101 actually fun things to do when you’re stuck at home this weekend (2024)

Science fiction isn’t all spaceships and space battles (though there is a lot of that), and when it’s good, it’s a proper escape from the real world. But what makes it really special is its subject matter.Whether it’s gender politics, racism, environmental collapse or capitalism, science fiction is full of fables that tell us about humanity right now, and where it’s going. Don’t know your Asimov from your elbow? We’ve rounded up 100 of thebest sci-fi movies of all timeand ten of thebest science fiction books for beginners.

Could 2022 be the year you actually get into running? Probably not, but hey, optimism! If you are thinking about, y’know, just going for it, you might now be wondering how the hell you actually get started. Well, one Time Out writer has gone from total running sceptic to legit marathon completer –here’s how you could, too. And if running doesn’t quite sound like your bag,we’ve also put together beginners’ guides toyoga,lifting weights, cycling for fitnessandoutdoor swimming.

Okay, so by now you’re probably sick of cooking yourself the same meals over and over again. That means your repertoire in the kitchen is probably due a refresh. At the end of last year, we asked Time Out staff around the world to tell us about the best cookbooks they relied on to get them through 2021. See what takes your fancy – and bon appétit!

Something about lifting weights can feel intimidating. Maybe it’s because you don’t know how to use the equipment. Or because people in the weights area often do a lot of grunting. Don’t let that put you off, though. Thesefive tips from a newly converted weightlifterare a great way to get started.When done right, lifting isabout celebrating what your body can do – and that can only be a good thing.

Just because you’re stuck at home, doesn't mean you have to miss out on some of the world’s most beautiful natural wonders.Thanks to Explore.com, you can now live-stream the Northern Lights straight into your front room. The live cam is located at the Churchill Northern Studies Center in Manitoba, Canada,directly underneath the aurora oval. With the arctic dark most of the day and the skies clear, now’s the perfect time to tune in.

Magazines are brilliant: little bundles of paper filled with countless ideas and images and writing. They’re places of comfort and safety and distraction, something to turn to when everything feels a little overwhelming and scary. So what better way to distract ourselves from these wackadoodle times than with a selection of amazing art publications that you can get sent right to your door?

Just when you thought Cluedo-style mysteries would be limited to figuring out who got into your stash of quarantine snacks, UK company Red Herring Games has come through. Describing itself as offering ‘the best in murder mystery entertainment’, Red Herring’s multilayered games can now be adapted for virtual gatherings with the assistance of Zoom or Google Hangouts. We recommend the ‘Great British Bump Off’.

Completed Netflix? Struggling to concentrate on a book? Podcasts will almost certainlybe the answer. Pop one of these amazing podcasts in your earholes and you’ll be immediately transported from your poky apartment to somewhere much more interesting. Tune into anything and everything from uplifting tales of human connection on ‘Modern Love’ to 25 years’ worth ofthe inspirational‘This American Life’.

Say goodbye to your sad Quarantini. The home bar has taken centre stage as watering holes experience uncertainty the world over. But what do you put in the shaker when all you have at home is some vodka, a sad lemon and a few half-empty bottles of liqueur? Bartenders have turned to social media to share their recipes and tips, and some are even taking requests in real-time so we can all drink better while social distancing. Here are some thirst-quenching resources, whether you want to set up thatvirtual happy hour or simply want to pour yourself one.

No Nihongo? No problem. Learning Japanese has never been easier thanks toa vast array of online resources including websites, videos, podcasts and even apps to helpyou speak and understand it. There’s something out there for everyone, whether you’re a beginner looking to pick up a few useful phrases for your trip to Tokyo, or just looking to brush up on your rusty command of the language. Here’s a list of online resources covering a range of proficiencies – all of which are free.

WhenCirque du Soleil wasn’t able to perform to live audiences, the world-famous circus tookthe show online. The iconictroupe set up a streaming platformto host its larger-than-life shows, so head over toCirqueConnectand get signed up. While the tension and spectacle will never be the same as the live events, at least these are completely free.

