23 Things For Anyone Who Just Needs To Pass The Time

Just another day of laying in a hammock, planting some vegetable seeds, kicking butt at chess, and dyeing my hair pink.

1. A basic chess set for challenging your housemates to the ultimate game of strategy. All the better if you're both very bad at chess and can just have fun.

Amazon

Promising review: "Very basic set. Pieces are very lightweight and small, but they do what they need to. Great set for beginners. Unbeatable price." —4SweetTs

Get it from Amazon for $7.99.

2. An Eno Hammock so you can wile away the hours napping in the great outdoors...or just wherever you find two steady posts. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Amazon

Reviewers recommend getting the Atlas straps as well ($21.70 on Amazon) for easy set-up in almost any situation.

Promising review: "I’m actually camping in mind as I write this review. I’ve always wanted an Eno but finally got around to getting one and I am beyond happy with it. It feels tough and very comfortable. There’s so many ways you can lay or sit in it, and you can burrito yourself. Keep in mind straps are sold separately! I’d definitely recommend the XL straps as it gives more versatility to where you can chillax." —Jake

Get it from Amazon: $52.46+ for a solid colored one (available in 45 colors) or $59.96+ for a patterned one (available in 18 patterns).

3. A bath bomb-making kit that has everything you'll need to make 15 luxurious bath bombs. And you know what that means? An excuse to take 15 super long baths.

Amazon

The kit includes pink Himalayan salt, citric acid, kaolin clay, baking soda, corn starch, grapeseed oil, an essential oil blend, a spray bottle, a bath bomb mold, two storage jars, and an instruction book.

Promising review: "We LOVED making these bath bombs. And it was so easy. Everything comes pre-measured and the scents are great. A+!" —Brandonn

Get it from Amazon for $29.95.

4. A Chemex so you can finally master the art of the perfect pour-over. In my experience, it really does take time to get it *juuuust* right. So what are you waiting for, get practicing!

Amazon

To use, fold a Chemex filter and place it into the Chemex. Pour in some hot water to pre-wet the filter and affix it to the glass, then pour *out* the excess water (stick with me). Dump the ground coffee of your choice into the filter. Pour hot water over the grounds, making sure to fully saturate all sections. Your coffee will drip, drip, drip into the bottom chamber ready to be savored!

Promising review: "This has totally transformed my coffee drinking. I absolutely love the flavor of this without the mess of the French press. Takes a few minutes to make, but totally worth it. Have served coffee from it to guests and they all remark about the flavor! Just remember to pick it up by the wood handle, especially if you are keeping it warm on a burner. Bit of an end user error there. It is even enjoyable to just pour the coffee from the pot with the spot channel built in. I you love good coffee this is the way to make it!" —Stephen Mundt

Get a six-cup version from Amazon for $44.95.

5. An absolutely monstrous cookbook like Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child to cook through one delicious time-consuming recipe at a time. Yes, I'm basically asking you to act out the plot of Julie & Julia.

Amazon

Promising review: "I am a beginner home cook and I love this book. It teaches you so much about technique, how to choose sides with your main dishes, wine pairings and much more! I have made three recipes from this book so far and they have all been so great! The recipes are time-consuming — if you're looking for 30-minute meals this book is NOT for you. But if you're really looking to step up your game with some mind-blowing recipes, buy this book! I really enjoy cooking, so the time doesn't bother me at all. Great for special-occasion cooking. So excited to continue with this book. The layout of this book is great so you can swap around your main dishes and sides. It's very versatile." —TB

Get it from Amazon for $19.67.

6. A 500-piece Baby Yoda puzzle that may just bring a tear to your eye when you finish it. Tiny angel...

Barnes and Noble

Get it from Barnes and Noble for $10.99.

7. Or a 1,000-piece mushroom puzzle so you have all these new lil' friends to hang out with.

Amazon

Get it from Amazon for $21.95.

8. HYPERtheticals — a collection of 50 prompts from Chuck Klosterman that will help you and whoever you're with start some new, interesting conversations. It's probably much-needed!

Amazon

Example question: "You are offered a Brain Pill that will make you feel 10% more intelligent, but you will seem 20% less intelligent to everyone else."

Promising review: "I love Klosterman. He’s probably one of my favorite authors. These questions are so enjoyable for anyone though. We currently have ours on the kitchen table and do a questionnaire to every night at dinner. It’s such an enjoyable way to connect with the people at your table." —Rachel Cooper

Get it from Amazon for $12.56.

9. A tub of Lime Crime Unicorn Hair dye, because dying your hair is a perfect afternoon project in my personal, slightly irresponsible opinion.

Amazon, amazon.com, amazon.com

Unicorn Hair is semi-permanent hair color that's effective on both light and dark hair.

