I've compiled the following list over the years to prevent annoyance and ensure that my husband and I take advantage of all the entertainment options available here in our community. Your community may not offer all of these, but perhaps even the non-starters will get you thinking about alternatives. After all, anything's better than staying home and cleaning, right?
- FOOD/EATING
- try a restaurant you've never tried before
- try an ethnic restaurant - something you've never tried before
- try a cocktail you've never tried before
- visit a "dive" you wouldn't ordinarily turn your nose up at
- take a cooking class
- prepare a new recipe
- invent a recipe
- bake bread
- try to replicate a favorite restaurant recipe
- cook meals for the week and freeze them
- prepare a picnic
- dine out of doors
- visit a farmer's market
- attend a dinner theater
- attend a "cook-off" or "Taste of the Town" event
- go in search of The Best ________ in town - chili, pizza, pie, etc.
- post favorite family recipes to an internet site
- create a family cookbook
- prepare a meal from old family recipes
- invite friends over for dinner
- progressive dinner party
- participate in a wine tasting
- visit a winery
- attend a wine festival
- sharpen kitchen knives
- have a BBQ/grill out
- SPORTS
- attend a high school sporting event
- attend a college sporting event
- attend a semi-pro sporting event
- attend a professional sporting event
- attend a racing event - cars, horses
- attend a sport you've never seen before - polo, rugby, etc.
- work out at a local gym/athletic facility
- participate in an exercise clas
- participate in a water sport - swimming, canoeing, kayaking, sailing
- organize a pick-up game
- At the YMCA/gym - basketball, volleyball, racquetball, handball, badminton, squash
- At the park - football, baseball/softball, soccer, field hockey, rugby, lacrosse, cricket, horseshoes, croquet, frisbee/frisbee golf
- Outside - golf, mini-golf, paintball, tennis, paintball
- Inside - Bowling, ice skating, ice hockey, roller skating, water polo, pool/billiards, laser tag
- participate in an individual sport
- at the YMCA/gym - swimming, weightlifting, yoga
- at the park - inline skating, biking, walking/hiking/jogging
- outside - watersports, spelunking, horseback riding, rock climbing, batting practice, skateboarding
- inside - martial arts, boxing, darts
- water sports - surfing, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, boating, fishing, white water rafting, scubadiving, snorkling, paddleboats
- winter sports - skiing, tubing, boarding, sledding
- OUTDOORS/GARDENING
- go camping
- cook a meal over a campfire
- go hunting/fishing
- find a body of water and recreate (swim, canoe, kayak, sail)
- visit a scenic area/park
- visit a state park
- visit a federal park
- go birdwatching
- take a walk/hike
- start an herb garden
- start a vegetable garden
- start a flower garden
- create a terrarium
- fly a kite
- fly an RC plane (or launch a rocket)
- stargaze
- feed the birds/ducks
- chase fireflies
- pick wildflowers
- go on a nature walk sponsored by a local park
- hunt for fossils, arrowheads, etc
- launch (or watch) fireworks
- COMMUNITY SERVICE/GOOD WORKS
- volunteer at a homeless shelter, animal shelter, food kitchen, or thrift store
- sort through your belongings and identify things to donate
- participate in a fundraiser for a good cause
- give blood
- offer your services as a teacher/tutor
- campaign for a politician or cause
- commit random acts of kindness
- ARTS
- see a high school performance - drama, music
- see a college performance - drama, music, lecture
- see a professional concert - free/paid, indoor/outdoor
- attend a dinner theater
- audition for a show
- see a movie at home
- catch one of AFI's Top 100 films
- an old movie you always meant to see
- goofy old monster/horror movies
- movies from your childhood
- see a movie in a theater (or drive-in theater)
- go dancing
- learn to dance - ballroom, hiphop, etc.
- play a musical instrument with which you are familiar
- learn to play a musical instrument with which you are not familiar
- sing - join a choir, participate in a sing-along, karaoke
- attend a comedy club
- visit a museum
- visit a gallery
- expose yourself to a type of music you don't usually listen to - opera, country, celtic, orchestra/classical, etc.
