I’ve worked from home for years, so I’m a black-belt boredom fighter. However, even I need help sometimes! There’s nothing quite like an Amazon package showing up on the doorstep to give a much-needed burst of dopamine in the middle of a long day. If you want something new and fun–or a treat to send a friend–I’ve got you covered.
I can’t say I recommend you cut your own bangs, but if you do, at least there’s a tool that can help. Much safer to stick with a treat for your feet or this kit that lets you play ping-pong on your kitchen table. Of course, it’s a time-honored tradition to eat junk food when bored, so I’ve set you up with the best way to make grilled cheese. Keep going for all my recommendations, chosen to make you smile and help pass the time!
Treat Your Cat to This Boredom-Busting Licking Mat
Cats get bored, too! Spread something yummy like peanut butter, pumpkin, or cream cheese on the Licking Mat to encourage leisurely licking. It’s a great way to reduce anxiety or destructive behavior in cats, and watching them enjoy the treat might calm you down, too.
Make Your Own Piece of Art With This Hands Casting Kit
When you have time on your hands, you may as well have plaster on your hands! Make a unique piece of art for your home with this hands casting kit. It includes everything you need and detailed instructions. Fun for couples or families!
Play Anywhere, Anytime With This Table Tennis Set
All you need is a table or big counter to play a rousing game of table tennis! This set includes a retractable net, paddles, balls, and storage bag. One Amazon reviewer praises it for “great durability, easy mobility, quick setup.”
Unlock a Higher Level of Laziness With This BedShelfie
When reaching for the bedside table or dresser is just too much effort, the BedShelfie is ready to shine. Clamp it onto your bed frame or rail to keep your favorite items handy day or night. Comes in four colors, plus a “slide style” for flat-base beds with no rail.
Add a Bottle of Your Favorite Beer to This Foolproof Beer Bread Mix
Hot, fresh bread right out of the oven sounds pretty good right about now. With this beer bread mix, you can make your own bread with only one ingredient: a 12-ounce bottle of beer (or any other carbonated beverage). Amazon reviewers are calling it delicious!
Reduce Eye Strain and Headaches With These Blue Light Blocking Glasses
Staring at a screen all day can cause visual fatigue and headaches. (I should know–I’m looking at a glowing laptop right now and, yep, my eyes are tired.) It’s smart to take visual breaks, and it also helps to wear blue light blocking glasses. This pair is affordable and pretty damn flattering–check out the user reviews to see them on lots of different people!
Treat Yourself (or a Chocoholic Friend) to This British Candy Bar Gift Pack
This is my kind of boredom buster! This chocolate bar gift pack includes 10 full-size Cadbury candy bars in an adorable box decorated with the Union Jack.
Craving a Pedicure? Relax at Home With This Bubbling Foot Spa
Whether it’s been a long hike, a long day, or you’re just in need of a little comfort, treating your feet is always recommended. This bubbling foot spa is surprisingly affordable and gets great reviews for the “strong bubbles” and being “simple and effective.”
Try Arm-Knitting With This Super-Chunky Yarn
Weave a blanket, rug, or pet bed using no tools–just your own arms! This big ball of super-chunky yarn comes in six colors and is machine washable (in fact, reviewers recommend using the dryer to fully fluff it up). There are tons of easy-to-follow videos online.
Trim Hair at Home With This CreaClip Hair Tool
A Shark Tank success, the CreaClip Hair Tool is designed to guide scissors for safe and even haircuts. Use it to give yourself bangs, add layers, or experiment on your hapless partner.
Keep Hands Busy While Watching TV With This Embroidery Starter Kit
Instead of playing on my phone while watching TV, I want to use the time more productively by making crafts. Embroidery is soothing, easy to learn, and results in something pretty you can hang on the wall (can’t say that about Candy Crush!). This starter kit includes everything you need to make three projects.
Exercise Your Brain With This Escape Room in a Box
The Exit Game is designed to be played only once, because it’s very hands-on, and you alter (sometimes destroy!) the contents as you gradually solve the mystery. You can play it alone or with a group of up to four people. Older kids can play with some extra help.
Cheer Up Your Table With These Multi-Colored Felt Coasters
When I feel dreary, a splash of color in my space can help brighten things up. These felt coasters are not only fun to look at, but also useful! They’re scratch-free and absorbent, so they protect your table from water rings.
Sweeten Drinks Naturally With These Flavored Honey Sticks
These flavored honey sticks are a fun and unique way to add natural sweetness to tea or cocktails, or to enjoy all on their own. This pack includes ten sticks of each flavor: clover, cinnamon, orange, lemon, and ginger.
Build Your Own Central Perk With This Friends LEGO Set
Next time you sit down to watch Friends, enhance your binge with this adorable Friends LEGO set. Build your very own Central Perk complete with all the right details, including mini-figures of the six friends, their favorite couch, and plenty of coffee mugs.
This Fruit Infusion Pitcher Will Help You Drink More Water
I’ve discovered a secret. If I load up this fruit infusion pitcher with fresh fruit and ice water, then leave it out on the kitchen counter, my whole family (myself included!) drinks a lot more water. That’s healthier for all of us, and saves money on expensive bottled drinks, too!
Orange You Glad You Can Now Take Calls on a Banana Phone?
