Staying Inside to Beat the Heat? These Great Products Will Keep You Entertained All Summer Long
This summer has been a scorcher so far—but just because there are days you'd rather be indoors with the fan pointed directly at you doesn't mean there isn't plenty of seasonal fun to be had inside.
If you've been looking for some activities to do inside that aren't just bingeing your favorite shows or scrolling through TikTok for hours on end, we have some suggestions. For some of the products that have been keeping us occupied and entertained this summer, just keep scrolling.
Tiny Treehouses Treetop Hideaway ($39) and Temple of Serenity ($39)
If you're looking for an arts and crafts project with a stunning result you'll be proud to display, look no further than Tiny Treehouses. These kits contain pop-out wooden pieces and well-written instructions to piece them together and make them into beautiful Tiny Treehouses that can be turned into cute decorative pieces around the house. Our favorite aspect has to be the included LED lighting, turning the treehouses into miniature light fixtures that add the best ambiance to your spaces.
(via Tiny Treehouses)
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Speks 2.5mm Magnet Balls: $34.95+
When we first played with Speks' magnetic balls, we thought they'd keep us entertained for maybe 10 minutes and then we'd put them down—but when we looked up from our creative process and realized that two hours had passed in the blink of an eye, we knew they were something special. Each set consists of 512 or 1000 tiny magnetic orbs made from rare earth magnets that can be molded like magnetic putty or built into incredible structures and shapes, making them like a stress ball and fidget toy, all in one. And if the rainbow palette isn't your thing, they have dozens of other single- and multi-color options to choose from.
(via Speks)
Mosaic Puzzles The Houses of Parliament by Monet Puzzle: $64.99+
If you're a puzzle fan but you've never gotten your hands on a Mosaic Puzzle, do yourself a favor and check one out. The wooden pieces of these puzzles are much thicker than the average puzzle, with many of the pieces in recognizable shapes, such as people, animals, boats and umbrellas. We tried the beautiful The Houses of Parliament painting by Claude Monet. The pieces have uniquely curled shapes that don't look quite like any puzzle we've seen, making the puzzle process uniquely satisfying, with lovely results.
(via Mosaic Puzzles)
Lemonade Pursuits Botanical Nuance 1000-Piece Puzzle: $24.99
For those times you're in the mood for a more traditional puzzle, you really can't go wrong with anything from Lemonade Pursuits. Their breathtaking puzzles are designed by female artists around the world with imagery chosen to instill peace and calm. The feel of the pieces is also super high-quality—and they even have a glare-free matte finish to make the puzzles easier to see under any lighting conditions, making them perfect for summer days as well as nights.
(via Lemonade Pursuits)
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Sweetology Paradise Vacation Cupcake and Cookie Decorating Kit: $39.99+
Looking to create something you can eat afterward? Sweetology's decorating kits give you everything you need to decorate adorable cupcakes or sugar cookies—including the dozen fresh-baked cookies or cupcakes. They also include piping bags pre-filled with colored frosting, professional stainless steel decorating tips, extra piping bags, assorted sprinkles and sugar-pressed Dec-Ons, so the creative part of the process is entirely up to you. We think this Paradise Vacation set is just the thing for summer.
(via Sweetology)
101 Super Cute Things to Draw: $19.99
If you're looking to hone your drawing skills this summer, 101 Super Cute Things to Draw is a great place to start. It includes 101 step-by-step lessons for constructing adorable art out of basic shapes and building upon them. In time, you'll even be able to take what you learned and apply it to your own ultra-adorable art.
(via Walter Foster)
goodfit Oasis Puzzle: $32
Curious about puzzles that are both stunning to look at and give back? goodfit has you covered. All of the art on their puzzles is by hand-selected emerging artists creating bold and thoughtful cultural artwork—and 10% of every purchase goes to a charity of the artist's choice. The Oasis puzzle we tried, with art by Aika Takahata, is particularly perfect for summer lounging. We also love the feel of the pieces, with their sleek linen-like texture, and the fact that each puzzle also comes in a reusable cotton bag, making it just the thing for those long summer nights at your favorite summer destinations.
