start with pegs in every hole except the center.
Whenever there are two adjacent pegs with an empty hole immediately beyond them, you can move one peg by jumping over the other into the empty hole.
The jumped peg is removed from the board.
Repeat this process, and if you can end with exactly one peg remaining in the center hole, you win! It’s not a head-to-head game, but it requires strategic movement and brainpower, so if you want to focus intensely on one task while passing the time, give it a try!
Pop tube
Pop tubes are fun, corrugated plastic tubes you can bend and play with! Every time you fold them, the oddly satisfying “pop” and “crackle” sounds and tactile feel become addictive—perfect for passing the time.
Thinner tubes make higher-pitched sounds, while thicker tubes produce lower ones, so it’s fun to collect a few types and enjoy the differences.
Their simple design makes them safe and easy to play with, so they’re great for enjoying with kids, too.
Why not try them as a stress-relief tool as well?
Rubik’s Cube
The Rubik’s Cube has enjoyed high popularity for many years, with official world tournaments being held.
It’s an ideal toy for stimulating the brain: it helps train logical thinking and can improve reasoning skills.
The rule—matching colors—is simple, but completing the cube requires skills like anticipating several moves ahead, so it’s by no means easy.
For some people, it might even become a source of stress—“I can’t do this!”—but in terms of getting absorbed in something, it’s perfect for passing the time.
Why not start by trying to solve just one face first?
puzzle ring
When it comes to simple games that are perfect for brain training or passing the time, the classic “disentanglement puzzle” (chiebukuro/chi eno wa) has long been a favorite.
That satisfying rush when a ring that seems stuck suddenly slips free is irresistible, isn’t it? These days, you can even find a variety of shapes and difficulty levels at 100-yen shops, so if you’re thinking, “I haven’t played in a while,” be sure to stop by.
If you use a disentanglement puzzle to both kill time and stimulate your brain—and relieve some stress while you’re at it—you might just greet tomorrow with a sharp mind and a refreshed mood!
3D maze
A 3D maze where you manipulate a sphere to guide the ball inside to the goal! Set the ball at the start position and follow the numbers to navigate the maze within the sphere.
If the ball slips off the course along the way, it’s an immediate out—you’ll have to start over.
You may feel the frustration of not being able to touch it directly, but the moment you steer the ball to the goal, you’re guaranteed a rush of satisfaction! It’s the perfect maze for whiling away a weekend at home with your kids—give it a try.