Do you feel trapped in the house sometimes, not able to face getting out but bored of being stuck at home?

My kidlet is 10 months old. I TOTALLY get how boring it can be sometimes. They need to sleep, and most kidlets seem to sleep better at home once they hit a certain age, you’ve got stuff that has to get done, and sometimes it just feels like too much work to get out of the house.

But since I’m all about living the everyday adventure, I’ve come up with some strategies for making your time at home a little bit more exciting!

1. Dance parties.

My least favourite time of day is anytime that the little dude is sitting on the floor grizzling. I’ve discovered that impromptu dance parties always get his laughing gear working! Grab him up, dance around, make him laugh. After a little while of that he can often play independently for a while again.

2. Practice mindfulness.

This one has been a tough one for me, and something that I’ve been working on for years. And years and years. But you can’t be bored if you’re truly ‘in the moment’. I wrote this article a little while ago, with suggestions of ways to get started with this.

3. Let the place get messy.

Of COURSE you’re going to feel bored if you’re spending all your free time picking up toys, washing dishes, hanging wet clothes on the line.. and on and on. But you don’t have to do that!

Sometimes, just let the mess build up, and let go of the worry. If there’s stuff everywhere, take it as a sign that you’ve spent your time that day doing things that are more interesting and nourish your soul.

4. Get a hobby.

I love photography, and actually printing photos out to put into albums. So I bought a printer and some photo paper and am embarking on some photo projects. Currently I’m going to try to do something like this: (stay tuned for one of those pinterest fail pics from me!)

5. Find something you lose yourself in.

I love to read, and when I find a good book I ache to pick it up every chance I get. It’s an activity that doesn’t matter if I have 20 minutes or 2 hours (you know how there are plenty of things that you just get started in the 20 minutes, then the child wakes up or needs attention and you never got into the groove?).

My sister loves cooking, so spends time in the kitchen. Another friend suggested finding something creative to do where the interruptions don’t matter, like setting up an easel and painting for as long as you have available to you.

6. Move your body.

Exercise is super important for happiness and wellbeing, but you don’t need to go for a 10k run or head to the gym to move.

Yoga in the living room, a walk in the ‘hood, a simple home exercise program like this one or doing an exercise video are all ways that you can move your body while you’re at home, either while the kids sleep or while they’re playing. You can be nearby but doing your own thing, or they may get excited and want to join in!

7. Listen to Podcasts.

This is a new one for me, but they can be a way to use your brain (a common lament of women at home). My current faves – The New Yorker fiction, This American Life, Answer Me This, James Atulcher and The Smart Peoples Podcast (if you’ve got other suggestions please put them in the comments below! I’d love to know what you’re listening to)

8. Baby crèche with a friend at home.

This can work two ways. You either let the little ones play together (or when they’re really little it’s more like just playing alone, near each other) while you chat and hang out, or take it in turns to watch them both while the non-watcher gets a couple of hours to herself. I love doing this with friends, it feels like a total win-win.

9. Get out and about!

Sometimes, when you feel like it’s all too hard that’s exactly when you need to just get out the door. Make it easy, have a bag packed most of the time and a list of nearby places that you can grab the kidlet and get to.

I often find with my little dude that if he’s being grizzly and bored at home that he actually improves the moment we leave the house! It’s a catch-22, as when he’s like that it’s when I least want to make the effort, but often when it’s the biggest reward.

So there you go. Nine ways to have more fun when you’re stuck at home.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments, what do you do when you can’t leave the house but you want to have a bit more fun?

Xx Sam