We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. An indoor mini golf green to keep the kiddos (or the kiddos at heart) entertained on days it's simply too hot (or rainy) to fathom leaving the house to go mini (or real) golfing.
Promising review: "The surface is large, but it can be rolled up and stored away in two minutes! The holes are slightly elevated (to create the holes) but negligible; unlike the one I had a long time ago that returned the ball. I like the shape of the mat (looks way more natural than a rectangular long strip) and the surface is soft and comfortable, yet it feels durable. I have no doubt I can make things more challenging by elevating certain areas underneath if I so desired. The 'sand trap' is also an excellent inclusion as it stops the golf balls from escaping the mat and keeping me from chasing down golf balls. Hopefully it can interest my kids to get off the electronics for a few minutes now and then, and if so, it will deserve an extra star. —Oniomaniac
Get it from Amazon for $35.09.
2. 642 Tiny Things to Draw, a book filled with, yup, 642 small drawing prompts that'll get your creative doodling juices flowing.
Promising review: "I am not an artist but this is fun! I keep it on my nightstand along with some sketch pencils and draw when winding down for the night. Yes, some of the prompts are a bit odd but I just go with it. Sort of tests the imagination! My 10-year-old granddaughter loves it too." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $9.95.
3. A soft-serve maker for transforming frozen fruit into a refreshing sweet treat. You'll especially enjoy this if you or a loved one can't eat dairy or have other dietary restrictions!
All the parts are dishwasher-safe!
Promising reviews: "I saw one of these in action at a friend's house like five years ago and thought it was just a made up memory, because making ice cream out of solely frozen fruit seems wild. But when I saw a TikTok about it I immediately went to Amazon and bought it. Literally this was the BEST decision of my life. I cannot believe still how amazing this thing is! It makes the creamiest, best tasting fruit ice cream ever. It’s easy to take apart and clean, and super easy to use." —DMCKAY
Get it from Amazon for $39.98+ (available in six colors).
4. And if you prefer ice cream over soft-serve, we got you covered on that front. This super fun ice cream ball is gonna make whipping up sugary cold goodness...well...a ~ball~.
You'll need rock salt and ice cream mix to make the ice cream!
Promising review: "This was such a fun purchase. I saw it on TikTok and thought it would be a great gift for my nieces and nephew, and it was. We adults ended up having a blast passing the ball and shaking it up with the kids as well. One drawback is that the portion to make the ice cream is kinda small so would not recommend for a large family (or maybe get multiple!). But otherwise, it’s a fun present, fairly easy to clean, and the instructions are easy to follow. Oh, and the ice cream was DELICIOUS!" —Marina Affo
Get it from Amazon for $49.99.
5. A DIY bath bomb kit complete with everything you need to create your very own bath bombs, which you can then use to take the most rewarding bath EVER!
Urban Kangaroo is a woman-owned business that sells DIY beauty and personal care kits. This kit comes with food-grade citric acid, baking soda, and Himalayan salt, essential oil blends, grapeseed oil, a spray bottle, aluminum bath bomb molds, bath bomb stickers and wrapping paper, and step-by-step instructions. Yields about 15 bath bombs!
Promising review: "I really enjoyed this product. They use good ingredients that don't dry out your skin. This was a fun way to spend an afternoon and I look forward to trying other DIY products from this company. I would recommend this to family and friends!" —jewell getson
Get it from Amazon for $45.95.
6. But if you'd rather just cut straight to the relaxing bath part, then you'll wanna get this reviewer-loved set of bath bombs immediately. Plus, look at how pretty they are!
Promising review: "Bought these for my girlfriend and she said they are BETTER then Lush's bath bombs. We used one together and they smell great, leave your skin smooth, and most do not contain glitter. These bombs are a little bit smaller than Lush bombs but there was no difference in terms of color, scent, or skin softening. You could put Lush on this box and not even recognize a difference. These are quality bombs, if you are looking for a gift for someone or looking to use bath bombs yourself, buy these, you will not regret it." —Amazon Customer
Get a set of 12 from Amazon for $26.80.
7. The Book of Unusual Knowledge if you're someone who loves learning tons of random facts, telling your loved ones about all the cool tidbits stored in your brain, or excitedly parking yourself in front of the TV every night to watch Jeopardy!
