I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that these long, cold winter nights have made me reluctant to do much more than watch TV and doom-scroll on the sofa under a heated blanket. Combined with staring at a laptop every day for work, it feels like my days consist of routinely switching between different screens. I’ve well and truly fallen into the blue-light trap. Chances are, you have too.

If you can relate to my experience, you might also be feeling that it’s time to do something about it. ‘Analogue’ is the buzzword at the moment, with creators taking to social media, ironically, to encourage us all to put the phones down and start using our hands again. 

My loved ones have been especially inspiring to me – within my group of friends, I don’t think there’s a grandma-core hobby that hasn’t been tried. From baking sourdough bread and needlepointing, to joining a badminton league and going bird-watching, they’ve covered it all. 

A friend who has been volunteering at a community garden once a month explained her love of the hobby to me, saying, “It’s one of my favourite hobbies because it lets me disconnect from everything, especially work and social media. It lets me focus on one thing, which helps to slow down my brain and make me feel more mindful. Plus, it’s a nice way to be part of my local community.”

At the end of 2025, one of my best friends drew a mindmap titled “What if everything went right?”, envisioning her life if all of her dreams came true. Part of this brain dump included all the interests and hobbies she has been drawn to but not fully pursued for various reasons. She declared that 2026 would be the year of pursuing her ‘what if’ hobbies, which have already led her to attend an acting class, sign up for a massage therapy course and get in touch with a film journalist to learn more about the art of interviewing. 

Her mantra gave me the push I needed to put my phone down and pick up some new pastimes. Here is a list of fun, creative, active hobbies that will help me and you both resist the temptation of the screens.

Before we begin, a quick disclaimer: your hobbies shouldn’t feel like work. The whole point of a hobby is to have something outside of your job, something you do for fun (emphasis on fun). You don’t have to practice your hobbies every week, you don’t have to invest lots of money into them, and you don’t have to create training plans to rapidly improve your skills. If you want to do that, by all means, do – but remember that your hobbies are for you.

They should be something you do when you want to, not because you feel you have to. Whether you practice your hobby once in a blue moon or every day, it’s all equally valid. Ok, disclaimer over – on with the list!

Handcrafting

Whether it’s crocheting, knitting, needlepoint work, or some other technique of creating something beautiful out of yarn, handcrafting is one of the oldest analogue hobbies out there. Depending on your skill level, you could do something simpler, like making bookmarks out of felt, or, for more advanced crafters, you could try knitting a piece of clothing. Handcrafting is a brilliant way to wind down after a long or stressful day.

If you’re a novice to arts and crafts, you could always join a group for a taster session. If you are London-based, check out Root25, which often hosts Tatreez workshops, for a taste of traditional Palestinian embroidery.

For ideas on unique crafts, you might like to follow Kimberley Dykes on TikTok, who has created a series documenting her pursuit of creative hobbies. These include creating polymer clay ornaments and needle felting, to name but a few.

Keeping a ‘Commonplace’ Notebook

If you haven’t heard the term ‘commonplace notebook’ before, think of it as a combination of a scrapbook, journal and lecture notes.

@amycatriona why I keep a commonplace book 🌟 #journaltok #journaling #commonplacebook #stationery #journalling ♬ original sound – amy catriona 💌

I came across the concept of a commonplace notebook through Amy Catriona, a TikToker known for being seriously good at the journaling game. She describes a commonplace book as a ‘common place where you record things you come across,’ like excerpts from books, poems, and interesting facts. It’s different to journaling in that you’re not producing writing, you’re recording observations and things that you want to remember.

A commenter on TikTok described it as ‘screenshotting without a phone,’ and honestly? That sounds perfect to me. I can’t be the only one who screenshots and saves so many pictures and videos, only for them to gather hypothetical dust in my likes and on my camera rolls.

Having a physical place for sources of inspiration, ideas, and knowledge to live is a wonderful way to keep track of your interests over time. The act of recording select pieces of information also helps us think critically and consider why we like the things we do and why we think they’re worth remembering. 

