Channel Bob Ross with These Paint-by-Numbers Kits

Being home for an extended period of time means finding clever ways to entertain yourself—and sometimes keeping out of everyone else’s way. While many have turned to puzzles and board games to stimulate the mind and keep the hands from the devil’s work (opening the fridge for the hundredth time), the newfound popularity of these pastimes often means that they are as scarce on the shelves as toilet paper. So here’s another retro option: paint-by-numbers kits. (My own masterwork, an angora cat created when I was in grade school, still takes pride of place in my old room back home.) These kits were introduced in the postwar prosperity of the 1950s and peaked in the late ’70s, but now many of us finally have the time and patience necessary to fill in the blanks and see what takes shape. Here are five great options for beginning your artistic journey.