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Before you channel your inner groundhog, stock up on some books, games, and crafts to make all that indoor time more exciting.

I am a contributor and former editor who has been writing for BuzzFeed Shopping since 2017, with a focus on beauty, travel, and practical products, and in addition to writing, am in the process of getting my master’s in speech-language pathology.

Promising review: "My daughter is 4 and plays with these DAILY! YES, they do attract dirt and hair; however, they are so easy to rinse off, it's not a big deal! We took these to a family gathering and ended up giving two away because they were SO loved! The two we gave away went to a 12-year-old and my 19-year-old brother. They discovered that throwing them at the ceiling fan and watching them shoot across the room was pretty entertaining! None of these have busted or ripped, and they are definitely NOT gentle with them! I will definitely be buying more!" —Heather Hambrick

Get a pack of six from Amazon for $11.99 (also available in a pack of 16).

While you can color this in with any markers, colored pencils, or crayons of your choice, I highly recommend these Ohuhu alcohol markers. I own these along with several Coco Wyo coloring books and it's truly such a relaxing and fun way to unwind!

Promising review: "I purchased this coloring book because I love the mix of cute and spooky designs, and it did not disappoint. The artwork is adorable while still having that spooky Halloween-inspired style that makes it fun and different from regular coloring books. The designs are creative, detailed, and enjoyable to color. I like that there is a good variety of pages, making it easy to choose something depending on my mood. The pictures have enough detail to keep you interested without feeling overwhelming. TThe designs are fun, the quality is good, and it is a great value for anyone who enjoys coloring." —Melanie

Promising reviews: "This was the best purchase for someone who travels a lot. I am able to keep myself entertained on a plane and at the airport. Aside from that, it's a great portable console, and you can download lots of great Nintendo games on it. I had N64 and GameCube, and this is my first new Nintendo Console since those good old times, and I am happy and satisfied with my purchase." —Mike

Get it from Amazon for $229+ (available in three colors).

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 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

Promising review: "My family has traveled to many of these national parks, so I was super excited to work the puzzle; however, when I finished it, I KNEW I wanted to glue and frame it. I love working puzzles, but had never framed one before. I put it in my sitting room, which also has a wall gallery of family pictures from our cross-country trips!" —heather smith

The Woobles is an Asian-owned small biz selling the cutest beginner crochet kits! You might recognize them from Shark Tank!

Promising review: "I have tried to learn how to crochet with YouTube in the past without success. This kit is fabulous and the online videos are excellent. The project itself was fun. The skills I learned are worth every penny I paid for this kit. I will be buying more to do myself and gift to others!!" —Katt978

Get it from Amazon for $29.99+ (available in seven options).

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

Promising review: "So nostalgic!! It's exactly the same as I remember from my childhood! My daughter LOVED this Christmas gift! It's a little loud when you're in 'play' mode, but aside from that, we're pretty obsessed." —Brittany

Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in 45 styles). 

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 to seven 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 toward 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! 

Get it from Book of the Month: your first month for $5.99 and then membership options ranging from $12.99–$17.99.

Promising review: "This is such a great Kindle! It’s lightweight, the perfect size for going in a purse or bag, and the matcha is SUCH a great color. I already have a Paperwhite SE that I love, so I decided to get this Kindle for travel purposes. The battery life isn’t as great as my Paperwhite, but it still lasts me a while with daily reading! It fits perfectly in my hands and makes reading very comfortable. The only thing it is missing is the warm light option, but that is not a deal breaker for me. If you are looking for a lightweight and comfortable Kindle, this is the one for you." —Christine Heath

Get it from Amazon for $149.99+ (available in two colors, with or without Kindle Unlimited, and with or without ad-supported lock screens).

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 (it 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 desire. The 'sand trap' is also an excellent inclusion as it stops the golf balls from escaping the mat and keeps 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 $39.99+ (available in two sizes).

Each book includes 50 pages of watercolor art for you to add lines, along with suggestions for what to add if you want a jumping-off point. Bonus: The pages are perforated, so you can easily tear them out and frame them! 

Promising review: "Changed my life. So I get anxious doing the adult coloring books. This was so much fun and made me really think outside of the box. I'm not the best at drawing but I felt like I was when I was a kid doodling in my textbooks in school." —Carley C.

(Psst — check out these cult-fave black fine point pens for $8.54 on Amazon for a good doodling option!) 

The best part?? Once you finish "Murdling," you can use your sleuthing skills on Volume 2, Volume 3, and a whole BUNCH of other themed Murdle books — PLUS a Murdle board game!! 

