Things to Do When Bored: 10 Ideas That Actually Work

I've tried out a lot of boredom fixes. Most of them were mediocre. Here are 10 that actually work, organized by mood so you can skip straight to the section that fits right now.

Things to do when bored: TL;DR

When your brain needs a challenge

Brain fog and boredom often look the same. These give your mind something to chew on without feeling like actual work.

1. Play Jeopardy! on Weekend

What it does: Brings the official Jeopardy! quiz show experience to your TV, complete with real categories, Daily Doubles, and Final Jeopardy! wagering.

Who it's for: Trivia lovers, know-it-alls, and anyone who's ever yelled an answer at the TV and wished it counted.

Jeopardy! on Weekend is the official TV game. Same categories, same rules, same Final Jeopardy! tension as the show. I like this one because it scratches the "I want to feel smart" itch with or without anyone else in the room.

Key features

• Using your remote or paired phone as the mic, shout out the answers 
• Real categories, Daily Doubles, and Final Jeopardy wagering
• Three difficulty modes: Casual, Classic, or Expert
• Tens of thousands of questions; no two sessions are the same
• Available on Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, and LG smart TVs

Pros

• Feels like the real show; authentic questions and iconic music

• Difficulty modes make it work for all ages

Cons

• Can feel intense if you're not in a trivia mood

Pricing

7-day free trial, then $12.99/month on Weekend (includes all supported games).

Bottom line

When I want something that actually makes me think, Jeopardy! is where I start.

2. Play Song Quiz on Weekend

What it does: Plays short clips of songs across decades and genres. Using your remote or paired phone as the mic, shout out the title and artist to score points.

Who it's for: Music lovers, nostalgia fans, and anyone who's ever said "I know this song!" 5 seconds too late.

Song Quiz plays short music clips across genres and decades, and you shout out the song and artist. Nail both for full points; half credit if you only get one. Music memory kicks in differently than trivia, and you'll surprise yourself with what you remember from 20 years ago.

Key features

• Choose from a massive library to match your mood
• Music trivia across decades and genres, from Elvis to today's top hits
• Song Quiz Party Mode is perfect for groups
• Available on Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, and LG smart TVs

Pros

• Fast, nostalgic, and surprisingly competitive solo

• Great for groups as the whole room can shout out answers into the remote

Cons

• Song clips can feel short

Pricing

7-day free trial, then $12.99/month on Weekend (includes all supported games).

Bottom line

Fast, nostalgic, and competitive even when you're flying solo.

3. Play Wheel of Fortune on Weekend

What it does: Brings the classic spin-and-solve word puzzle format to your TV. Call out letters, spin the wheel, and solve the phrase with your voice.

Who it's for: Word puzzle fans and anyone who wants a game-show fix without the trivia pressure.

Wheel of Fortune on Roku is the word-puzzle option for when trivia isn't your thing. You spin, call letters, and solve the phrase, all by voice. The BANKRUPT tile still stings, even at home.

Key features

• Authentic puzzle board with classic categories like "Before & After" and "Movie Title"
• Voice-controlled letter calls via the Weekend app on Roku
• Iconic sounds and suspense from the real show

Pros

• Less pressure than trivia; relies on instinct and pattern-spotting
• Great for mixed-age groups who find trivia intimidating

Cons

• Very young players may need help reading puzzles

Pricing

7-day free trial, then $12.99/month on Weekend on Roku (includes all supported games).

Bottom line

If you love patterns and word puzzles, this is the brain workout that actually feels fun.

Things to do when bored with friends over

You've got people ready to hang out but no real plan. These work best when the group needs something to jump into immediately.

4. Host a quick Karaoke battle

What it does: Turns your living room into a competitive singing stage, with real-time scoring based on pitch and lyric accuracy.

Who it's for: Groups who want instant energy and zero setup. No experience or special equipment required.

Switch on Weekend’s Karaoke on Roku, take turns picking songs, and let the scoring system do the judging. The pitch tracking means everyone finds out quickly who the real singer in the group is, and it's rarely who you'd expect.