- take a class to improve an artistic ability you already possess
- take a class to learn an artistic skill you do not possess
- start a new art project -
- drawing, sketching, painting, cartooning
- photography
- needlecraft/textiles - sewing, xstitch, embroidery, knitting, crocheting, quilting, rug making, tiedying, weaving
- woodcraft - carpentry, carving, whittling, woodburning, turning
- sculpting/modeling - sculpting, pottery, mosaicwork
- papercraft - scrapbooking, calligraphy, collage, cardmaking, stamping, origami, paper mache,
- plantcraft - basketry, bonzai, flower arranging, flowerpressing
- glasswork - stained glass, etching, glass painting
- other - jewelrymaking, beading, balloon animals, ironworking, silversmithing, rubbings
- INTELLECTUAL
- attend a lecture (live or on-line)
- listen to podcasts
- visit the library
- read a book
- participate in a book discussion group
- watch a documentary
- tackle a writing project
- start a journal
- non-fiction
- magazine article
- professional paper
- memoirs
- fiction
- internet publications
- post to a blog (yours or someone else's)
- post to a wiki
- submit a reveiw to a reveiw website
- poetry
- write a letter
- attend a reading/signing - book reading, poetry reading
- participate in a writing discussion book
- attend a cultural festival
- attend an event sponsored by a local embassy or government office
- attend an event sponsored by a local museum
- attend an event sponsored by the local library
- start learning to speak a foreign language (or practice one you've already learned)
- solve a puzzle (jigsaw, crossword, sudoku, etc.)
- invent something useful
- PROJECTS
- spruce up a room - paint, rearrange furniture, change out accessories, etc.
- beautify an outdoor area
- yardwork
- work on a collection - organize, catalog
- work on your family's geneology
- organize photos into albums (paper or online)
- enter contests/sweepstakes
- tackle a household maintenance project
- create a list of household maintenance projects
- download useful software/apps
- figure out how to use a software program you haven't yet mastered
- start a compost bin
- clip coupons
- clean out a closet
- groom your pet
- clean/fix up the car
- ROMANTIC
- spend the weekend at a bed & breakfast
- watch a sunset
- skinnydip
- schedule time at a spa; get messages
- bubblebaths
- reenact a romantic scene from a favorite movie
- snuggle next to the fireplace
- dedicate songs to each other
- read aloud to each other
- have a pillow fight
- take a moonlight walk
- FRIENDS/FAMILY
- babysit a child
- babysit a pet
- visit a family member
- play with your dog/cat/pet
- play board games
- organize a card party - bridge, poker, etc.
- organize a "games" party (Trivial Pursuit, Pictionary, etc.)
- organize a progressive dinner party
- organize a cocktail party
- organize a murder mystery party
- meet a neighbor
- organize a neighborhood "block" party
- organize a video game competition
- host a sleep-over
- visit the gravesites of family members
- get a family portrait taken by a professional photographer
- DESTINATIONS
- visit the beach
- visit the mountains
- visit a body of water
- visit a historic site
- visit a public garden
- go on a scenic drive
- visit places that have a special meaning for you
- visit a zoo, animal park, farm, or dude ranch
- visit a spa
- visit flea markets/garage sales/antique stores/antique malls in search of treasures
- ride on a train
- take a trip to the Big City (whatever your Big City may be!)
- visit a cave or cavern
- go on a cruise
- go to an amusement park
- go to a water park
- go shopping
- go window shopping for something extravagant (jewelry, ballgowns, etc.)
- attend church
- visit a planaterium
- visit the local airport and watch airplanes take off/land
- go on a pub/bar crawl
- attend a happy hour
- attend a fashion show
- drive to an orchard/farm and pick your own produce
- attend a craft show
- attend a local or state festival/fair
- visit a circus
- visit an air show
- go on a factory tour
- attend a Rennaissance fair/festival
- go hot air ballooning
- sign up for a ghost tour
- QUIRKY
- participate in a murder mystery weekend
- learn to juggle
- change your hair
- visit open houses
- test drive new cars
- take a long bath
- take a nap
- blow bubbles
- meditate
- join a club or group
- go on a scavenger hunt
- make a time capsule
- have a water balloon fight
- have an eating contest (hot dogs, pie)
- make prank phone calls
- gamble (games, races, stock market)
- listen to people communicate via CB radio
- play flashlight freeze tag
- get a tattoo (or bodypiercing)
- schedule a mani/pedi
- look up your horoscope; learn about your astrological sign
- learn to tell fortunes (palm reading, tarot)
- take an online personality quiz
- start (or add to) your bucket list
- make an obstacle course and then run it
- climb a tree
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