(via goodfit)
ToDo Family Edition: $20
If you're looking to connect with the family this summer, ToDo Family Edition is a fun way to put away your phones and connect in a meaningful way. The activities inside take from 20 minutes to an hour each, so you can come back to it again and again, and while they're all appropriate for kids as young as five, even older teens (and adults) can get in on the fun and make the most of the time to really bring the family together.
(via ToDo)
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The Table Tyke: $24.99
While The Table Tyke was technically designed to be a tool to keep spaces clean for very small children, we've found it's an invaluable tool for older creatives doing potentially messy projects. It's a great non-slip surface for handling clays or even mixing paints, with a bumper to keep tools and paintbrushes from rolling off. It's also made from BPA-free, medical-grade silicone, and is dishwasher safe for easy cleanups.
(via The Table Tyke)
The Woobles Dinosaur Crochet Kit: $25+
Just look at how adorable Fred the Dinosaur is and tell us you don't want to make him from scratch! The Woobles' kits include everything you need to create your own amigurumi crocheted plushes, including yarn, stuffing, a crochet hook, an embroidery needle, plastic eyes and stitch markers—and, most importantly, digital instructions, complete with easy-to-follow video tutorials. It's designed specifically for beginners, so you don't need any prior knowledge to get started, and they even do the tough first step for you so you can get right into the learning process. We also love the kit's Easy Peasy yarn, which doesn't fray or split. Believe us—once you've finished your project, you'll want to head right to the craft store to get started on your next one with the help of everything you've learned.
(via The Woobles)
Nautilus Puzzles Irises by Vincent Van Gogh Puzzle: $16.95+
Nautilus Puzzles is another incredible brand making high-quality wooden puzzles cut into unusual shapes. We did a puzzle featuring Vincent Van Gogh's famous Irises painting, with a cut including all kinds of organic flower and plant shapes. The remaining pieces of the puzzle are more traditionally shaped, making this one much harder than it appears. If you're like us and are up for a challenge, we can confidently say you'll adore the results of this one.
(via Nautilus Puzzles)
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Creative QT DIY Bath Bomb Kit: $32.99
We can think of few things more soothing than a nice bath after a long summer's day, especially with the help of a nice bath bomb. If you're feeling crafty, you can even make your own custom bath bombs with this DIY Bath Bomb Kit from Creative QT. It contains everything you need to learn how to make your own relaxing bath products from scratch, including 100% pure essential oils of lavender, lemon, eucalyptus and grapefruit to make them smell incredible.
(via Creative QT)
eat2explore Explorer Starter Kit: $60
Just because you don't plan to be out and about doesn't mean you can't explore the cultures of the world from the comfort of your home. For those days when it's not too hot to be cooking in the kitchen, we recommend eat2explore's Explorer Starter Kit, complete with recipe cards, sourced non-perishable ingredients, cookie tools and a shopping list to get the rest of what you'll need, as well as cute collectibles, explorer sheets and activity guides. Trying new foods is one of our favorite ways to learn more about other countries, and you'll be really pleased with the tasty results.
(via eat2explore)
Kodak Luma 150 Projector: $219.99
We can't be the only ones who think that everything becomes cooler when you watch it on a projector. The Kodak Luma 150 is ridiculously easy to hook up, whether you're using a microSD card, plugging in a USB or HDMI cable from a console, player or computer, or using screen-mirroring to project whatever's playing on your phone, with great sound and crisp visuals that can be adjusted with the turn of a dial. Its portability means you can use it at home, in the backyard or anywhere on the go, and for those times you can't keep it plugged in, it has up to two and a half hours of battery power. This thing has seriously changed our viewing habits this summer—even if a lot of the time we just use it to watch blown-up TikToks.
(via Kodak)
Putting yourself first this season? Click HERE for our top tips on prioritizing your mental health this summer.