All over the USA, there are hotels and resorts with live webcams offering mesmerising views of their surroundings. Think stretches of sandy beaches, majestic mountain vistas and placid lake scenery that (sort of) make it seem like you’re really there. Sure, cams can’t quite replace the feeling of reclining in the sun or shooting down a slope on skis – but they are free and, let’s face it, the next best thing when actual travel is out of the question.

What about using all this free time you suddenly have to give your pad a thorough spring-clean? It may not sound like fun, but there’s nothing like a freshly Marie Kondo’d apartment to put the spring back into your step – particularly since you’re spending a little more time there than usual. And if youturn up plenty of clothes and other objects in good nickthat you don’t want any more, make sure tostart a giveaway pile to donate to a charity shop when this is all over. Here are the best thrift shops in London, New York and Singapore.

While restaurants, hotels and amusem*nt parks have been closed as much as open over the last two years, they’ve been sharing their most famous recipes to help you recreate their famous dishes at home. So why not test your culinary skills and yourbrand loyalty by having a crack at Disneyland’s churros, Shake Shack’s signature burger or Pizza Express’s dough balls? There are even recipes out there for McDonald’s McMuffinsand Ikea meatballs. At this rate, you’ll never need to eat out again.

To try and make staying at homea little more bearable, British artists Antony Gormley, Grayson Perry, Gillian Wearing and others cametogether to create a free, downloadable activity book. It’s called ‘Art Is Where the Home Is’ and the idea is that every project can fit on a single A4 sheet of paper, and you won’t need any special materials. The activities are a bit more leftfield than dot-to-dots or colouring in: Antony Gormley’s task involves making a daisy chain of people, while Harold Offeh wants you to create an album cover. Are the ideas mostly aimed at children? Yes. But don’t let that stop you.

Cut through the gloom with the words of a man who knew a thing or two about plagues: Mr William Shakespeare. ‘The Show Must Go Online’ was a digital project led by classical actor and director Robert Myles that aimed to bring The Bard’s words to life. Professional actors and experienced amateurs were invited to sign up to do a weekly reading, and the public could follow along on YouTube.As of September 2021, the project has finally come to a close – but happily, everything is still on YouTube.

Some people eat in times of crisis,and other people bake. Based on what we’ve seen on the internet over the past year or so, lots of peoplefall into the latter camp.These stressed, intrepid, creative pastry wizards have really found a way to make this whole isolation thing more entertaining with their clever cakes.Want some inspiration for your own?These are some of the funniest quarantine cakes we’ve found online.

If you’re anything like us, you’re already thinking about all the placesyou want tovisitonce this is all over. And who better to ask for tips than a set of award-winning travel writers? We’ve spoken tofiveto get their top travel recommendation: their favourite place on the planet. Just the stuff for a post-isolation bucket list, if you ask us.

Why not use all that time we usually spend socialising to learn something new? And you might as well learn from the best, we say. The eight Ivy League colleges across the US –Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Princeton and Yale –are offering 450 free online courses that are just the right amount of challenging to take our minds off the manic world around us.

If you’re usually wary of the karaoke crowds, now’s the time to choose (and ace) your go-to belter. Yet to decide? No fret –we’ve assembled a list of the best karaoke songs ever, from raucous party songs you can sing while tipsy to tender love songs for serenading your boo. Karaoke versions of all of them are widely available online.

Netflix has revitalised the documentary industry. ‘Making a Murderer’ became a global talking point overnight, followed by exclusives like ‘13th’, ‘Amanda Knox’ and ‘Tiger King’, while the streaming site’s archive of great docs has proven enormously popular. But which of these true tales are worth 90 or more minutes of your precious time? From genre-defining classics to intimate personal studies, these are thebest documentaries to stream right now on Netflix in the UK and US.