Promising review: "At 53-years-young, I have been admiring the colors that the younger generation have been using. I've tried a few brands over the years, but they quickly wash out. OMG! Lime Crime's Unicorn Hair is the best! I watched a few Youtube videos so I knew exactly what to expect. I wanted the bright fuchsia color that chocolate cherry gives. To keep it a bit more on the age appropriate side, I kept my blonde on top and did chocolate cherry underneath. Over the week since I've had it, I've noticed the under color does begin to bleed into the top layer. It's all good. It's giving me a very pretty ombre look. I love my look. I get some curious stares when out in public, but I also get compliments. I quickly tell them 'It's Lime Crime's Unicorn Hair in chocolate cherry.' If you're my age or older and have been thinking about doing this, do it now! We're not getting any younger. Color is a celebration of life, a means of self expression, and heck when you're an artist, everything is a canvas. Let your unicorn shine! LOVE IT!" —C. Strube

Get this shade from Amazon for $16 and check out the rest of Lime Crime's colors here!

10. A pair of Brooks running shoes so you can whittle down your list of excuses not to go for a nice jog. I have a pair of Brooks and can confirm: they make running significantly less terrible.

amazon.com

Promising review: "My feet thank you! This is the second pair of Ghost running shoes I’ve enjoyed and they are light as a feather and give great support. Brooks makes a wonderful shoe!" —Azriella

Get them from Amazon for $104.39+ (available in sizes 5–12, including narrow and wide sizes, and 28 colors).

11. A Friends Lego set that brings Central Perk to your very own living room. You should put this together while watching Friends, of course.

amazon.com

The set also comes with Lego figures of Ross, Chandler, Monica, Joey, Rachel, Gunther, and Phoebe.

Promising review: "Great thing to put together with the family. The instructions are pretty much step-by-step and easy to follow. The size is great to put on a shelf as a collectable." —mykea young

Get it from Amazon for $59.73.

12. A Lodge enameled Dutch oven so you can spend alllll day slow cooking delicious meals. Nothing beats a tender, saucy, braised dish that you put a lot of effort into.

Amazon

Promising review: "This pot weighs a lot. And I can fit a whole chicken and vegetables in it and put it in the oven and everything gets cooked well and without burning. One pot cooking without a lot of fuss. Great in the winter when it helps warm the house. Cleans up really well. Can sear your meat (for a roast) in the pan and then use the same pan to slow-cook your roast in the oven. I looked at some of the more expensive models and this beat the price by quite a bit. No sacrifice on quality. Lodge is a good brand for cast-iron cooking utensils, and this is my favorite. Maybe even more than my Lodge cast-iron skillets." —Energy Geek

Get it from Amazon for $52.90+ (available in five sizes and 11 colors).

13. A New York Times crossword puzzle book to fill your idle hours with mind-strengthening fun. I have and adore these books and have even been known to do puzzles with friends over FaceTime.

Amazon

Promising review: "I love this thing! The print is nice and large, and the spiral binding is super nice. The paper is still newspaper-y which makes it feel like a newspaper crossword without having to lug around a newspaper. I use erasable pens, and they erase great. The boxes are plenty big enough for the letters and the crosswords are all appropriately 'Monday' difficulty. Great thing to have! Can’t wait to finish it and move on to Tuesday!" —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $9.99.

Want more of a challenge? Try the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday versions of this book for increasing difficulty!

14. A knitting kit from We Are Knitters that's sure to take days if not weeks, depending on your project and skill level. I recently made a sweater with one, and it was like I blinked and nine days had passed.

Rachel Dunkel / Via BuzzFeed

Get the Haptic Sweater Kit above from We Are Knitters for $93+ (available in sizes S–XL and 20 colors) or check out all of their kits here!

Check out "I Tried A Sweater Kit From We Are Knitters And It Was The Perfect Way To Pass The Time" to read about my full sweater kit ~journey~.

15. A Harry Potter box set so you can enjoy all seven books cover to cover again *or* for the first, sure-to-be-magical time.

amazon.com

Promising review: "I am late to the Harry Potter world, but I am glad I finally gave in and purchased the box set. The book covers are beautiful and the story has completely captivated me. I understand why the series is such a beloved favorite." —LEJ

Get it from Amazon for $52.16+ (available in paperback or hardcover).

16. A Nintendo Switch Lite that will make the day fly by before you know it — just ask anyone who has Animal Crossing.

Amazon

Heads up! These have been selling out super fast, so shipping may be slow on certain colors, but in my opinion, it's probably worth the wait!

Promising review: "This feels sooo much better in the hands than the bulkier original Switch, that I can't go back. Even though its lighter, it feels more solid as the joycons do not come off, and it doesn't bend like the old one did. My arms don't get tired at all holding this. AND it had an actual D-pad! I also do not notice the smaller screen when playing, at all. It's just a much more pleasant handheld experience, which is exactly why I got it." —J. Fox

Get it from Amazon for $240+ (available in four colors).