Take a New Creative Class

Growing up, so many of us spent time creating dance routines, plays, or performing songs for friends and family. Most of my childhood weekends were spent doing ‘Bollywood dance competitions’ with cousins or writing scripts for our ensemble family sit-com, making a TV show with nothing but a dress-up box and a dream. 

I know now, more than ever, people are craving a space to revert to our childhood selves, a space in which we can be silly again. Maybe 2026 is the year we can make this a reality?

Although gathering your friends to spend a whole day learning a script and acting out a play probably isn’t realistic, why not join an evening drama class? Or you could try a writing or poetry workshop, if you preferred being the director over the star of childhood performances.

A dance session could be as easy as following a Just Dance routine on YouTube, either solo or with friends. If you want something even more out there, try adult trampolining or a double-dutch skipping workshop for real primary-school nostalgia. 

It can be difficult to keep on top of hobbies, so joining a group and having that time carved out for fun is a great way to habitualise a hobby, if that’s something you want to do.

It’s also a means of connecting with others, learning a new skill, and helping us get out of our own heads. Creative classes force us to (excuse the Natasha Beddingfield quote) release our inhibitions and get over the fear of embarrassment.

Consuming in a Curated Way

Maybe reading books and watching films is more your thing than getting out the knitting needles or spending an evening learning a hip-hop dance routine. That’s totally fine too, hobbies have to fit our lifestyles and personal preferences in order to be maintainable. 

We can make these hobbies more intentional and meaningful without much effort. This year, I’ve decided that instead of reading yet another YA rom-com or watching the same comfort show again, I’m going to curate my to-watch list and to-be-read list by asking friends, family members, and even strangers for their all-time favourite books and movies. 

Once I’ve watched/read them, I’ll get back to my loved ones with my review. Not only does this push me to engage with books and films I might’ve otherwise looked over, but it means getting to know my loved ones in a different way – particularly those across different generations.

For the girlies who want 2026 to be the year of becoming disgustingly well-read, you could create a ‘personal curriculum’ of books and documentaries. My fairly basic method of doing so is picking four pieces of media every quarter:

• Something that you want to know more about
• Something you know nothing about
• Something that fits the mood of the season
• Something short and sweet to keep on the go

Of course, you can personalise this to your own preferences. For me, it’s been a pretty easy and fun way to diversify the media I’ve been consuming.

Sunnah Sports

Having a hobby that also doubles as a form of exercise is something we should all have as we get older. To my utter dismay, I’ve found that it’s true when they say that regular exercise will make you feel so much more energised, physically and mentally. Exercise doesn’t have to be painful or boring, though – if you pick the right sport, exercise can be exciting and adrenaline-inducing. 

Looking after our bodies is an important part of Islam as seen in the lifestyle and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ took part in a range of physical activities, including walking, swimming, horse-riding and archery. These hobbies help to improve cardiovascular health and build up strength, as well as skills like discipline, patience, and focus. Not to mention, they can improve your mood and help to relieve anxiety.

If the gym and training aren’t really your thing, a fun activity like swimming or archery might be worth trying. There are also tons of community-based exercise groups, like the Muslim Hikers, who organise activities like running and hiking in really beautiful locations. It’s a great way to exercise, meet new people, and have fun, all in one go.

Keeping a Disposable Camera and Physical Photo Albums

When my family gathers, it is inevitable that at some point an old wedding video will be put on or old photo albums will be brought out. The room comes alive with the smell of tea and the sound of laughter, as elders recall old memories and the youngest amongst us marvel at how everybody used to look back in the day. 

There’s something about physical photos taken on disposable cameras that feels so nostalgic and lively, in a way that our photos don’t anymore. Maybe it’s because our parents didn’t take hundreds of pictures to get the ‘perfect’ shot for Instagram, they took one or two to capture the feeling of the moment. 

Perhaps this year we can take inspiration from our older generations and return to the art of taking pictures on film or with disposable cameras, printing them out, and creating photo albums. If not for ourselves, for future generations who will want to see what their grandparents were doing in their twenties.