Promising review: "The puzzles are a lot of fun, but the characters, story lines, and other details take the Murdle experience to another level. I have no idea how the author came up with such creativity! You can Murdle solo or with friends. I look forward to future volumes, but this one will keep me busy for a while!" —Liz Gately

BuzzFeed editor Jenae Sitzes owns and loves this: "I saw this exact Bluetooth speaker in probably dozens of TikToks (like this one) before I picked one up myself, and I honestly can't recommend it enough if you like a cutesy aesthetic. The price might seem high for something that kind of sounds like a toy, but the second you pick it up, it's clear this is a high-quality piece of tech with a ton of functionality. Its speakers are powerful, its screen is bright and vibrant, and the companion app is simply packed with all sorts of customization options. There's programmable RGB lighting under the keyboard keys (which are real buttons), and you can pick from a ton of different clock faces as well!"

Promising review: "Sound quality and durability are 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 it 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 $67.99+ (available in five colors). 

Promising review: "Great afternoon activity. All of the flower Lego sets are great for a break and getting your mind off things. We have several different flower ones in a vase, and they all seem to fit nicely together." —Jeremy Moeller

Promising review: "Omg! I have not laughed this much in a while! I’ve played this with adults and kids (9 and up), and it was fun for all ages! The product looks exactly like the picture, size and all. The mic is soft enough you won’t hurt other players as you yank it from their hands, lol. The alternate game board (on the back of the regular one) does make the game more challenging. It’s so fun, you will want to keep playing round after round! Well worth the money. It’s fun for two players and for big groups." —Amanda Scism

Promising review: "We’ve only opened the first rock, but I’m already impressed. Normally, these end up being duds, but this one was really spectacular and large! My son is 4 and he’s excited to open the rest for his collection." —Heremeow

BuzzFeed Shopping contributor Jonathan Mazzei says, "My girlfriend got me this book as a gift a few years ago, and it turned out to be even better than I expected! The prompts are super fun, and help you to think outside of the box even during those moments when you feel like you have no ideas. It's great to casually doodle in while passing time since you don't have to think of what to draw, but it also can be really helpful when brainstorming for creative projects. My girlfriend is a visual artist and graphic designer, and she loves using it to play around with ideas and make her think of things she never would have thought of without it. Plus, it's small and super portable! Highly recommend!"

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

I'm not a huge board game girl because, well, I get bored easily. So I wasn't exactly thrilled when my family wanted to play this game with what felt like lots of confusing rules over the holiday break. We ended up having so much fun playing that we played it again the next night. The goal is to build the longest continuous train route and complete all of your train route cards to avoid losing points at the end. It's a game that requires logic, a bit of patience, and not getting too annoyed at your family for blocking your train route. Truly so much fun!

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 are always the goal. I definitely recommend it to those susceptible to change and the willingness to try things differently." —Brent Helm

Former BuzzFeed editor Heather Braga is the proud owner of this book: "I have this book (as pictured above), and by that, I mean the second I saw it available for pre-order, I added it to my cart faster than you could say 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.' As the parent of a 2-year-old and a 6-month-old, I have many Little Golden Books in my home. However, this one is just STUNNING. I'm a big fan of Taylor (obviously) but was really enamored by how beautiful the pages in the first version were — so, naturally, I had to get the updated version! It's a short book, looks cute on my daughter's shelf, and is a hit for bedtime story time with my son, who has, ahem, been mildly encouraged to *also* love Taylor Swift. What more could you want???"

Promising review: "I have trichotillomania and really love these little guys. They help refocus my habit, and the pull is very satisfying and realistic. I've already had to repurchase, and I'll reorder more in the future. Can't recommend these enough, as I've been searching for this type of tool for a long time." —Danika Hill

Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in seven styles). 

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

This kit comes with an 11x14-inch stretched cloth canvas on a wooden frame, tubes of required paint, paint brushes, a splash cloth, a paper plate for mixing, paper towels, and access to a streaming video tutorial.

Promising review: "This has the perfect mix of humor, creativity, and randomness to keep things interesting. The activities are clever and unexpected, definitely not your typical word searches and crossword puzzles. It’s a fun way to unwind and take a break from screens. And the quality of the book is great, with a nice design and plenty of quirky prompts that make you think (or just laugh). If you’re looking for something unique to pass the time or a fun gift for someone who enjoys a little wit and absurdity, this is a great choice! There are many, many 'naughty' words, so definitely keep away from kids." —Lainey

Promising review: "This is such a great poster. I bought this as a birthday present for my boyfriend, who is a HUGE movie buff. We have movie nights throughout the week, and I thought this would be something we could work on together. I haven't seen A LOT of these. He loves it. It's great quality." —Shelby Parker

This book is written by former BuzzFeed writer, 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 $13.57/hardcover.

BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way.

Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.