5 Creative Activities To Do Instead of Scrolling on Your Phone!

Being back at school means screen time becomes a necessary aspect of our lives. Whether it be sending emails, typing essays, or doing research, we are spending almost our entire days online. When our shoes finally come off and our back hits the sofa at the end of the day, all we want to do is chill and scroll on our phones! But have you ever had your eyes start to feel fuzzy from so much screen time? After all, we aren’t built to spend our lives sitting in one place looking at a screen. As a wise man once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Okay, so admittedly the wise man is Ferris Bueller, but he did end up having a cool adventure that day thanks to that advice. And was he on his phone all day? No! Yes, he was in front of a computer screen briefly -- to hack into his high school's system and changes his grades. But after that, all screens were OFF!

If you want to detox from screens but are not sure how to start, or if the usual suggestions bore you (like when your mom tells you to "just go outside"), then this list is for you! Here are some creative activities to keep you entertained without sacrificing your thumb joint from endless scrolling.  

1. Learn How To Crochet

Before you groan that you’ve seen this suggestion before, let me challenge you: learn how to crochet your favorite animal. We’ve been seeing crochet come back into fashion for some time now. From crochet bucket hats and vests, to dainty shorts and tops, it’s such a cute way to add detail in any outfit! Crocheting is a trendy hobby right now, and we love how customizable it is! Making your own crocheted pieces means you can make it tailored to you and add your own personal touch. Crocheting makes us more connected with ourselves because we are using our own hands to create a thoughtful piece, and the project we are left with is a physical reminder of our ability to bring our ideas to life. So, aside from making your favorite clothing pieces, why not make some stuffed animals too? There are so many tutorials available on YouTube, TikTok, or even websites like Skillshare, that demonstrate how to crochet specific animals and reveal the endless amount of possibilities of projects you can create. When you’re done, you’ll have a little friend to show for your pains!

2. Get Dressed Up and Do a Self-Portrait Photoshoot

Maybe dressed-up to you means a glammed-up, dressed-to-the-nines kind of look, or maybe it means dressing as your favorite book or movie character, or even just playing around with different aesthetics that you don’t usually wear. Whatever you dress as, just make sure you feel confident! You can get creative with this photoshoot, even going so far as to travel to a park or local lake, etc., to find the perfect destination that fits your look. Afterwards, head to your local drugstore and get the photos printed! You’ll be left with some photos to post on social media later, or to just keep for yourself as a keepsake to remember the day. 

3. Storyboard a Music Video For Your Favorite Song 

Storyboarding is when artists make a sort of visual map of their idea for how a story will unfold. Think of a song that when you listen to it you can clearly see a little movie playing out in your mind. Then, translate those scenes in your head to pictures. You can do this by either drawing, or taking photos of things that help communicate the mood you're trying to set. It's fun to play the director, and there's no pressure because it's just for your own personal enjoyment! This is a creative way to connect with the songs you love by spending some time dissecting your thoughts and feelings on them. Afterwards, you’ll have a physical memento showing your love for the song. You can hang it up as wall art too!

4. Write a Letter To Someone You Haven’t Seen In a While... As If You’re From Another Era! 

We think sending letters is so underrated! Think of the feeling you get when you receive a letter in the mail. It feels like a special little connection between you and the sender. To pass that feeling on, think of someone you haven’t been in contact with for a while. Maybe it's a relative, a new pen pal, or even a friend that moved schools. Then write them a letter but with a fun twist that will make them laugh and challenge you to be creative: Write as if you are from another era. Maybe you are a 19th century gentleman (“my esteemed friend, it would serve me pleasure if you would be so kind to attend my upcoming gala.”), or a 16th century maiden (“Good morrow, I prithee thou hast been well. Upon my heart, I hope to see thee anon.”). Maybe choose an era that could be an inside joke between the two of you. For example, if you and your addressee love "Bridgerton", write as if you were a Regency-era gossip like Lady Whistledown! This will prompt the receiver to think of a creative way to respond, and you’ll start a chain of letters with hilariously posh language. 

5. Write a Journal In Another Language.

What if I don’t know a second language? Choose a language you’re interested in -- maybe it’s Korean because you want to learn what your favorite pop idols are saying, or French because you have always wanted to study abroad there someday. Whatever it is, make sure you feel a spark of passion for learning it! After your first study session, create a journal entry discussing what exactly you learned and how you can incorporate it into your daily life. Practice writing down the vocabulary you learned and maybe draw pictures alongside it to have a visual reminder of the words you studied. If you are already more advanced in a second language, challenge yourself to write a sort of diary entry in your target language. You’ll be surprised by how many words you realize you don’t actually know! This technique helps you learn new vocabulary, and forces you to practice using the target language in a real-life, practical setting. This isn’t for school, so you can be free to learn whatever words you want, even funny ones like local slang. We recommend decorating your journal to make it more appealing to make you want to pick it up again and again until you have a full book documenting your language progress!