とか～とかthings like A and B
とか is the casual way to give examples: "things like A and B", "A or something". The list is left open, and it works after nouns and verbs alike.
nouns
On trips I take things like a change of clothes and medicine.
verbs
On my days off I do things like read and walk around the neighborhood.
one とか
How about going to a café or something this weekend?
Nouns
Noun + とか + noun（+ とか）
パンとか卵とか. The last とか can be dropped, and one item alone is fine: パンとか. A particle, if there is one, comes after the list: とかを, とかで.
Verbs and adjectives
Plain form + とか
行くとか, 暑いとか. To say you do those things, する closes the list: 読むとか散歩するとかする.
The open list, in conversation
とか does in conversation what や does in writing: it names a couple of examples and leaves the rest unsaid.
There are books, notebooks and other things on the desk.
や: neutral, and at home in writing.
There are books and notebooks and stuff on the desk.
とか: the same list, said to a friend.
For breakfast I keep it light: yoghurt, fruit, that kind of thing.
For my birthday, I'm happy to get things like books or coffee beans.
After verbs and adjectives too
や only joins nouns. とか also follows a plain verb or adjective, most often for ideas, options and things you might do.
On days when I'm tired, I listen to music or something and take it easy.
If anything bothers you, like the room being hot or noisy, please let me know.
One とか, in conversation
In conversation a single とか is everywhere. It makes a suggestion or an answer sound less fixed, like "or something", and people often trail off after it.
What shall we have for lunch?
Ramen or something?
Want some tea or something?
On my days off? Games, films, that sort of thing…
Trailing off. The rest of the sentence is never said.
For words you don't know, you could look them up in a dictionary or something.
All of this is relaxed, spoken Japanese, with or without です and ます. In a job interview, or in anything you write for school or work, it is や, など or たり.
Close neighbours
やN5
The neutral open list. Between nouns only, and never after the last one.
There are dictionaries, maps and other things on the shelf.
たり～たりするN5
The usual way to list things you do or did, in any company.
On weekends, I do things like clean the garden and bake bread.
など・なんかN4
They come once, after the example. など is neutral, なんか spoken.
I spend my weekends watching films and things like that.
でもN4
"Or something" in an invitation, and fine in polite speech.
It's hot, isn't it? Let's have some cold tea or something.
At the end of something you were told: "or so I hear". You aren't vouching for it.
I heard from a neighbor that the bakery by the station is closing next month, or something like that.
Check yourself
1Which one fits both gaps?
眠れない
Choose an answer to see why.
2A friend asks what you want for dinner, and you answer like this. What have you said?
カレーとか？
Choose an answer to see why.
3You suggest seeing a film, or something like that, to a friend. Which one fits?
週末、
Choose an answer to see why.
More detail
とか言ってた
Before 言う, とか passes on what someone said without vouching for the exact words: "said something about".
Tanaka said something about not being able to come today.
More sentences
On the trip I'd like to do things like go to art museums and look around the local market.
Several ideas came up at the meeting, like staying open longer or taking bookings only.
When I travel, I spend my time doing things like looking at the sea and walking through old towns.