If you're looking for other great games, I recommend Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

17. A mozzarella and ricotta DIY cheese kit for pretending like you're on vacation taking a cheese-making class with your sweetheart. A delightfully ~cheesy~ indoor date.

Williams Sonoma

This includes one ounce of vegetarian rennet, three ounces of citric acid, three ounces of cheese salt, a metal cooking thermometer, a fine cheesecloth, and two instruction/recipe books.

Promising review: "My wife and I were inspired by a recent visit to an Italian restaurant that served mozzarella cheese made in the restaurant. Online recipes were a bit daunting and required up to four hours to complete. This kit seemed tailor-made to introduce us to the process and the instructions made it incredibly easy. Good fun to do with kids, especially the quick transformation after you add the rennet." —BiscardiCreative

Get it from Williams Sonoma for $29.95.

18. A multi-pack of seeds to plant a lively garden full of delicious food! Getting your hands dirty planting and then spending every day inspecting the ground for signs of growth is a great way to spend the spring and summer months.

Amazon, amazon.com

The seed packs included are: Chicago Pickling Cucumber, White Spine Cucumber, Golden Bantam Sweet Corn, Stowell's Evergreen Sweet Corn, Country Gentleman Sweet Corn, Collards, Buttercrunch Lettuce, Spinach, Coriander Cilantro, Parris Island Romaine, Zucchini Black Squash, Market More Cucumber, Peas, Garden Wax Bean, Green Pod Garden Bean, Detroit Beet, Cherry Tomato, Rutgers Tomato, Chili Pepper, Beefsteak Tomato, Straightneck Squash, Carrot, Basil, Dill, Parsley, Green Pepper, Champion Radish, Broccoli, Purple Top Turnip, and Jack O' Lantern Pumpkin.

Promising review: "I was really skeptical about the quality of these seeds, given the price and variety. We planted some in peat cups with potting soil soon after they arrived, and the germination rate was very high. There's an excellent variety of basic garden veggies here. We are quite happy with this purchase!" —Chief Cynic In Charge

Get the 34-pack from Amazon for $16.99.

19. A National Geographic rock tumbler so you can learn the meaning of the word "patience" as you turn rough stones into sparkling wonders — one rotation at a time.

Amazon, amazon.com

The kit comes with nine kinds of rough stones, four grit levels, a strainer, jewelry settings, and a learning guide.

Promising review: "Such a great purchase! We bought this for our five-year-old daughter but it’s just as much of a gift for the entire family. It’s a great family activity and I highly recommend it. Follow the directions and it’s easy to use." —Mega reviews

Get it from Amazon for $59.99.

20. An online course from BuzzFeed and The New School called Social Video Pro, which will teach you how to make professional-quality videos that tell stories you're passionate about. Look no further if you've always wanted to be a ~content creator~ and just haven't known where to start.

Social Video Pro

The course has five self-guided lessons complete with worksheets and activity journals that will help you figure out what kind of content you want to make, give you techniques for shooting it with equipment you probably already have, and teach you how to build an audience. At the end of the courses, you'll get a certificate from The New School and have all the tools you need to make incredible video content.

Get it from Social Video Pro: try the first course for $180 or sign up for all five courses for $600.

Check out "This Course From BuzzFeed And The New School Actually Teaches You How To Make Successful Videos For Social Media" for more info!

21. A paint-by-numbers kit so you can spend all of your precious time becoming *chef's kiss* an artist! Nobody else has to know you just followed some simple instructions.

amazon.com, amazon.com

The kit comes with the 16-inch x 20-inch piece, three paintbrushes, and all the pain colors you'll need.

Promising review: "Just what I wanted and turned out better than I expected! So much fun, definitely takes a lot of commitment, but so worth it." —Maddie White

Get it from Amazon for $21.99 and shop more paint by number designs here.

22. A giant game of Jenga that'll ~raise~ the stakes on everyone's fave tabletop tower game.

Amazon

The Jenga set starts at 2 feet tall and can grow to 5 feet tall during game play.

Promising review: "I opened the package, looked at each piece and found no flaws, pulled on the pieces and played shortly, and packed it back. So far it’s great quality and plays well. For those complaining about the height, it starts at 2.5 feet and can build UP to 5 feet." —Ally

Get it from Amazon for $118.50.

23. A beginner embroidery kit so you can practice your stitching and make an adorable little work of art in honor of your pant bbs.

YolandaCraftGifts

Promising review: "I love it! It came with everything I needed. I used YouTube videos to be able to learn the stitches and then I was all set." —Kelley

Get it from YolandaCraftGifts on Etsy for $16 (available in seven patterns).

You to all of your new time-consuming hobbies:

Summit Entertainment

The reviews in this post have been edited for length and clarity.

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