We have all watched a lot of TV over the last two years. Some of us have watched all of it – seriously, you should see the end credits when you complete TV – and at a time when we’ve been stuck at home this so-called golden age of television has never felt so burnished and shiny. From recent streaming hits likeSex EducationandThe Crownto established masterpieces likeThe WireandSix Feet Under, the choices are almost limitless. But the unique circ*mstances of 2020 drew us to old favourites like cats to a radiator – as much for their familiar comforts as their guaranteed quality. 2021 was a little better, but quality is quality, no matter the circ*mstances. You sworeit would never happen, but perhaps it really could be time toqueueupGame of Thrones.

Not quite into the swing of working from home? Perhaps you need a stack of absolutely massive bangers to jump-start your brain. We’ve compiled a playlist that gets the job done while obeying the golden rule of motivational playlists: a certain amount of cheese is essential, but you don’t want to overload it. And yes, it does kick off with ‘Work from Home’ by Fifth Harmony, because, well, we’re only human.

Cooped up inside with cabin fever? Had all your holiday plans ruined? We’re right there with you. But there’s no time like a lockdown to dream about your next extravagant getaway. We’ve picked out 16 amazing city breaks for 2022(when you can): fingers crossed we’ll all be able to go travel crazy sometime vaguely soon.

Hanamiflower-viewing parties and sakura festivals have been cancelled all over Japan – but that doesn’t mean you can’t still get your fill of beautiful cherry blossom. The country’s Weather News channel has released 50 VR videos that explore the best blossom spots throughout Japan, with stunning 360-degree views and some very soothing background music. Bliss.

Thank goodness for streaming: it’s letmany of the world’s best theatres broadcast previous shows while shut down. You can watch plays online fromBerlin’s cutting-edge Schaubühne, whileLondon’s National Theatre has even set up its own streaming platform. Withstages opening and closing and opening again to an extent that it’s actually quite confusing, perhaps at-home theatre could be here to stay.

One silver lining of living through a pandemic in the age of the internet is that, though you may be self-isolating, you can still (sort of) get that much-needed dose of the great outdoors. Thanks to Google Earth, you can now virtually tour 31 of the USA’s greatest national parks, from the Virgin Islands to Mount Rainier in Washington State. Click on your chosen park and you’ll be whisked away to your destination.

Need a break from reality? Try ‘Quick, Draw!’, a free-to-play game that doubles up as an AI experiment to see if a ‘neural network’ can learn to recognise human doodles. It’s basically playing Pictionary with a robot and is stupidly addictive and weirdly mindful. We’re hooked.

Since you might not fancytraipsing aroundyour favourite museums right now,here’s an incredible online art exhibition dedicated to everyone’s favourite monobrowed modern art master: Frida Kahlo. For ‘Faces of Frida’, Google Arts and Culture have brought together 33 museums from around the world to share their Kahlo archives. You can browse 800 works by the Mexican artist, but also lots of biographical elements (personal objects, letters, journal extracts).

You know those films you’ve been meaning to watch for years? The iconic ones you kinda pretend you’ve seen, the really long Oscar-worthy ones, the difficult watches you were never quite in the mood for? Now’s the time. No excuses: check out our picks of the best movies on Netflix US, Netflix UK and Amazon Prime UK right now, and get watching.

Thanks to Spotify and other streaming services, everyone’s a DJ these days. But this doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to cobble together dodgy party playlists filled with soggy bops and half-arsed nearly-bangers. To help you make sure your (very exclusive, residents-only) house party goes off like a frog in a sock, we’ve put together this ultimate list of surefire floor-fillers. Just remember to think of your playlist like a spag bol: a little bit of cheese is a fine addition, but too much can be overpowering.

Their audiences may have been kept at home, but temples of high culture have fought back hard against the global lockdown. New York’s Metropolitan Opera is raiding its archives and streaming free daily productions from the award-winning ‘Live in HD’ series, whileLondon’s Royal Opera House has also been streaming past productions.Coolest of all, they’re all filmed from the best seats in the house –no opera glasses needed.

As we know pretty well by now, real life and current affairs can really get you down. For many of us,Netflix is the antidote and escapism we need from daily life. However, with so many titlesto choose from, it can be hard to know whichfilmswill leave your spirits high.From wild action comedies such as ‘Charlie’s Angels’to movie musicals like ‘La La Land’, here’s ourguideto the 25 best feelgood movies streaming on Netflix in the UK and US.