Promising review: "My best friend is always telling me new facts about the most random things so when I saw this, I knew it had to be added to his bookshelf. And let me tell you the list of random facts keeps on coming. Yeah, yeah, I know...the internet...but sometimes it’s nice to disconnect from technology and read a real book. Couldn’t be happier with this purchase." —Gregory
Get it from Amazon for $12.59.
8. An innovative speaker that'll let you create your very own pixel art and then you can watch as your creation comes to life by dancing along while your favorite songs play.
Promising review: "Sound quality and durability is very good! I like the ability to change the artwork on the cover, the ability to change the brightness of the image, the ability to change the volume of the startup/connect/disconnect, the auto-shutoff and auto-sleep mode toggles, and the ability to set multiple alarms (available on the app only, sadly, not out of the box). There's surprisingly a lot you can do with such a seemingly simple device, and it's made more than a great replacement alarm clock for me, which is initially what I bought it for. Highly recommend if you've got the extra coin to spend on something cute, fun, and practical!" —Soul Breaker
Get it from Amazon for $84.92 (get this price by clipping the 15% off coupon on the product page; available in five colors).
9. Crayola Globbles — a super squishy and fun fidget toy adults and kids alike can enjoy playing with! You can toss these babies at the wall and watch them stick (but then easily take it off, no damage or residue left behind) and they're VERY easy to clean!
Promising review: "My 15-year-old asked for these after seeing them on TikTok. I got them as a stocking stuffer thinking they’d be tossed aside. Unbelievably he and his 17-year-old brother have spent time laying in the floor, tossing them up to the ceiling, and waiting for them to fall so they can catch them. I never expected them to get this much use. Bonus is they’re off their phones and in the family room with us." —Amazon Customer
Get a set of six from Amazon for $10.52.
10. A weaving loom to help you master a new skill and take up a cool hobby as you chill inside your air-conditioned home.
My colleague Chelsea Stuart owns this and loves it! Here's her review:
"My boyfriend got me this loom for my last birthday — the very beginning of March — and little did I know then just how much time I’d have to practice my tapestries. Over the last few months, I’ve watched countless YouTube tutorials, read through a few weaving books, and just tooled around on my own to learn basics like how to warp the loom and then more complicated things like different types of weaves. I would definitely call myself a crafty person, but even if you’re not, don’t let that dissuade you — it’s a really fun hobby to pick up and you can totally go at your own pace! Just make sure you keep it away from your cats (I learned this the hard way)."
Get it from Amazon for $46.99.
11. A Nintendo Switch console because what better way to spend a hot summer day indoors than releasing your inner kid? Which game will you buy first?!
I got my Nintendo Switch pretty early during the pandemic at a time, when they were even harder to find than toilet paper. I set up a million and one push notifications to alert me when stores had them in stock online and was successfully able to get my hands on one during a brief GameStop restock.
I initially bought mine to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons. I was a huge fan of Animal Crossing as a kid so the nostalgia aspect combined with being able to escape to my own perfect little island was just what I needed to make 2020 a little easier. Since then, I've purchased a few other games for my Nintendo Switch that I really enjoy. What I love about this compared to the Nintendo Switch Lite is that you can either bring this on the go or connect it to your television. The picture is clear and beautiful, the console is light and comfortable, and overall it's just a fun way to destress.
Get it from Amazon for $299.99 (available in other colors/models).
12. A Kindle Paperwhite so you can easily dig into all those books you've had on your "to read" list for AGES, but haven't had the time to get around to yet.
My colleague Heather Braga is a big fan of her Kindle! Here's her review:
"It's the thinnest and lightest Kindle Amazon has released to date! And — as is made abundantly clear by the photo above — it's 100% waterproof. I'm typically a hardcover girl through and through, but I recently gave the Kindle a whirl. It's very convenient to be able to slip it into any bag without it taking up much real estate and the transition between pages is very smooth."
If you're looking to save a bit of $$$ and don't mind buying an older version, check out our 2018 Kindle Paperwhite review.
Get it from Amazon for $139.99+ (available in three colors and two storage sizes).
13. But if you prefer physical copies of books to digital, then a Book of the Month subscription is a fun option. Each month, you'll choose from a selection of great books you want delivered. If nothing strikes your interest, you can save your credit and apply it towards a future month instead.
I initially joined Book of the Month two years ago because I wanted to read People We Meet on Vacation and my local library had a waitlist. I thought I'd sign up for one month and cancel my subscription right after, but I am here to say that was not the case. I'm obsessed with my BOTM subscription and can't recommend it enough.
