How to Play by Yourself

Last Updated: February 9, 2023 References

When your usual playmates are busy, it may seem like the end of the world. How can you make the most of your free time when you’re all by yourself? There’s no need to fear—with a little imagination and creativity, you can keep yourself entertained through any kind of situation.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Sports and Physical Activities

1
Dance around to your favorite songs. Search for some of your favorite tracks on YouTube, or play them on a music streaming service, like Spotify or Apple Music. Dance around to these tunes, even if you’re not doing any “official” dance moves. You can even invent your own moves while you jam out.^{[1]
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- Dancing to 8 songs counts as a 30-minute workout.
- Look up dance tutorial videos online if you really want to hone your skills.
2
Bike around the neighborhood. Strap on your helmet and get some fresh air on your bike. If you live near a local park or other open area, see if you can hang out over there. A long bike ride can be a great way to pass the time, even if you’re by yourself.^{[2]
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- Roller skating and rollerblading are really fun ways to pass the time by yourself.
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3
Play a game of tennis by yourself. Find a large, open section of wall somewhere outside, which will be your “tennis opponent.” Serve the ball into the wall, and wait for it to bounce back in your direction. Hit the ball again, repeating this back-and-forth game with yourself. Try not to let the ball bounce on the ground more than once!^{[3]
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- Keep track of your personal tennis record. Each time you play, try to beat that high score!
4
Spin a hula hoop to burn some energy. Balance the hoop around your hips and see how many times you can keep it going round and round. Keep working to beat your personal hula hooping record!^{[4]
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5
Jump rope to burn some energy. Find an open area in or around your home where you have plenty of room to move your jump rope around. Compete against yourself by seeing how many jumps you can do without tripping over the rope. You won’t just be having fun, but you’ll be getting exercise, too!^{[5]
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6
Play balloon volleyball with yourself. Blow up a leftover party balloon so it’s big enough to whack around in your hand. Grab a long piece of tape and stick it along the floor in your home—this will be the “net” for your game. Stand on 1 side of the tape and whack the balloon to the other side of the “court.” Then, run across the tape and hit the balloon back to yourself. Try not to let the balloon touch the ground!^{[6]
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- You can also mark the volleyball court with ribbon or chalk.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Imagination-Based Games

1
Dress-up in a fun outfit. Dress-up is a great way to let your imagination run wild. Dig through some old clothes and see what fun, crazy outfits you can come up with. Don’t forget to accessorize your new outfit with a handbag and some fun jewelry!^{[7]
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- Ask your parents or siblings if you can try on some of their clothes, like a pair of big boots or high heels.
- Take your outfit to the next level with a scarf, shawl, or other dramatic accessory!
2
Play a game of make-believe. In make-believe, you play the lead role in your very own story. Create a world using your own imagination—you can be a firefighter, vet, teacher, or anything in between! Grab your favorites toys so they can get in on the fun, too.
- For instance, you can make-believe that your bed is a burning building, and that it’s your job to “save” your stuffed toys.
- Make your own animal clinic or doctor’s office, where you can give all your toys a check-up!
3
Keep busy with colorful sidewalk chalk. Find an open section of driveway or pavement where you can draw and sketch to your heart’s content. Doodle cartoons and other fun designs, or sketch out a hopscotch diagram that you can play in.^{[8]
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- Hopscotch is a great game to play by yourself.
4
Mess around with finger paint. Pull out some finger paint, along with a few sheets of paper. Dip your fingers into your favorite colors and go to town! Let your imagination run wild as you come up with your own colorful creations.
- If you aren’t a fan of finger paint, mess around with crayons or colored pencils instead.
5
Let your imagination run wild with clay and sand. Grab some modeling clay or play sand and mold it into different shapes. Make your own buildings, animals, and other fun creations to pass the time.
- For instance, you can make your own zoo with modeling clay. Mold your own clay zebras, lions, and other favorite animals!
- You can also make your own sand castle, or build your dream house out of sand or clay.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Tabletop and Card Games

1
Enjoy a game of Solitaire yourself. A deck of cards is a great way to fight the boredom blues, especially if you’re by yourself. Try out a simple card game like Solitaire, where you try to divide your card deck into 4 separate suits.
- You can also try fun variations of this game, like Spider Solitaire, Double Solitaire, or Mahjong Solitaire.
2
Bust out a single-player board game. Believe it or not, there are plenty of board games out there that you can play by yourself. Try out titles like Orchard, Onirim, and Coffee Roaster to beat your boredom.^{[9]
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- You can also try games like Railroad Ink, Cat Rescue, and Chronicles of Crime.
3
Compete against yourself in a game of pool. Set up the pool balls on the pool table like you normally would. Once you’ve “broken” the balls for the first time, focus on sinking all the striped balls. Once you’ve cleared away all of the stripes, try sinking the solid-colored balls as well. Finish things off by sinking the 8-ball in a specific pocket of the pool table.^{[10]
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- You can make this extra challenging by setting a timer for yourself.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Video Games

1
Play a solo Dungeon and Dragons campaign online. Dungeons and Dragons is usually played with other people, but there’s no reason you can’t start up a campaign by yourself! Search online for websites that walk you through a solo campaign, so you can get started on a new adventure.^{[11]
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- This is a great place to start: http://dnd.chromesphere.net/Solo_Adventures/The_Crypt_4e/Index.html.
2
Play free online games at gametable.org. GameTable lets you play against a computer opponent, which is a great way to pass the time. Plus, you can amp up the difficulty rating for your opponent if you’d like a bigger challenge! Try a few games for free at: https://gametable.org.
- For instance, you can play Checkers, Hidoku, and Tic Tac Toe.
3
Entertain yourself with a phone game. Sneak a peek at the app store on your phone, whether you have an Apple, Android, or other type of smartphone. Scroll through the different game options to see if anything captures your eye. There are a lot of free phone games out there that can keep you entertained for hours!^{[12]
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- For example, Lego Creator Islands, Disney Crossy Road, Fruit Ninja, and Super Stickman Golf 3 are some great titles you can try.
4
Dive into a single-player video game. Video games are a great way to pass the time, especially if your friends are busy. Dust off some of your old favorites to keep yourself entertained while you’re hanging out by yourself.^{[13]
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- For instance, some really popular titles are The Witcher 3, Fallout 4, and games from the Final Fantasy and Star Wars franchises.
- Check the E-Store on your video game console to see what kinds of free games are available.
5
Immerse yourself in an open-world game. Open-world games transport you to a whole new universe to explore. Hone your fighting skills, make friends with new characters, accept quests, and journey your way through an exciting, engaging story.^{[14]
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- Some really popular open-world games are Subnautica, Starbound, Genshin Impact, and many titles from the Assassins Creed franchise.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I play by myself if I have younger siblings that won't leave me alone?

Community Answer

I suggest locking your door or putting a "do not disturb" sign on the doorknob. If they get past it, you can nicely ask them to leave or tell an adult.