If you’ve been itching tostretch your creative muscles, now is most certainly the time. You can easily order art materials online. But you’ll alsoneed some inspiration – and we recommend the Google Arts & Culture Zoom-in guided tours, which provide super-high-resolution images of paintings:you canget close enough to see brushstrokes. What better way to figure out how to use a brush than learning from the best?

Why the hell not, eh?Japanese authorHaruki Murakami is passionate about music and songs play an important role in almost all of his stories. Happily for die-hard Murakami fans(and anyone who just likes good music), Spotify user Masamaro Fujiki has compiled all the songs Murakami has written about in his stories into one playlist. It all adds up to nearly ten solid days of music, which should squash that ‘What should we listen to?’ question for a while.

Having a little trouble unwinding at the moment? YouTube is our go-to source for all kinds of soothing content. ASMR communities have quietly been setting up camp in this corner of the internet for years now. These are the chillest channels and most blissful standalone clips we’ve found online.

We don’t need to tell you that streaming service Netflix has been a wonderful friendduring this crisis – you’ve probably got half an eye on it right now – but did you know you can have a Netflix party with your mates? The Netflix Party app, available on Chrome, lets you stream Netflix in unison with your pals. Anyone can play and pause the video for everyone else, and there’s a chat window so you can all wittily discuss what’s happening on-screen in real-time. It’s a pop culture podcast waiting to happen.

Young’uns getting restless? Brooklyn artist Mo Willems, the educational artist-in-residence at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, kept children all over the world busy last year with thesefree online drawing sessions. The live classes may have ended, but you can still catch all the previous sessions on YouTube.Kids can see themagic behind the mind that came up with ‘Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!’, ‘Knuffle Bunny’ and many more contemporary classics.

All our travel plans have been scuppered and we’re all staying home a little more than we’d like, but that doesn’t mean you can’t explore the wonders the world has to offer –you’lljust have to do it from our sofas while wearing your pyjamas. We’ve trawled Google Street View for the mostincredible 360-degree views of some of the world’s greatest cities. Happy ‘travels’!

As the world around us changes on a daily, almost hourly, basis, we’re all facing some new anxieties. That’s where world-famous Ivy League university Yale comes in. They’ve shared their most popular course, The Science of Well Being, online, for free, wherever you are in the world. Following psychologist Laurie Santos’s ten-week seminar series, you’ll learn how to increase your happiness, debunk myths about what makes us content and ultimately create better, more productive habits.

Here’s a way to bring a splash of colour into your own home. Japanese art magazine Bijutsutecho has created an ‘online viewing art gallery’ called Oil by Bijutsutecho. Freely accessible for art lovers worldwide, this platform has a total of 700 artworks on display, sourced from more than 50 galleries in Japan, including Tokyo’s hpgrp Gallery, Misako & Rosen and Tomio Koyama Gallery. Once you’ve seen it, check out this Instagram exhibition of young London artists too.

Serenity seems pretty hard to come by right now, but you can breathe a sigh of relief: whether you’re a fully-fledged meditation guru or totally new to it all (and, tbh, a bit confused by the hype), we have a plan. Flick through our choice of the best meditation apps and find your favourite – because an appcan put you in the right frame of mind when a stick of nag champa just won’t cut it.

Staying in can get really boring, really fast. You binge-watch a Netflix series or four, eat even though you’re not hungry and discuss ridiculous hypotheticals with your housemates. After a while, frankly, you’re definitely going to need a brain-stimulating escape. That’s where the world of video games totally comes into its own. Our absolute fave is The Sims, mainly because it’s a massive power trip. You rule the roost: controlling your virtual characters’ personalities, the environment and pretty much everything else. Not your thing? Here are some other fab time-wasters for these self-isolating times.