At the start of each month, they add five new books to the app. These books span all sorts of genres, include reads from new authors and returning favorites, and some even have a theme (aka: spooky reads for October, holiday reads in December). You can choose up to three books per month. All three of your selections can be from that month's book picks or you can pick a book or two from that month's selections and choose add-on books — I've been doing this lately as I'm working on creating my own little ~home library bookshelf~. If you don't like any of their monthly selections that is A-OK! Simply skip that month and a credit will be applied towards future months.
It's such a fun thing to treat myself to each month and makes for a perfect gift (both to yourself and to loved ones). Happy reading!
Sign up for Book of the Month for $17.99/month!
14. A super cool geode kit complete with 10 breakable rocks geology enthusiasts are sure to have some fun with — or anyone who just really wants to break rocks. That's cool, too.
15. An indoor s'mores maker so you can enjoy the perfect summer dessert from the comfort of your nice and cool living space. Let's face it, it's too dang hot outside to enjoy a bonfire.
Promising review: "We have been really enjoying this little s'mores maker — it's not big, doesn't take up a lot of space, and does exactly what it's meant to do. We can't build fires or anything like that around where I live so this was our next best option. It's worked out great for us. The only thing is it only has two of the little roaster sticks, so if you have multiple people roasting you would need something else to use to stick your marshmallow on." —Debb
Get it from Amazon for $27.99 (and get some additional roasting sticks here).
16. Burn After Writing, a journal filled with prompts and thought-provoking questions to help you spend more time self-reflecting and less time overthinking. When finished, you can hide it, throw it away, or better...burn it.
Promising review: "I first saw this book on TikTok and decided to look more into it. I purchased four total because I know some people holding onto things that are difficult to let go of. It’s a great way to look at things from a different perspective and truly hold yourself accountable to different things in your life. I love what it stands for and I look forward to when I burn mine after I’m done. Self-love, self-care, and meditation for a better state of mind tomorrow is always the goal. I definitely recommend it to those susceptible to change and the willingness to try things different. You’re so much more than what’s been done to you and someone’s inability to see your worth does not decrease your value. Choose you for a change." —Brent Helm
Get it from Amazon for $7.32/paperback or $20.99/sprial-bound.
17. A paint by numbers kit even novice artists will get a kick out of — your friends are outside sweating and you're inside channeling your inner Picasso.
Promising review: "This was a great pandemic purchase. I was able to pass many hours painting and at the end of it, I had pretty wall art! I was even able to easily fit them in my large suitcase when I moved abroad so I had more wall art to take with me and remember some good times." —H
Get it from Amazon for $11.59+ (available in four options).
18. A wireless Bluetooth karaoke microphone to turn your home into the karaoke party of your dreams. *Sings "Cruel Summer" on repeat.*
It can also connect to their device via cable. Check out our Bluetooth karaoke mic writeup.
Promising review: "Oh my gosh, I love this! I got mine in the mail yesterday and ended up playing with it for about five hours last night LOL. It connects via Bluetooth so you can connect it to your phone — the music and your singing comes out of the microphone's speaker. It has a volume control for your voice and for the music and also an echo feature. You can put an SD card into the bottom of it and record yourself, or connect it with an audio out to record on one of those karaoke apps on your phone. Between this and being able to find just about any song on karaoke via YouTube, you could easily have your own karaoke parties at home!" —Ferretocious
Get it from Amazon for $26.99+ (available in 13 colors).
19. A book of NYT crossword puzzles — it starts out easy and gets tougher as you make your way through the book. By the end, you're sure to become a crossword pro!
Promising review: "This puzzle book is perfect. I took it on a plane and was able to complete a number of puzzles before we landed. I am not Einstein, but it wasn't too hard or too easy. I would def buy another one." —Whenpigsflyaway
Get it from Amazon for $11.85.
20. A frozen drink maker so you can whip up not one, not two, but THREE refreshing cocktails at the same time. Margaritas, daiquiris, coladas — I'll take one of each.
Promising review: "I'll have to give this blender an extra star for the cool factor. We love to have friends over and make frozen drinks. We enjoy watching friends' reactions as the blender automatically shaves the ice, then rotates to the next pitcher, and blends the various drinks. I was also impressed with the blender's looks and construction. No cheap plastic here. It's beautiful and heavy-duty. Well worth the price. It looks great on our counter." —Gerald E. Paradise Jr.
