Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Daily Tasks - 10 Reasons To Check In On Your Island Every Day

Your daily dose of island life

by Zion Grassl Mon 8th Nov 2021

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Animal Crossing series is how it syncs up with the time and day of the real world. This single feature has made the series that much more immersive, but it’s also partly to blame for why we continue to come back day after day. There’s always something new to do, people to see and things to collect, but the series has always tried to limit how much you can do in one day. But surprisingly, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has packed in more activities and ways to spend your time than ever before.

So regardless of if you’re new to the series or just need a refresher on how you can spend time in the world of New Horizons, we’ve got you covered with our handy list of activities you can perform daily on your island.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Daily Activities

Make Some Bells

There are a number of ways you can make some extra moolah in Animal Crossing, but out of all of them, we think these are the most cost-effective of your time. Every day on your island you can come across a little gold glowing spot on the ground and if you dig it up with your shovel you’ll find a bag of bells. But if you replant those bells in a few days a money tree will grow bearing bags of bells that should match the amount you originally planted up to a max of 30,000.

Randomly one of the rocks on your island will spew bells instead of minerals if you hit it with a shovel. When performing this it’s definitely a good idea to place a few holes behind you to help keep you in place as you strike the rock to maximize your efforts.

You can also collect and sell the shells that spawn on your beach (some of surprisingly sell for more than you'd think.) We recommend collecting them at the start of your day as they will slowly respawn over time, then you can collect and sell more before you log out for the day.

While you're at Nook's Cranny, it wouldn't hurt to check and see what your turnip prices look like either. Even if you forgot to buy some the past Sunday from Daisy Mae, maybe a friend will want to visit your island to sell off theirs stalks and if they’re a true friend they’ll cut you in on a bit of the profit.

Timeline.00 08 06 37.Still001 — *Image: Zion Grassl*

Chat With Your Villagers

We imagine by now that everyone has a favorite character on their island, (or one they wish lived on their island) one they would call their best friend. So how devastating would it feel if they just suddenly up and left? So if New Horizons is anything like past games, you'll want to check in with your villagers daily to make sure that doesn't happen. Swinging by their place to chat or even just saying hey if you bump into them on the street means the absolute world to them and will remind them of the reason they moved to your island.

Check Your Mailbox

Sure everyone gets letters from the HHA, packages from Nook Shopping, and the occasional letter from Mom, but it’s always nice to get a letter from a villager or a real-world friend and it’s even better to get one with a gift attached. We understand typing on the Switch with the controller or screen isn’t ideal but you never know how much someone may need a simple gesture like a letter could make someone's day. So don't forget to send letters to your friends!

Timeline.00 08 55 42.Still003 — *Image: Zion Grassl*

Learn More DIY Recipies

Everyone and their friend on the internet are complaining about not having the DIY recipe for the cutting board and the only way to cure that problem is by nabbing more DIY recipes. Thankfully there are plenty of ways to net extras DIYS recipes each day. They won't always be brand spanking new, but you'll always find one contained in a bottle on your shore, can occasionally nab one from a balloon present, and can also walk in on a villager crafting something in their home and they may be persuaded to give you the recipe.

Find New Items

People can go absolutely wild for item collecting in Animal Crossing, but now those same items have even more value now that you can place them anywhere you like, and thankfully there are tons of ways you can find new items every day.

Nook’s Cranny and the Able Sisters will stock different furniture and clothing each day, so it’s worth checking in with them to see what new items they may have. You can also purchase a smaller selection of items from the Nook Shopping app (most of which are pretty useless later in the game) and it appears to be the only place you can purchase KK Slider records. So if you're hoping to someday have a complete KK vinyl collection you'll want to make sure to check in on the daily.

You can also find one to two pieces of furniture hiding in random trees each day, and the only way to find it is by shaking them until you eventually get lucky. Balloons are also another excellent source for finding furniture, clothing, and occasionally clay. We're so sick and tired of clay balloon presents.

Another way to earn new items is by giving your villagers gifts. They won’t always gift you something in return, but if they appreciate the sentiment enough they may give you furniture, clothing or even just pay you outright for the effort

Utilize Your Special Characters

Special characters will also appear on your island almost every day like Gulliver, Flick, and Labe and many more. Certain characters stick around for longer than others, but it's definitely a good idea to utilize their abilities while they’re there. Whether it’s trading in all those fish you’ve been hoarding to get a better price with CJ or to just collect a new DIY from Celeste, there’s always someone worthwhile to see on your island.

You may also encounter extra special characters like Zipper or Leif depending on the time of year and if there is a special event happening in-game. The choice to talk to them however is entirely yours

Timeline.00 12 18 52.Still004 — *Image: Zion Grassl*

Gather Resources

Resources are a new and important element to New Horizons. You’ll need them to craft replacement tools, furniture, and other random items on your island. Certain things like sticks can be farmed infinitely from your trees, but minerals and wood have a limit so it’s a good idea to get in some time collecting wood and iron nuggets if your storage is looking a little low.

If you have a flower garden going, don’t forget to make sure you water them daily as well so that they continue to populate. And if you happen to be playing at night, keep your eyes peeled for shooting stars so you can get those wishes in.

Daily Nook Miles Tasks

Every day the Nook Miles app on your phone will have generic tasks that if completed will reward you with extra Nook Miles and the first five the game gives you for the day will have multipliers set on them that will give you extra points for getting them done. It’s easy to watch your Nook Miles build up if you’re redeemed them for most of the necessities early on, but remember you can always bank them for a few Nook Miles Tickets! You’ll also earn extra Nook Miles by checking into the terminal located inside Resident Services once each day, and if you check in multiple days in a row you’ll be rewarded with even more Miles!

Timeline.00 12 48 41.Still005 — *Image: Zion Grassl*

Fossils Galore

Make sure to keep an eye out for the little treasure marks hidden around your island which is how you discover more fossils. Typically you can find around 4 fossils a day, but if you play a day previously and forget to snag them all it seems like some of them carry over as we've found as many as 7 in one day before. So make sure to check every nook and cranny when you’re running around your island getting things done. You can also sell off any extra fossils that Blathers doesn’t need which has the potential to net you quite a few extra bells.

Catch Those Bugs and Fish

You may not always have time to stop and catch every bug or fish you sprint past, but it’s worth keeping your eyes peeled for rare critters that you still need to add to your encyclopedia. But if you've found yourself with a bit of extra time it may be worth hitting up the flower garden or beach to see if you can make a stack of bells off everything you catch.