California’s most famous haunted home, the Winchester Mystery House in San José, is offering free video tours. The bizarro tale began when the lady of the house, Sarah Winchester, inherited a vast fortune from her father-in-law, Oliver Winchester, manufacturer of the famous rifle. Winchester came to believe her family was haunted and built this house as a way to elude the ghosts of all those who had fallen victim to the Winchester rifle. Enjoyed that? Next, take a virtual tour through the Paris catacombs.

With Broadway and the West End seemingly forever on the verge of having to close, fans of musical theatre are hungry for shows they can watch at home. That’s where BroadwayHD comes in. This new streaming service offers 300 high-quality full-length performances from Broadway, the West End and beyond. Subscriptions cost just $8.99 a month – and for new subscribers, the first week is free. But how can you choose among the many shows on offer? These are the ones we think you won’t want to miss.

One 84-year-old Italian grandmother had the perfect reaction to her country going into lockdown. Nonna Nerina usually runs pasta-making workshops in the countryside near Rome, but shehad to cancel all her classes. Now, with her granddaughter Chiara, Nerina has taken them online. You can book on to a live two-hour, virtual pasta masterclass where you’ll be taken through their storied family recipes. Or if you don’t fancy the class fee, there’s an entire YouTube channelcontaining nothing but Italian grandmas making pasta.Buon appetito!

London’s most famous dance theatre, the legendary Sadler’s Wells, has opened up its substantial digital vaults during thecurrent crisis through new streaming platform Digital Stage. The venue is nowscreening archive performances, specialone-offs and dance workshops aimed at a variety of ages, from a family workoutfor ages two-to-six to classesfor the over-sixties.

There are certain classics (Scrabble! Connect 4! Monopoly!) that we think every household should own. These are the games that never fail to tug at our heartstrings: they are culture-defining, nostalgic go-tos that always deliver come game night. Looking to take a trip back in time? Bored of charades? Here’sour guide to the best board games of all time.

It’s time to face the cold, harsh light of day: you are an adult now, and you need to know how to do things. Things involving hammers. Just gotan exhibition poster framedand want to put it on your bedroom wall?Want to feel more capable next time your sink backs up? Do some googling. After all,there’s nothing to make you feel more productive than a bit of DIY – especially when you’re confined to a tiny apartment with eff all to do.

Suddenly found yourself trying to work from home AND home-school your kids? Here’s a thing that might help. Personal trainer Joe Wicks, aka The Body Coach, came to the rescue by live-streaming daily PE (Phys Ed) lessons back in 2020 to keep little ones active (and let’s be honest here, tire them out for the rest of the day). The 30-minute lessons are availableon YouTube and are suitable for ‘kids of all ages’ according to Wicks.

If you can’t go outside, bring the outside in. Sure, you could throw on another six layers and open the window for an hour a day – but a less hypothermia-inducing idea is to order in some houseplants from a plant subscription service or garden centre offering delivery. Not only will they makeyou feel better for having some greenery around you, plants will also look great in the background of all those isolation selfies we have no doubt you’ll be taking. Here are the two houseplants experts promise even you can’t kill.

Bored of Duolingo? Into K-pop? Then we’ve a suggestion. BTS, aka ‘Bangtan Sonyeondan’, aka one of the biggest boybands in the world, has launched a language-learning platform that aims to help their fans better understand Korean-language tunes like ‘Boy with Luv’, ‘I Need U’ and ‘Fake Love’. And frankly, even if you’re BTS-ambivalent – merely a keen linguist looking to add a new vernacular string to your bow – what better way to learn Korean colloquialisms than through the medium of TOTALLY MASSIVE bangers?

Chit-chat with the flatmates wearing thin?We reckon it’s time to play Big Brother and bring a troublesome new contestant into the house. How about a life-size lion, tiger or giant panda? Yep: thanks to Google’s augmented-reality animals tool, you can choose from a range of furry new residents and view them in 3D within the confines of your own home.

Ceramics werehaving a bit of a moment until self-isolation and social distancing happened. Missing your clay fix or simply want to try out a new hobby? You don’t need a wheel at home to get creative. In London, acclaimed workshop Kana Londonis launching an online pottery course, while in Sydney, the Clay Sydney studio will be offering all the materials, tools and tutorial support to take one of its popular classes from the comfort of your own home. See if there’s a similar course in your city, or just order some clay and getsculpting with the help of YouTube.

