A good real-life side quest gives you one interesting thing to do and a clear place to stop. These 21 ideas range from a five-minute observation to a small afternoon outing. Choose one that fits your day; you don't need to finish the list.
The times below are suggested time limits, not travel estimates. “No purchase” means the prompt itself requires no purchase; transport or admission may still cost money. Use places already accessible to you and check entry details before making a trip.
Five to fifteen minutes: notice something new
- Collect a color. Find three examples of one color on your usual route. Finish by picking the most unexpected one. Solo or together; no purchase.
- Name a tiny landmark. Choose a familiar tree, doorway, or bench and invent a nickname for it in your own notes. Finish with a one-sentence description. Solo; no purchase.
- Find a better angle. Sketch or photograph an ordinary object from a viewpoint you rarely use. Finish with one image you want to keep. Solo; no purchase.
- Read the plaque. Stop at a public sign or plaque you normally pass. Read it and note one thing you learned. Solo or together; no purchase.
- Make a sound map. From a comfortable stopping place, list five sounds and where they seem to come from. Finish by naming the quietest. Solo; no purchase.
- Spot a repeated shape. Look for circles, triangles, or arches in three different objects. Finish by choosing a favorite. Solo or together; no purchase.
- Write a postcard sentence. Describe where you are in one sentence you'd send to a friend. You don't need to send it. Solo; no purchase.
Twenty to forty-five minutes: follow a small curiosity
- Browse the unfamiliar shelf. In a library you can use, choose a subject you don't normally read. Read a page and write down one question it raises. Solo; no purchase.
- Take the alternate route. Choose a known, accessible public route to a familiar destination. Find one thing you'd missed. Solo or together; no purchase.
- Draw a window view. Use paper you already have and sketch five shapes visible from a window. Stop after twenty minutes, finished drawing or not. Solo; no purchase.
- Follow an ingredient. Pick something already in your kitchen and use it in a different combination for a snack. Keep it within your dietary needs. Finish by naming the combination. Solo or together; no new purchase required.
- Give an album your attention. Choose music you can already access and listen without doing another task. Finish by choosing the track you'd replay. Solo; no new purchase required.
- Find a local noticeboard. Read a public community board and note one event or group you'd like to learn about. Check its organizer's current details before making plans. Solo or together; no purchase.
- Try one unfamiliar flavor. At a place you already intended to visit, choose something new within your budget and dietary needs. Finish with a three-word description. Solo or together; purchase optional.
One to two hours: make a small outing
- Build a three-stop route. Pick one place to notice something, one place to pause, and one place to browse. Keep them close enough for your available time. Solo or together; set your budget first.
- Make a public-art shortlist. Find up to three artworks visible from public space. Choose the one you'd bring someone back to see. Solo or together; no purchase.
- Explore one room. At a museum or gallery you've checked is open and accessible, spend your visit in one room. Choose one work and read its label. Solo or together; check admission cost.
- Visit a familiar place at a different time. Return during its opening hours and notice three changes in light, sound, or activity. Solo or together; budget depends on the place.
- Make a neighborhood postcard. Collect three sketches or photos of places or objects, then arrange them in your notes. Finish with a title for the collection. Solo; no purchase.
- Trade a local favorite. Each friend chooses one nearby public place to show the other. Set a shared distance and spending limit. Together; no purchase required.
- Follow a question. Pick one question about a local place and look for an answer in a public sign, library resource, or official website. Finish by noting the answer—or what you'd need to find out next. Solo or together; no purchase.
Choose by what you have available
If you're short on time, try a color hunt. If you're staying inside, draw the window view. If you're meeting someone, trade a favorite place. If nothing appeals, change the prompt instead of forcing the activity.
Write down your finish before you begin. “Find three arches” is easier to complete than “have an interesting walk.” Keep a note afterward if you like, and let that be enough.
For the idea behind these prompts, read what a side quest means in real life. SideQuest's Tiny Adventures and Make It Weird are among the Quest worlds you can explore on the homepage.