Get it from Amazon for $359.99.
21. Or this freezer cup if you're not looking to make a whole batch of frozen drinks, or everyone has different tastes. It'll transform your nonfrozen drinks into slushies, smoothies, and shakes in a matter of minutes. All you have to do is pour!
Just freeze the inner core for eight hours or more before enjoying your drinks! Recommended to hand wash with warm water!
Promising review: "I LOVE this product. It makes awesome slushies, is easy to clean, and a great product for the hot Florida summers. During the summer I use it nearly every day. I've used it with coffee and cream, juice, peach sweet tea, and soda. I haven't found anything that doesn't work with this product! I've tried just about every slushy maker out there, and this is absolutely the best one!" —Thesillybanana
Get it from Amazon for $22.99+ (available in 10 colors and packs of two).
22. A board game inside of a book so you can enjoy an exciting game of Candy Land or Monopoly — when you're done playing, simply fold your game back up into the book and display the book on a shelf for everyone to see!
23. A 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle that contains 50 Easter eggs and features a fun magic trick at the end — this is the coolest puzzle ever.
Promising review: "Just got this puzzle for something to do at home over the holidays. Seriously...I have never seen a puzzle quite like this! It’s very impressive and exceeded my expectations already. The packaging is beautiful inside and out. Everything about it shouts quality. I particularly liked the envelopes inside for the puzzle pieces and mystery. Heavy weight and substantial. The one holding the 1,000 puzzle pieces stays closed with Velcro! How cool! And the secret mystery envelope has a cool string loop tie. Makes you remember you can’t open it until the puzzle is done. The whole vibe of The Mystic Maze is quality and fun, and also looks like a challenging puzzle. Looking forward to getting started on this. Certainly a good stay-home fun activity. Highly recommend!" —Kyle Fletcher
Get it from Amazon for $22.99.
24. A subscription to Obé Fitness to help turn your living space into your very own workout studio. You'll have access to a broad array of prerecorded workout classes, a packed live class schedule, exciting challenges, and a supportive community. Working out inside your home >>> trekking to a busy gym or running in ridiculously hot temps.
My colleague Abby Kass swears by Obé Fitness! Here's her review:
"I've been using Obé for almost a year and a half now, but I really upped my game once quarantine started. I usually did an average of four classes a week for 30 minutes, but since I was stuck inside all the time, I started regularly doing an hour. Not only did it help pass the time, but I always felt SO much better after I was done. I started by doing a lot of dance and sculpt classes — which I love, but in June, I decided to push myself by participating in their Move With a Purpose challenge. During that time, I was pushed out of my comfort zone and started realizing I actually enjoyed Dance HIIT, strength, and power classes. (I've worked my way up to using 10-pound weights now, which I never thought would be a thing!) The app pushes me to be stronger and more confident and really has been such a good thing for me in the past couple of months. The instructors are great and really make you feel like you're in workout classes (which I've found is the only way I can motivate myself to workout). I feel so strong because of the app, and I did it all without ever leaving my apartment."
Subscribe to Obé Fitness for $24.99/monthly or $169.99/annually.
25. An Nickelodeon adult coloring book your inner '90s kid will absolutely adore. It's like opening a time machine and traveling back in time to watch cartoons on a Saturday morning.
My colleague Kayla Boyd loves this coloring book! Here's her review:
"Like many, many others in 2020, I decided to give coloring a try — and this coloring book brought me SO much joy in the midst of the pandemic. As a '90s baby who is obsessed with the whole nostalgia trend, I was delighted to flip through and find all of the BEST cartoons from my childhood: Rocket Power, Rugrats, The Wild Thornberrys, Hey Arnold, and more. It provided such a great stress relief (and a walk down memory lane). Anyone who knows the true joy of watching Nicktoons with their bowl of cereal on a Saturday morning as a kid should definitely give this coloring book a try!"
Get it from Amazon for $11.11.
26. A pancake art kit complete with a griddle, batter bottles, and nonstick template to help you bring breakfast (or breakfast for dinner) to a whole new level of fun.
Don't forget to also get some food coloring so you can really bring your creations to life.
