50 Awesome and Enjoyable Things To Do While You’re Waiting In Line

Waiting in line is simply part of life. Whether you’re waiting in line at the grocery store or waiting in line at an amusement park, there’s no getting around it. But waiting in line doesn’t have to a be a complete waste of time, and it doesn’t have to be a dull, thumb-twiddling experience.

With some creativity, you can turn waiting in line into a fun time, full of laughs. Here are 50 things to do to pass the time while you’re waiting in line.

Ready? Alright, let’s dive into it.

1. Pay careful attention to what’s going on around you. As you wait in line, take time to listen. What are people saying? What smells do you pick up? Waiting in line is a very good time to practice being mindful.

2. When you are waiting in line at a grocery store, talk to someone instead of pulling out your phone. Ask them what they do. Ask them why they’re buying particular items. Find out their name. Maybe even ask for a date!

3. Keep your head up and your eyes open. Make a conscious effort to smile at people and connect with them. Say, “Hello,” to those who smile back.

4. Use your waiting time to memorize something. Work on learning words in a new language. Memorize a poem. Commit one of the great speeches (Gettysburg Address, etc.) in history to memory.

5. Play the “accent game” with friends. In other words, see how can do the best particular accent. See if you can convince a stranger that you’re really from that country.

6. Play the “alphabet game”. See if you can find an object that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Good luck finding something that starts with X (unless you happen to be waiting for an X-Ray).

7. Eat a healthy snack. If you know you’re going to be waiting in line for a long time, remember to bring a healthy snack with you. Few things pass the time like munching on something delicious.

8. Plan what you will do next. If you’re at an amusement park, plan what you’re going to do next. What ride will you visit? Will you stop for lunch? Will you go to the water park? Ask your friends what they want to do, then figure out the best way to make it happen.

9. Play the “Dance Dare” game. Yes, it takes a little courage, but the laughs will be worth it. Watch the video.

10. Make up a song to describe the people and events surrounding you. Basically, you’re trying to turn your life into a musical.

11. Find out at least one thing about a stranger standing near to you. Find out about their hometown or job or family. Then share at least one fact about you with them. You may make a friend or two!

12. Read a book. If you don’t want to carry a book around with you, there are many digital book reading apps for your smartphone. You’ll be amazed at how much progress you can make by reading small bits at a time.

13. Go through the “Character Alphabet”. In other words, each person must name at least one fictional character whose name starts with that letter of the alphabet.

14. At least once per week, go somewhere without your smartphone. Focus on having conversations, enjoying the world, and thinking deeply.

15. Challenge one of your friends to a thumb wrestling match. If you’re with a group of friends, create a thumb wrestling tournament, complete with a prize (winner gets a dollar from everyone, etc.).

16. Play “Simon Says” or “I Spy”. These aren’t just kids games! Adults can find ways to make them waaaayyy more interesting!

17. Make up life stories for people around you. The life story should include their childhood, key events, and why they’re currently waiting in line. A word of advice: don’t let them hear you talking about them!

18. Start an air band with your friends. Each of you chooses an instrument; then you work together to mimic playing through a song.

19. Download a word game for your phone such as Scrabble or Words With Friends. Use the time spent waiting in line to improve your vocabulary and enjoy a game!

20. Text someone you care about and tell them you love them. This is an excellent way to make someone’s day!

21. Pretend to be an animal and only answer your friends using animal noises. If people give you strange glances, only shrug your shoulders as if you can’t help it.

22. Make a list in your head of all the positive things that have happened to you in the past week. This practice is a fantastic way to shift your attention to the good, happy things occurring in your life.

23. Give each of your friends a nickname, then ask them if they like the nickname. Ask your friends to give you a nickname.

24. Tell knock-knock jokes with your friends. Award a prize to the person who tells the best joke.

25. Clean up and organize your purse or wallet. You’ve probably got old receipts, loose change, and expired reward cards floating around in there. Get rid of the junk and put everything in the proper place.

26. Have a brief meditation session. Focus on calming your breathing and stilling your mind. If you need help, download one of the many apps that instruct you in meditation.

27. Memorize the quotes that inspire you the most. When you begin to feel discouraged, remember these inspirational quotes.

28. Ask a stranger for a music recommendation. Then pull up that song on YouTube and listen to it with the stranger. Ask them why they like it.

29. Do a few exercises, such as calf raises, squats, and lunges. Yes, you’ll probably look a bit foolish, but it’s worth it to be healthy, right?

30. Take time to compliment a complete stranger. People love to be applauded, and it spreads joy throughout the world.

31. When you see something particularly interesting, take a photo. When others see your picture, they’ll want to know where you are and what you’re doing, which can be the start of wonderful conversations.

32. Make a to-do list. What things have been floating in your mind but you haven’t written them down? You can do this either with pen and paper or with an app on your smartphone.

33. Wear a t-shirt that will spark conversations. Funny or nostalgic shirts are both trendy and guaranteed conversation starters.

34. Ask a series of “this or that” questions. Would rather drink coffee or tea? Listen to music only or watch television only? Never hear or never smell?

35. Try to evaluate current fashion trends? How many guys are wearing caps? How many girls are wearing sandals? What is the predominant hairstyle for guys and girls?

36. Watch the body language and facial expressions of others. Learn the signs that they’re struggling or in need of help. If you can, offer to help.

37. Stare at the back of a person for 30 seconds. Then turn around and say everything you remember about that person. See how many things you can get right.

38. Play “2 Truths And Lie”. Each participant tells the group 2 true things and one false. Then everyone must figure out what is true and what is false.

39. Pretend to make a phone call. You must use these words: rash, butterflies, monkey, teabag, roast beef, claustrophobia, and joint pain.

40. Have a rock, paper, scissor tournament. The winner receives a prize from everyone.

41. Play “guess that tune”. Each person takes a turn whistling a song, then the other members of the group must guess the song.

42. Do a live broadcast on Facebook live or Periscope. Tell people that they can ask you any question, then answer them!

43. Count how many pieces of gum you see stuck to the ground and railings.

44. Recreate famous photos, then post them on Instagram or Snapchat. If you need help finding well-known pictures, simply do a Google search.

45. Catch up on phone calls and emails. You have to be careful with phone calls because you don’t want to annoy the people around you, but waiting in line is a great time to catch up on phone calls.

46. Take silly selfies and then post them to Facebook. Create an album of silly selfies to remember your time in line.

47. Live Tweet your waiting experience on Twitter. Or, answer questions from your followers on Twitter.

48. Listen to a podcast. If you still need to hear what is happening around you, take one earbud out. RadioLab, This American Life, and NPR are great podcasts to inform you.

49. Sit down and relax. If you’re going to waiting in line for a long time, take the time to rest your legs.

50. Focus on being patient. Yes, waiting in line can be tremendously annoying, but being impatient doesn’t help anything. It makes things worse.

Yes, waiting in line is not usually a pleasant experience. But by doing these activities, you can pass the time much more quickly. Instead of being bored out of your mind, you can deepen your friendships, make new friends, and expand your mind.

Happy waiting!