Boredom usually isn't about having nothing to do. It's about not knowing what you feel like doing. So instead of one long list, these cool websites to cure boredom are sorted by mood: something to play, something to make, something to learn, or somewhere quiet to chill for a while. Jump to the one that fits.
Every site below is free to use without an account, and each one was opened and checked before it went on the page. If nothing grabs you, the button on the home page will pick something at random.
When you want to play
Free browser games, no account and no install. Or get a random games site.
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Little Alchemy 2 (opens in new tab)
littlealchemy2.com
Combine simple elements like water and fire to discover hundreds of new items.
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Cookie Clicker (opens in new tab)
orteil.dashnet.org/cookieclicker
Click a giant cookie to bake cookies, then buy upgrades that bake them for you.
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Lichess (opens in new tab)
lichess.org
Play chess against people or the computer, or solve puzzles. Free, with no ads.
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The Evolution of Trust (opens in new tab)
ncase.me/trust
A short interactive game about why and how people learn to trust each other.
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Monkeytype (opens in new tab)
monkeytype.com
A clean typing test that shows your words per minute and accuracy as you go.
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skribbl.io (opens in new tab)
skribbl.io
A multiplayer drawing game. One player draws a word and everyone else guesses.
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The Higher Lower Game (opens in new tab)
higherlowergame.com
Guess which of two search terms gets Googled more. Harder than it sounds.
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Universal Paperclips (opens in new tab)
decisionproblem.com/paperclips
Start by clicking to make paperclips. It gets much bigger from there.
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Fermi (opens in new tab)
fermi.gg
A daily estimation game: three real-world quantity questions, one guess each.
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Hexcodle (opens in new tab)
hexcodle.com
A daily puzzle where you work out the hex code of a color swatch.
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Crosshare (opens in new tab)
crosshare.org
Solve free crossword puzzles, or make and share your own. No login needed.
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Google Feud (opens in new tab)
googlefeud.com
Guess how Google autocompletes a search. Family Feud, but for the internet.
When you want to make something
Creative toys for drawing, painting, and making music. Or get a random art and chill site.
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Patatap (opens in new tab)
patatap.com
Tap letter keys to trigger colorful animations, each paired with a sound.
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AutoDraw (opens in new tab)
autodraw.com
Sketch a rough shape and machine learning suggests a polished drawing to swap in.
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Silk (opens in new tab)
weavesilk.com
Drag your mouse to paint glowing, symmetrical, silk-like patterns.
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Bomomo (opens in new tab)
bomomo.com
Pick a numbered tool and drag your mouse to generate abstract painted patterns.
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Song Maker (opens in new tab)
musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker
Click squares on a grid to build a short melody and beat, then play it back.
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JS Paint (opens in new tab)
jspaint.app
A browser recreation of classic Microsoft Paint, ready to use with no install.
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Kleki (opens in new tab)
kleki.com
A free painting app in your browser, with brushes, layers, and blending tools.
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tixy.land (opens in new tab)
tixy.land
Write one tiny line of code and watch it animate a grid of 256 dots.
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Kandinsky (opens in new tab)
musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Kandinsky
Draw shapes and lines, then press play to hear them turn into music.
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ToneMatrix (opens in new tab)
tonematrix.audiotool.com
Click squares on a grid to build looping, ambient melodies that always sound good.
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Groove Pizza (opens in new tab)
apps.musedlab.org/groovepizza
Build drum beats by placing shapes on a circular, pizza-shaped sequencer.
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Inspiral Web (opens in new tab)
inspiral-web.nathanfriend.com
A browser spirograph. Spin virtual gears to draw looping geometric patterns.
When you want to learn something
Fascinating things to explore, one scroll or click at a time. Or get a random learn site.
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The Deep Sea (opens in new tab)
neal.fun/deep-sea
Scroll down through the ocean's depths and meet the creatures that live at each level.
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The Scale of the Universe 2 (opens in new tab)
htwins.net/scale2
Slide from the smallest particles to the largest structures in the universe.
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Radio Garden (opens in new tab)
radio.garden
Spin a globe and tune into live radio stations from cities around the world.
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earth (opens in new tab)
earth.nullschool.net
An animated map of wind, ocean currents, and weather around the globe.
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The True Size Of (opens in new tab)
thetruesize.com
Drag countries around a world map to see their real size without map distortion.
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Ancient Earth (opens in new tab)
dinosaurpictures.org/ancient-earth
Spin a globe to see where your town sat on the planet millions of years ago.
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Bartosz Ciechanowski (opens in new tab)
ciechanow.ski
Long, deeply interactive articles on how things work, from gears to the Moon.
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If the Moon Were Only 1 Pixel (opens in new tab)
joshworth.com
Scroll across a true-to-scale solar system and feel how empty space really is.
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Solar System Scope (opens in new tab)
solarsystemscope.com
A 3D model of the solar system and night sky you can spin, zoom, and fast-forward.
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Brooks Falls Bear Cam (opens in new tab)
explore.org
Watch live as brown bears fish for salmon at Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park.
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Light Pollution Map (opens in new tab)
lightpollutionmap.info
A world map of how bright the night sky is, built from satellite data.
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Webb Compare (opens in new tab)
webbcompare.com
Slide between Hubble and James Webb images of the same galaxies and nebulae.
When you want to chill
Calm sounds and slow views for when you need a break. Or get a random art and chill site.
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WindowSwap (opens in new tab)
window-swap.com
Look out of a stranger's window somewhere in the world, with sound.
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myNoise (opens in new tab)
mynoise.net
Mix layers of nature and ambient sound with sliders until it feels right.
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Coffitivity (opens in new tab)
coffitivity.com
Coffee shop background chatter and clinking cups to help you focus.
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Noises Online (opens in new tab)
noises.online
Blend rain, ocean, forest, and other sounds into your own relaxing mix.
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Purrli (opens in new tab)
purrli.com
A realistic cat purr you can adjust to taste. Surprisingly soothing.
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You Are Listening To (opens in new tab)
youarelistening.to
Ambient music mixed with live city sounds like police radio and air traffic control.
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SomaFM (opens in new tab)
soma.fm
Dozens of free, commercial-free internet radio channels, many of them ambient.
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lofi.cafe (opens in new tab)
lofi.cafe
Pick a cozy virtual room and let lofi music play while you work or unwind.
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Moodist (opens in new tab)
moodist.mvze.net
A free, open source mixer of rain, nature, and city sounds for focus or rest.
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Free Fireplaces (opens in new tab)
freefireplaces.com
A crackling virtual fireplace you can leave running in a tab.
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Monterey Bay Aquarium Live Cams (opens in new tab)
montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams
Live cams of jellyfish, sea otters, sharks, and a swaying kelp forest.
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SkylineWebcams (opens in new tab)
skylinewebcams.com/en.html
Live views of cities, beaches, and landmarks around the world.
How this list is made
Cedrick Reese chose these sites from Random Site Generator's collection and sorted them by what you'd actually be doing there. Each one was opened to confirm it still works and doesn't ask for an account or payment before you can use it. Sites reported through the contact page get rechecked, and anything that breaks or moves behind a paywall is swapped out.