Promising review: "I was highly impressed when it came in. It's well made, sturdy, can be used to cook other things (as it is a griddle), and the templates made it super easy. We had a blast making them. All you need is batter and food coloring." —jessee
Get it from Amazon for $39.49.
27. Who Do the Stars Say You Are? — a book that'll help guide you through and better understand your star sign in the most fun way! From unpacking the basics like your strengths and weaknesses and compatibility, to the important stuff like which ice cream flavor is actually your favorite to your perfect TV show (helpful if you're contemplating your next binge-watch), and so much more!
This book is written by BuzzFeed's very own Syd Robinson!
Promising review: "We love this author and are big fans of her pet-focused work with BuzzFeed, so we had to check out this book! It’s so fun and very well written! If you’re into astrology, this is an awesome read!!" —Amber
Get it from Amazon for $9.99/Kindle or $13.49/hardcover.
28. Escape the Crate, a subscription box providing you with the tools needed to play a fun escape room game at home with your loved ones. The best way to enjoy a family fun day in the summer. You can go to a real escape room once fall comes around.
What you'll get: Every other month, you'll receive items needed to play an hour-long escape room game at home! In your box, you may find things like ciphers, letters, sleuthing tools, puzzles, and more. Note that internet is required to play, so you can enter different codes online to check if you're getting it right!
Get it from Cratejoy starting at $26.50/box.
29. A face mask recipe book featuring 38 mask recipes and 10 sheet masks so you can concoct your very own at-home spa treatments.
Features 38 mask recipes and comes with 10 sheet masks that you simply apply to your face after putting your mask mixture on — locking in all that goodness.
Promising review: "I love this book. The recipes are great and provide great facts about what you're putting on your skin." —MGB
Get it from Amazon for $11.25.
30. A massage pillow for making you feel as if you invited over a personal masseuse rather than bought an amazing gadget from Amazon.
Promising review: "Wow! I've had it for an afternoon and I'm in love. I can't afford to keep going for human massages. *This* I can afford. I think I'm going to buy another one tomorrow so my wife and I don't fight over whose turn it is. Update a few days later: OK, this many be getting out of hand! I purchased a second one for my wife last week (very smart thing to do). Today, she just asked me to buy two more, one for her daughter and her sister. I just placed the order. I'm using mine three or four 20 minute sessions a day. It continues to work great. Seriously, this is a wonderful product. Spread the word!" —Lynn Robert Carter
Get it from Amazon for $54.95+ (available in three colors).
31. An unofficial Disney Parks cookbook filled with recipes to make your favorite park snacks from the comfort of home. No plane ticket to humid and sticky Orlando required!
Some of the recipes you'll find include cheeseburger spring rolls, fresh fruit waffle sandwiches, and of course, the famous turkey legs.
Promising review: "Beautiful hardcover cookbook with so many yummy Disney recipes from the parks! There is lots of Disney foodie history in it, plus recipes that look easy to follow with high-quality ingredients. There are fun maps of each of the parks inside where the food is located from, which makes it fun. As an avid Disney fan I have never seen a cookbook like this." —Nicole
Get it from Amazon for $11.99.
32. A gel nail polish kit so you can make good use out of your time indoors with a gorg manicure. Not to mention you'll save money on salon visits!
This set comes with your soy gel polish color of choice, a soy gel top coat, a mini nail lamp, an emery board, a buffer block, an orangewood stick, 10 alcohol pads, 10 acetone remover pads, and an instructions card.
Get it from our Goodful shop for $49 (available in six polish colors).
33. And last, but certainly not least, an inflatable lounge pool — no you don't use this indoors, BUT sometimes you want to enjoy the sunshine on the hottest of hot days without dealing with the heat, and what better way to do so than a refreshing swim?!
It's also got a bench and cup holders!
Promising review: "I have had this pool for about two weeks now and I LOVE IT!!! Was simple to set up, I got a little electric pump and it took about 10 minutes to inflate, then about half an hour to fill with water. Pay attention to making sure you set it up on level ground or it will be lopsided. I live in South Carolina so it is already hot and humid, and I use it about every afternoon. It is probably good for two adults, maybe one adult and a couple of kids. The built-in seat and headrest are really quite comfy and relaxing. I will definitely buy this same pool again if it springs a leak and can't be fixed, if I could give it a 10 stars I would. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!!" —kathryn j.
Get it from Amazon for $42.47.
Reviews in this post have been edited for length and clarity.