Entertainment in Small Spaces: Fun Activities for RV and Tiny Home Living

Living in a small space, such as an RV or tiny home, comes with its challenges, but one of the most rewarding aspects is the ability to find creative ways to stay entertained. Whether you’re a full-time RVer, a weekend traveler, or embracing the tiny home lifestyle, there are plenty of ways to enjoy yourself without needing a lot of room. From classic board games to compact hobby activities, let’s explore some of the best entertainment methods that work well in small living spaces.

1. Jigsaw Puzzles: A Relaxing and Engaging Pastime

Jigsaw puzzles are a fantastic option for entertainment in an RV or small home. They engage the mind, promote relaxation, and can be a great solo or group activity. Consider these tips for doing puzzles in small spaces:

• Choose a smaller puzzle size - Opt for puzzles with 300-500 pieces instead of the larger 1000+ piece varieties. Keitha and I opt for the 500 piece puzzles in the RV. Easy to move around on our puzzle board, and we place it on the bed when we’re traveling. A nice stable storage space!

•  Use a puzzle mat - A roll-up puzzle mat allows you to save progress without taking up valuable table space. We have friends that use the roll-up map with great success. Once rolled, it’s easy to store when not puzzling.

• Go digital - If space is extremely limited, consider digital jigsaw puzzles on a tablet. There’s several puzzle apps out there that provide some truly beautiful pictures to piece together. The nice thing about the digital puzzles is that many of them you can choose how many pieces you want the puzzle to be in. Same picture, many piece options!

2. Card Games: Compact and Versatile Fun

A deck of playing cards takes up virtually no space and provides endless entertainment. Whether you’re alone or with others, there’s a card game for every situation:

• For solo players - Try Solitaire or Spider Solitaire. Any version of solitaire works well for just one. It’s hard to compete with a deck of cards when you’re looking for quick entertainment.

• For two players - Rummy, Crazy Eights, or Speed are excellent choices. For us, our favorites include Cribbage (you need some method for keeping score—we use a wooden cribbage board), Play9 (a golf-like game where you try and achieve the lowest score), Hand & Foot (similar to Canasta), or Elevator Trump.

• For groups - Uno, Poker, and Phase 10 bring excitement to game night. We’ve also played Hand & Foot with up to six people and its a lot of fun. Play9 can be played with a group as well. Its a game that moves along quickly and you don’t need to know golf to enjoy it.

Playing cards are easy to store, inexpensive, and can be used for countless different games, making them an essential entertainment option for small-space living.

3. Board Games: Classic Fun in a Small Package

While traditional board games might seem bulky, many options work well for RVs and tiny homes:

• Travel-sized versions - Many classic games like Scrabble, Chess, and Monopoly come in compact travel versions with magnetic pieces. Although you don’t really need those tiny little versions you can find at the local travel center, they do save space! We have a full-size Scrabble game, complete with rotating game board, that’s been in every RV we’ve ever owned since our first rig back in 1979!

• Card-based board games - Games like Exploding Kittens, Love Letter, or Sushi Go! pack a lot of fun into small boxes. We also play Sequence and Rumicube. Both are very entertaining and easily played on the dining room table in the trailer.

• Roll-and-write games - Games like Yahtzee and Railroad Ink require only dice and paper, making them easy to store and play.

Board games offer a great way to connect with family or fellow travelers, even in the coziest of spaces.

4. Arts and Crafts: Creativity in a Small Space

Engaging in arts and crafts is a wonderful way to pass the time while traveling or living in a small home. Some space-friendly creative hobbies include:

• Sketching or coloring - A small sketchpad and colored pencils provide hours of entertainment. You can also buy adult coloring books that have everything from complex patterns to artistic scenes. We purchased a large pack of colored pencils and enjoy sitting coloring inside the lines while kicking back in the evening.

• Knitting or crocheting - Yarn crafts take up little space and can be done anywhere. Okay, this is Keitha’s forte! She is the crochet/knitting queen! Right now she’s making a chicken hat (yep, you heard me right!) for her sister that raises chickens. Maybe a picture of the completed project to follow!

• Journaling or scrapbooking - Documenting your travels and adventures can be both fun and meaningful.

With the right supplies, you can keep your creative passions alive without cluttering your living space.

Final Thoughts

Living in an RV or tiny home doesn’t mean giving up on entertainment—it just means finding creative ways to enjoy yourself. Whether you love games, puzzles, crafts, music, or outdoor activities, there are plenty of ways to stay engaged and entertained in a small space. By embracing compact and versatile entertainment options, you can make the most of your unique lifestyle while keeping boredom at bay.

What’s your favorite way to stay entertained in a small space? Share your ideas in the comments below!