Create a Magazine or Newspaper with Friends

One of my favourite hobbies when I was a child was making magazines. I would cut out pictures and texts from existing magazines, newspapers, or adverts and stick them onto sheets of paper, creating ‘feature’ pages. I would write short ‘articles’ or stories, mainly about school, friends, family, or whatever television show I was watching. It was always rewarding to have a complete magazine, a place that contained my different interests and thoughts.

A lot of us write online now, on platforms like Substack or Medium. Why not create a physical version of our online platforms? You could rally your friends together and create something collaboratively. If one of your friends is into makeup, great! They can be the beauty editor. Is someone else a great cook? They can write recipes and share great restaurant recommendations. Everybody can play to their own skills and interests.

You could create your magazine old-school, like me, getting your friends together for an evening of collaging and creating editorial spreads from old magazines and newspapers. Or, you could make it a little more serious, spending time writing articles and curating the magazine on a programme like Canva. If you’re looking for visual inspiration, check out Hajar, a Muslim writer and TikTok creator, who recently shared a literary magazine that she wrote and designed on Canva.

Candle/Soap Making

If you liked doing science experiments at school, this one might be for you. Soap will always be a household necessity, and who doesn’t love a candle? Having your own home-made ones will make these household items more special and intentional. 

Candle-making and soap-making kits are readily available on Etsy, or you can buy your own supplies and experiment with different scents and packaging. It’s a pretty quick and simple activity with the benefit of having a useful item as the end result. Once you get really good, you can even give out your creations as gifts.

Racket Sports

2025 was the year of padel, and with the release of Oscar-nominated film Marty Supreme at the end of last year, table tennis is experiencing a major revival. A racket sport could be the hobby you need in 2026, whether it’s padel, tennis, badminton, squash, pickleball, or another variation. 

Racket sports are super fun and social, with the added benefit of building your strength and improving aerobic fitness. If you have no one to play with, no worries. You can join The Padel Club, which can match you up with strangers on a similar playing level to you. It might be scary at first, but you can meet some really cool new people through playing without having to worry about conversation topics and awkward silences. 

For the girlies who struggle to motivate themselves to leave their warm houses for exercise, more good news: you can play most racket sports indoors. There’s no excuse not to try it!

Keep a Physical Puzzle Book 

A lot of us play daily games, like Wordle and complete the New York Times crossword. These games are great for waking up our brains and getting us thinking. Why not start doing them physically? Keeping a physical puzzle book is a fun way to start the day and get your brain into gear, without immediately staring at your phone. 

A few years ago, I took a wordsearch book with me on a trip to Bangladesh. Every evening, my family would gather around to help me complete a different wordsearch. Completing them with my family made it feel like a bigger social activity.

You could take your puzzle book to work with you and complete a crossword with a colleague at lunch. If you’re feeling very brave, maybe you could ask a stranger on your commute if they can help too. Almost always, it strikes up a conversation you wouldn’t otherwise be having. 

Floral Arrangement and Gardening

I feel that having the childhood dream to be a florist might be a universal experience. Reconnect to this childhood dream by putting on some rubber gloves and planting bulbs and seeds in your garden. If you don’t have your own green space, you could follow in the footsteps of my aforementioned friend and volunteer at an allotment or a community farm. 

If floral arranging is more your thing, there are tons of florists that host bouquet-making classes.

For a friend’s bridal shower, my friends and I picked up flowers from a wholesaler and spent the afternoon making different floral arrangements. We bought tissue paper and ribbons to dress them up and make them all feel distinct. You could do this at home with supermarket flowers. The best part? Having beautiful flowers all around your home.  

For a cost-effective alternative, you could go on a ‘flower walk’ and collect wildflowers to make a pressed flower arrangement. This also has the benefit of making your creativity physically active – a win-win!

There we have it, eleven fun, offline hobbies to try in the year of analogue living. Hopefully, you’ll find a new passion that will inspire you to make permanent space in your life for digital-free interests. There’s so much enjoyment to be had away from our phones – we just have to put them down every once in a while!

Above all, remember to have fun! You don’t have to be good at your hobbies to enjoy them, so if you’re trying something new, go into it with curiosity and an open mind. Who knows where it’ll lead you?