11 Screen-Free Things to Do at Home

Cell phones, computers, TVs… screens have become a huge part of our daily lives. We reply to a message, and then find ourselves watching a video of otters or checking the 10-day weather forecast. So much so that when we try to spend less time on them, one question immediately comes to mind: what can you do at home without a screen? Don't worry—even before the Internet, we knew pretty well how to keep ourselves busy! Reading, playing, cooking, doing crafts, creating, learning… Here are 11 screen-free activities to keep you busy at home and (finally) put down your phone.

Learn Something New (Without a Tutorial)

How did we learn things before there were tutorials? Well, we’d ask a family member or friend, or head to the library for a good old-fashioned guide.. Today, you can find just about anything in public libraries: instructions on how to knit a sweater for your dog (just make sure to get the animal’s consent first), a beginner’s guide to the recorder complete with a workbook and CD (yes, a CD), or a guide to the language of flowers so you can have a conversation with your orchid.

Give Your Brain a Workout

Did you think logic puzzles were limited to crosswords and Sudoku? Think again! Nonograms, Binairo, Kemaru, Kakuro… a new generation of brain teasers has made its way onto paper. Even the classics have been given a modern twist with colorful grids, cozy crime-style puzzles, and brain teasers inspired by movies, TV shows, and music. It’s the perfect way to give your brain a workout—without a single notification to interrupt you!

Play Games Without Screens

Are you a bit of a “ludophile”? The term refers to someone who loves games—and there are plenty of us! And yet, smartphones remain the most popular gaming platform for 59% of players (2025 Médiamétrie Study), even as France has become Europe’s leading market for board games. If you’re looking for screen-free fun, here are some games to play at home—no batteries required, and no headaches…

👉 Related Reading: How to Reduce Your Screen Time

Read Something on Actual Paper

Read a comic book, a novel, a magazine—it doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it’s on paper! The key is to step away from that blue light that strains our eyes. And what a pleasant, long-forgotten sensation it is to turn the pages with your fingertips… And if you’d also like to give your eyes a rest while keeping your hands free, consider audiobooks (yes, there are some on CD at the library!).

Travel Back in Time (Without a Screen)

Memories, memories: take a trip down memory lane through your old photo albums. The real ones—the ones gathering dust on a shelf, with printed photos inside (no, the “Photos” folder on your phone doesn’t count). And if yours are still sitting in boxes, maybe it’s time to sort through them and finally put together that photo album you were supposed to make… 15 years ago.

Do a Jigsaw Puzzle

Put together a trendy puzzle (at Jour férié—we know a thing or two about those) and, if a 500-piece puzzle already has you breaking out in a cold sweat, start off gently with a 100-piece mini-puzzle. It’s the number one activity for unplugging: piece after piece —you focus, you slow down, and most importantly, you forget about your phone. Be careful, though—you might just get hooked when you feel that totally disproportionate joy of finding THE piece you’ve been looking for for the past ten minutes.

👉 Related Reading: The Benefits of Jigsaw Puzzles for Adults

Get Your Hands in the Soil

Let’s reconnect with nature! Plant some herbs, repot your plants, or try growing a few tomatoes on your balcony. You can even try your hand at that great science experiment: sprouting an avocado pit or a lemon seed. Spoiler alert: you’ll need to be patient. Hello, slow living!

Get Cooking

You do have a cookbook lying around somewhere, don’t you? Well, head to the kitchen: knead, peel, simmer, and finally try out that recipe that’s been catching your eye for months. With a little luck, you’ll get to eat it when you’re done. Not to mention that with your hands full of flour or dough, the urge to check your phone should miraculously disappear.

Get Creative with Your Hands

DIY is all the rage, and for good reason: there’s something incredibly satisfying about making something with your own two hands. There’s a wide range of activities to choose from—whether it’s braiding a bracelet, embroidering three daisies, crocheting a hat, or even tackling a monumental sculpture. It’s up to you to find something to keep your ten fingers busy (and stop them from scrolling). Have you heard of tufting, acrylic pouring, or cyanotype? Check out our 13 creative activities for adults right here.

Give Your Home Some TLC

Take advantage of this downtime to fix something that’s broken or reorganize your space at your own pace: a desk drawer, a bookshelf, or a kitchen cabinet. And if, while you’re at it, you find yourself wondering why you own 23 mugs, 6 identical chargers, and 7 cables you didn’t even know you had, maybe it’s time to explore the concept of minimalism… 

Put Pen to Paper

You don’t need a screen to give your brain a break. Grab a sheet of paper, a notebook, a few pencils, and let your hands do the work. And if writing or doodling intimidates you, try reverse coloring book: the colors are already there, and you to add the lines. Don’t like how it turned out? Just tell yourself it’s contemporary art…

👉 Related Reading: How to Cope with Boredom?

So, what are you going to do without a screen at home? A lot more than you might think! That doesn’t mean you have to ban screens from your life—the idea is simply to give them a little less space so you can make room for everything else. So, put down your phone, pick an activity, and see what happens. (Don’t worry—the otter videos will still be there in an hour.)