Fun Things to Do at Home: 5 Affordable & Creative Ways to Keep Yourself Busy This Fall by Debra Ferrie

Fall has finally arrived! Rather than doing the same old things, why not find some new things to keep yourself (and your family) busy this fall and winter?

• Try some DIY with food growing kits. I recently stumbled across a company offering grow kits and seedlings and found it fascinating. You can order kits and learn how to grow mushrooms, hydroponic herbs, microgreens and more – all in your house. Growing foods and herbs is something we should all learn to do. Give it a Google! Herbs are easy and fun to grow and may even inspire you to cook more. This is also a fantastic idea for teaching children how things grow, where food comes from and how to take care of things. Lavender DIY planters can inspire crafting and will make your home smell fabulous, too.
  

• Learn to play a musical instrument. How many times have you thought, ”I wish I could play…” Well, now’s your chance! Music stores rent almost any instrument or you can invest in the instrument if you choose. Be it guitar or piano or tuba, you can even find hundreds of free music lessons on YouTube or hire a virtual instructor. Music fosters creativity, relaxation and inspiration. You may even find you have a hidden talent. This is another activity that’s great for kids. Hands-on learning is fun for them and can inspire their creativity, too.
  

• Take online courses. This is huge nowadays. Know why? We can take courses in just about anything and everything you have ever heard of! Whether it’s free or for a fee, you can get a certification or just learn some new stuff that interests you. There is something for everyone. Learn computer programming or take a fitness classes, take a cooking classes or learn to paint, meditate or coach others. Plus hundreds more options. During a pandemic, taking advantage of learning a new skill can even open up a new career option for you. Expand your brain! Courses on ancient history, gardening, learning a new language, money management or the history of jazz music can keep you immersed for hours at a time.

• Invest in monthly subscription kit. Here’s another activity that has dozens of options! Order one or two a month for activities to keep you busy. I’ve seen cooking and baking boxes, woodworking, knitting, art boxes, paper crafting, sketching and more. Boxes for kids include many of the same types of items. You can keep your minds active, explore new hobbies and have family bonding time (or alone time, however you want to work it!).
  

• Earn some money selling unwanted items online. So many of us are cleaning out. Doesn't it feel good? You can start a little business or simply make a few bucks by listing your unwanted items online. From Craigslist to OfferUp to eBay to Facebook groups, there are quite a few options to sell. You can choose to ship items or sell to local people. If you are not interested in making money, your “trash” maybe someone’s treasure as you offer it as a free item. It feels great to clean out and even better to know the product will be used and enjoyed by someone else.

These ideas can make long days feel more exciting, inspiring and less boring. Of course, there's always snuggling up with a good book, family game night and s'mores at the firepit!

Note: 30Seconds is a participant in the Amazon affiliate advertising program and this post contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission or fees if you make a purchase via those links. 

Take 30 seconds and join the 30Seconds community, and follow us on Facebook to get inspiration in your newsfeed daily. Inspire and be inspired.