Image: time for machine
There are a few ways you can spend your time indoors this season — binge-watching everything you possibly can, endlessly scrolling social media, or actually staying away from screens for a while. We vote for the latter.
If you’re at a loss for how to spend time away from screens, allow us to share 20 different games, puzzles, and DIY kits to help you out. Most are even on sale for a limited time.
A more challenging and amusing take on the classic puzzle, this one challenges your STEM skills as you piece it together and results in a usable Bluetooth speaker. Regularly $159, you can get it on sale for just $30.99 for a limited time.
This versatile 16-inch gameboard unrolls to display a chessboard on one side and a magnetic board on the other. It comes with futuristic magnetic marbles that you can use to create game pieces, artistic shapes, and more. Snag the set for just $39.99 (regularly $47).
Great for kids of all ages, the Circuit Scribe DIY kit merges creativity and science, offering a blueprint to learn about circuits in a fun way. It comes with a conductive ink pen, magnetic modules, a circuit stencil, and a jumper sticker sheet, and only costs $32.99 (regularly $58) for a limited time.
Design and turn your own creations into high-quality 3D models from your own home with this printer starter bundle. It uses affordable UV LCD resins, so you don’t have to break the bank to experiment. Get it for just $194.95 (regularly $320) for a limited time.
Ideal for winter months and anytime it rains, this realistic golf simulator puts you in the middle of real world-famous golf courses and lets you practice your swing and play against friends. Use the coupon code GOLF10 at checkout to get it for $190 (regularly $249) for a limited time.
Shake things up next family game night with this card game that mixes creativity, dexterity, and some friendly competition. Players must compete against each other for the Grand Master Belt, with a little bit of risk-taking and trickery along the way. Get it for $34.99 (regularly $47) and save 25% for a limited time.
Suitable for kids age 11 and up, this DIY car kit will help unleash your child’s inner inventor. It highlights basic robotics, electronics, and programming essentials, and keeps your kids off social media for a few hours. Get the kit for $104.95 (regularly $115).
Amazon’s Choice at 4.8 out of 5 stars, this PutterBall game combines golf and beer pong for the perfect socially-distanced outdoor activity. Snag it on sale for $159.99 with code PUTTER10 (regularly $189).
The love child of Apples to Apples and Charades, this Kickstarter-funded game lets you embrace your improv skills through millions of scenarios and quirks that are sure to keep you laughing. This version is for adults only, but it comes in a family-friendly version as well. Get it for just $19.99 (regularly $29) while it’s on sale.
An iF 2020 Design Award winner, Tangiplay will keep your kids (ages 4 to 12) entertained for hours. They’ll have so much fun solving puzzles, they won’t even realize they’re learning essential STEM, creativity, and communication skills. Get the iPad learning toy for $84.99 (regularly $99).
If arcades were designed in 2020, they’d look like the Polycade. Minimalist, elegant, and easily mountable to any wall, this plug and play gaming console lets you play thousands of classic and modern games at home. It’s on sale for a limited time for $3,899 (regularly $3,999).
Successfully funded on Indiegogo and Kickstarter, this construction set lets you hone your electrical engineering and problem-solving skills as you construct seven different robots. Usually $99, you can snag the set for just $59.95 for a limited time.
Teens and adults alike can enjoy this 123-piece DIY car-building kit that constructs a disco-era sedan with a wind-up handle to start the engine. Once built, it makes for a great bookshelf, desk, or coffee table decor. Snag it for $79.95.
This DIY kit allows kids (ages 8 to 13) to build a vehicle using their own two hands. It’ll help them develop problem-solving skills and explore how AI is changing transportation dynamics. Get the kit for $234.99 (regularly $249) for a limited time.
This all-in-one conversation starter, stress reliever, and fidget toy uses the rarely-known magnetic principle called Lenz’s law to portray a mesmerizing anti-gravity effect. It’s basically just a solid metal piece and an accompanying magnetic ball, but it’ll provide hours of satisfaction and relaxation. Get it for $119.99 (regularly $149) for a limited time.
Training your pet doesn’t have to be a drag. This puzzle toy makes it fun, using buttons to dispense treats, dog-friendly sounds, training attachments, and more. Usually $59, you can get it on sale for $49.99.
A stepping stone to STEM and electronics, this DIY kit goes over fundamental concepts like voltage, current, resistance, Ohm’s law, Kirchhoff laws, and more. It’s recommended for middle and high schoolers, electrical engineering students, STEM educators, hobbyists, and homeschoolers. Get it for $144.95 (regularly $149).
With 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon, this party game is a crowd favorite for all occasions. It’s like Jenga, but strictly for adults, and features hilarious rules, challenges and tasks on every block, and a whole lot of boozy fun. Get it for $32.99 (regularly $34).
The POWERUP 4.0 is basically what you’d get if your paper airplane as a kid had high-tech features — like a Bluetooth module, autopilot control, and the ability to perform loops, barrel rolls, and hammerheads. Get it on sale for $164.99 (regularly $189) for a limited time.
Great for kids 6 and up, this DIY kit lets them focus on problem-solving skills and confidence as they piece together an actual working drone. They’ll follow the step-by-step instructions to create their own design and learn about aerodynamics and load balance along the way. Get this STEM kit for $49.99 (regularly $129) for a limited time.