Key features

• Competitive scoring based on pitch and lyric accuracy
• Use the Roku remote or a paired smartphone as a mic
• Huge song library with on-screen lyrics

Pros

• Instant energy; no complicated rules to explain

• Discovers unexpected vocal talent (or lack of it)

Cons

• Can get loud, so I keep an eye on the time and warn my neighbours in advance

Pricing

7-day free trial, then $12.99/month on Weekend on Roku (includes all supported games).

Bottom line

Half the fun is watching people discover their hidden talent, or total lack of it.

5. Cook a meal together

What it does: Turns the kitchen into a collaborative activity by giving everyone a role, chopping, stirring, plating, and making something more ambitious than usual.

Who it's for: Groups who want something to do with their hands and a built-in (delicious) reward at the end.

Pick a recipe nobody has made before and divide up the work. The kitchen puts everyone on an equal footing. So, the person who never cooks gets to chop while the one who does gets to show off. Research backs up what most people already sense: cooking together builds teamwork and improves communication.

Key features

• Works for any group size; just scale the recipe
• No equipment beyond what's already in your kitchen
• The activity, social bonding, and the reward are built into the same experience

Pros

• Built-in reward, you get to eat the result

• Conversation flows naturally; no need to "host"

Cons

• Requires ingredients you may not have

• Can get chaotic with too many cooks

Pricing

Cost of ingredients only.

Bottom line

One of the few group activities that ends with everyone fed and in a better mood than when you started.

When you want to create something

Making things hits differently than consuming them. These let you build something that didn't exist an hour ago.

6. Play Wit's End on Weekend

What it does: An AI-powered, voice-driven fantasy adventure where you build a custom character, speak your actions out loud, and roll dice to find out what happens next.

Who it's for: Creative types, D&D fans, and groups looking for something completely different from a typical game night.

Wit's End’s AI builds the world and story around your choices in real time. The character creation moment, where your voice description becomes an actual visual portrait, is a genuine surprise. The dice rolls especially had everyone in my group leaning in.

Key features

• Real-time AI game master that responds to anything you say
• Custom character creation from voice description to visual portrait
• Procedurally generated worlds; no repeated playthroughs
• Available on Fire TV, Samsung, and LG smart TVs

Pros

• Unlike anything else on this list; super creative and unpredictable

• The dice roll mechanic creates real suspense

Cons

• Solo play is less sticky than with a group

Pricing

7-day free trial, then $12.99/month on Weekend (includes all supported games).

Bottom line

The closest thing to a casual D&D session without needing a game master. Best with a group, but solo works well, too.

7. Create a vision board

What it does: Turns images, words, and ideas into a visual map of where you want to go. Goals, aesthetics, feelings, whatever feels relevant right now.

Who it's for: Anyone who wants a creative outlet that's low-pressure and oddly satisfying.

I was skeptical about this one until I actually tried it. Cut images from magazines, print things from online, or just grab a notebook and sketch it out. There's no wrong way to do it, which is exactly why it works when you're bored, there's nothing to fail at.

Key features

• Physical or digital versions both work (Pinterest is a free digital alternative)
• No artistic skill required
• Easy to pick up and put down at your own pace

Pros

• Genuinely absorbing once you start

• Leaves you with something to look at later

Cons

• Requires some supplies if going the physical route

• Can turn into a rabbit hole of printing and cutting

Pricing

Free if you use what you already have. A few dollars if you need to print images or grab a poster board.

Bottom line

Starts as a boredom fix and ends as something you actually want on your wall.

8. Write a short story

What it does: Gets you writing fiction. No editing, no planning, just 500 words about anything.

Who it's for: Anyone who needs to get out of their own head and into someone else's for a while.

Open a blank doc and write. Don't plan the plot, don't fix typos, don't reread what you just wrote. The only rule is to finish 500 words. It sounds like homework until you realize nobody's going to read it, which means you can write anything you want.

Key features

• Needs nothing but a phone, laptop, or a pen and paper
• 500 words takes about 15–20 minutes at a relaxed pace
• Works as a genuine creative outlet or just a mental reset

Pros

• Completely free and endlessly replayable

• Gets you out of your own head fast

Cons

• The blank page can feel intimidating at first

• Requires a little more mental energy than other options on this list

Pricing

Free

Bottom line 

One of the few boredom fixes that leaves you feeling like you actually made something. Even if it's terrible, it doesn’t matter. You wrote it, and that's the whole point.