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been wanting to put a banana in my ear ever since I saw Bert and Ernie try it. Dreams become reality with this awesome banana phone, the world’s first wireless bluetooth mobile headset shaped like a banana!
Make Delicious Sandwiches at Home With This Grilled Cheese Toaster
All you need is bread, cheese, and this genius appliance to make two grilled cheese sandwiches at a time. The toaster baskets are designed to hold the layers securely in place during toasting (some users recommend lightly buttering the bread first so it crisps up). Need another reason? You won’t believe the price!
Grow Your Own Herbal Tea
If you love tea and are very patient, this may be the perfect project for you! This herbal tea garden includes everything you need to grow four herbs that make delicious tea: chamomile, lavender, lemon, and mint.
Put Your Free Time to Good Use With This Hot Sauce Making Kit
Why buy a bottle of hot sauce when you can make your own custom blends? This hot sauce making kit comes with ingredients, bottles, and directions to set you up with multiple flavors.
Tackle Your Junk Drawer With These Interlocking Drawer Organizers
It’s time to bring order to chaos! With these interlocking drawer organizers, you can clean up the junk drawer or other problem areas in your home. The organizers can be fitted together in multiple configurations to suit your drawer and contents.
Practice Mindfulness and Gratitude With This Journal for Self-Exploration
Daily journaling helps you feel better and achieve goals, but a blank book can be intimidating. That’s why this journal for self-exploration, Start Where You Are, is a great solution even for people new to journaling. It provides prompts and ideas to inspire thoughtful writing and deeper self-knowledge.
Spell It Out Nice and Bright With These Light-Up Letters
A fun accent to any room, these light-up letters are an affordable and creative way to add meaningful glow to your space. Keep it simple with your initial, or go nuts and spell out your entire name or favorite word. Check the user reviews for all the creative ideas other customers have!
Take a Virtual Vacation With This Mini Sandbox
No vacation, no problem! Enjoy a moment of beachy zen by playing with this mini sandbox. It includes accessories, shells, and tools, along with the sand, so you can set up your own customized scene.
Been Washing Your Hands a Lot? Rejuvenate With This Moisturizing Hand Treatment
If all the hand-washing and sanitizing has left you with dry hands, you’ll love this moisturizing hand treatment. The disposable gloves are filled with collagen-rich ingredients that restore moisture and softness to hands.
Give Furniture an Extreme Makeover With This Peel & Stick Wallpaper
Want to try a DIY project with a big impact? Get this peel & stick wallpaper to add a focal point to your room or makeover a piece of furniture. Check out the product images and user reviews for lots of ideas!
Challenge Yourself to the Pure White Hell Jigsaw Puzzle
I don’t know why you would want to do this to yourself, but if you’re a glutton for punishment, go ahead and order this Pure White Hell Jigsaw Puzzle. As the name suggests, it’s an unrelieved expanse of pure white cut into 1,00o pieces. Enjoy.
This Shocktato Takes the Game of Hot Potato to a New, Painful Level
Shocktato takes the old game of hot potato and amps it up with a literally shocking feature. It includes three modes: extreme (silent and painful), normal (music and a shocking finish), or lame (music only, for small kids or fearful adults).
Enjoy Cleaner, Clearer Skin With This Vibrating Facial Brush
If you’ve been studying your pores lately, you may feel in need of a better skincare routine. That’s where this vibrating silicone brush comes in! Charge it up, then use it to wash your face gently and thoroughly. Don’t worry, it’s very affordable!
Operate Appliances Remotely With Smart Plugs
Set up your home with smart plugs to make life easier and more fun! Perfect for lights and appliances, they work with Alexa and other virtual assistants and apps.
Update Your Kitchen Appliances With This Stainless Steel Paint
If you want to upgrade your appliances on a budget, this stainless steel paint can help! Includes base coat and top coat to result in a brushed stainless finish. Check out the before and after photos for inspiration!
Do Your Own Manicure With These Easy-to-Apply Nail Stickers
Nail wraps are easy to apply and give a fun burst of color to your hands. This 14-pack of nail stickers is not only a great value, but will give you plenty to do while binge-watching TV.
Keep Your Hands Busy While Watching TV With This True Balance Game
Equally fun for kids or adults, the True Balance game challenges you to stack and balance smooth wood disks on a hand-held base. Amazon reviewers call it, “great family fun” and “the best toy ever.”
This Entertaining Book Answers the Question, What If?
How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live? If there was a robot apocalypse, how long would humanity last? The book What If? by Randall Munroe provides serious scientific answers to absurd hypothetical questions. Fascinating and fun to read!
Start a New Hobby With This Whittling Kit for Beginners
Whittle away the boredom with this carving kit for beginners! It includes wood, tools, and instructions to help you carve your very own bird.
Make Someone Laugh With This You’ve Been Poisoned Mug
If you’re sheltering at home with a partner or roommate, there are bound to be moments of tension. Make them laugh (nervously, perhaps) with this coffee mug. It looks so very plain and simple, but it includes a special message printed inside for them to discover after drinking the contents.
These Fuzzy Socks Are Infused With Lavender and Vitamin E
Keep your feet warm and moisturized with these fuzzy socks infused with real lavender and Vitamin E. They come in several cozy colors to choose from, and make a thoughtful gift for a friend or relative also stuck at home.