Who knew that video-conferencing apps would become such a big part of everybody’s lives so quickly? People around the world swiftly pivoted from IRL socialising to Zoom, Houseparty, FaceTime, Skype and all the other video-chat apps out there. But which is the best, which one should you be using to keep in touch with your friends, family and Tinder dates? Here’s our ranking of the best free video-call apps around.

Sick-humoured saints be praised: you can now play the popular fill-in-the-blank ‘party game for horrible people’ online –and for free. (To do so, you simply nab a link at playingcards.io, send said link to each of your pals, then play together remotely from your respective PCs.) That’s just one of the many party games you can play remotely with your friends. Your move!

Found yourself making a lot of banana bread over the last couple of years? Haven’t we all? But trust us: you could seriously dial it up with just a few tweaks. We asked some of London’s top bakers to share their tips for making the sweet, stodgy comfort food – from master patissier Dominique Ansel to Lewis Freeman from the 200-year-old Dunn’s bakery.

If you’re looking for fun things to do at home, you’re up for a mega challenge and you have amassive home, then boy, do we have a suggestion for you. The brand-new ‘Travel Around Art’ puzzle comes in at an astonishing 54,000 pieces: we’re talking 190 sq ft of pure fun. When completed, it makes an art gallery, completewith artworks like Gustav Klimt’s ‘The Kiss’ and ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ by Johannes Vermeer. And once you’ve finished that, there’s always this 51,000-piece Kodak puzzle. Should keep you busy.

Think living life in fear of lockdown means you can’t host a banging house party? Think again, people. You might not be sure about being in the same room as your pals right now, but thanks to the Houseparty app you can still hang with all your mates, and even play games like Heads Up.

Remember when you thought you were sleep-deprived because of your busy social schedule? Well, now there’s no excuse not to at least try and catchsome Zs. But if you can’t sleep, don’t fret: a whole bunch of us are struggling to get our eight hours in during these strange and stressful times. We spoke to snoozing expert James Wilson, aka The Sleep Geek, to get some tips on getting great sleep every night– and they go way beyond counting sheep.

Introducing Tim – a former tattoo parlour manager from Zurichwho’s inexplicably sitting out this weird time on a live stream at Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art. Since 2011, Tim has spent more than 3,500 hours sitting on a plinth at the museum, with his tattooed back being streamed in real-time online. It’s an ongoing artwork, you see. And the work is only finished when Tim dies and the tattoo is handed over to its owner (a German dealer who’s already paid a sweet $250,000 AUD). Art, huh?

Apart from paracetamol, laughter is still the best medicine. If you’ve always dreamed of performing at your local stand-up night, now’s a pretty good time to hone those gags. Chicago’s legendary Second City Training Center is offering an expanded series of classes online covering everything from performing voiceovers to writing for TV. Most affordable, though, are its $25 drop-in improv and stand-up classes. Sign up and give those one-liners a test run.

You don’t need us to tell you that the past two years have been pretty terrible. But if it’s left you with a strong and persistent desire to make amassive life change, we can help you out with some ideas.Like, which of the world’s vibrant and excitingcities you should move to next, for example. Or which countriesofferthe best visa options for remote workers. Or which beautifulvillages in Italy are selling homes for just €1 (one friggin’ euro!). Anyway,see ya later... we’re hopping on the next safe flight outta here.

Here’s the thing. At Time Out, we’re normally all about helping you squeezethe absolutebest out of city life. We want every second you spend to be spent well: eating the best food, soaking up the best culture, dancing at the best parties. But right now, things have been turned on their head a bit.Everyone ishaving to stay in and do less. We even renamed ourselves Time In for a little while.And actually, we’re kind of relieved at having a bit more time on our hands. Time to dream, doze and do absolutely nothing. So by all means try and pack as much into your lockdown time as you can. But don’t forget to take some time, every so often, to switch off and drift – at least until the world feels like a safer place.