Things to do when bored, alone, and you need to move

Sometimes the best cure for boredom is just getting your body involved. You don't need a plan; just enough motion to shift your energy.

9. Fire up Karaoke on Weekend

Pick one upbeat song, close the door, and go for it. Weekend’s Karaoke on Roku tracks both lyrical accuracy and pitch, so you're actually competing against yourself. Even a single round is enough to shake a bad mood.

Key features

• On-screen lyrics to follow along
• Real-time pitch and lyric scoring
• No extra microphones needed; just your voice and the Roku remote

Pros

• Instant energy boost; hard to stay bored after a chorus

• Solo or group play; works either way

Cons

• Roku only

• Can get loud in small spaces

Pricing

7-day free trial, then $12.99/month on Weekend on Roku (includes all supported games).

Bottom line

Three minutes of committed singing will fix almost any slump.

10. Take a walk with no destination

What it does: Gets you out of the house with zero agenda. No route, no podcast, no destination.

Who it's for: Anyone who's been staring at a screen too long and needs a reset that doesn't require planning.

I started doing this whenever boredom tips into restlessness, and it works faster than anything else on this list. Leave your phone behind, pick a direction, and walk for 10–15 minutes. The change of scenery does more than you'd expect.

Key features

• Requires nothing; just shoes and the willingness to open your door
• Works any time of day
• Pairs well with anything else on this list as a warm-up or wind-down

Pros

• Instantly shifts your mood and mental state

• Completely free and available anywhere

Cons

• Weather-dependent

• Not much to show for it afterward; which is the point

Pricing

Free.

Bottom line

The most underrated thing on this list. Ten minutes outside without a destination beats an hour of doomscrolling every time.

How to pick the right activity

Match the activity to your actual energy level, not just what sounds good.

• Restless? Move first. A walk or a Karaoke session on Roku will shift your state faster than anything.
• Brain fog? Give your mind a low-stakes challenge. A few rounds of Jeopardy! or Song Quiz from Weekend’s app cuts through the haze.
• Hanging with friends? Pull out something everyone can jump into immediately. Voice-powered games on your TV mean no rule explanations and no controllers to pass around.

Start with 10 minutes. If it clicks, keep going. If it doesn't, try something else.

Turn your TV into instant entertainment with Weekend

If you have a Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, or LG smart TV, Weekend turns it into a game show stage in minutes. Every game in the library is voice-powered and easy to set up. Just find the app and start playing.

Best Weekend games for beating boredom:

• Jeopardy!, the official TV quiz game with thousands of real clues, on Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, and LG.
• Song Quiz, shout the song and artist from short music clips across decades and genres, on Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, and LG.
• Wheel of Fortune, spin-and-solve word puzzles with the iconic sounds from the real show, on Roku.
• Wit's End, an AI-powered fantasy adventure where your voice drives the story, on Fire TV, Samsung, and LG.
• Karaoke, competitive singing with real pitch tracking, on Roku.
• 20 Questions, go head-to-head with a witty AI game host in quick conversational rounds, on Roku.

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Start with a 7-day free trial, then decide if the $12.99/month subscription fits. Search “Weekend” in the app store on your Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, or LG smart TV to get started.

FAQs

What are the best things to do when bored alone?

If you're restless and bored alone, the best things to do are going for a walk and belting out your favourite song with a Karaoke session on Roku from the Weekend app. Your mood will shift fast! If you need a brain challenge, a few rounds of Jeopardy! (Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, LG) or Song Quiz (Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, LG) are easy to start and hard to stop. Begin with 10 minutes and let the activity pull you in.

How do I know which activity to pick?

The best way to pick an activity is to check in with your actual mood first. Are you tired or restless? Do you want company or solo time? Match the activity to your energy level, don’t just try out what sounds good in theory.

Can I do these things for free?

Yes, most activities on this list cost nothing. For voice-powered TV games, Weekend offers a 7-day free trial on Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, and LG smart TVs, so you can try Jeopardy!, Song Quiz, Wheel of Fortune, Wit’s End, and more before committing to the $12.99/month subscription.

How long should I spend on each activity?

Spend about 10–15 minutes on each activity. If it's working, keep going. If not, move to something else. Boredom is about matching energy, not completing tasks.