Analog Bags Full of Screen-Free Activities Are Trending — 28 Things You Might Want to Put in Yours

You don’t have to read a study to know the negative effects of spending too long on your device. Chances are, you can feel it — that elusive vortex of the phone that causes you to spend hours texting and scrolling without even realizing it, leaving you feeling empty, or at the very least, like you just wasted a bunch of time.

But some people are fighting back, reclaiming their lives from the screen. “Analog” is in: a return to older technology and hobbies to help minimize phone use, ranging from wearing a wristwatch instead of checking a phone’s lockscreen for the time to reading a book instead of social media captions.

What Is an Analog Bag?

The “analog bag” was coined by Sierra “Siece” Campbell, a California-based content creator who makes videos on whimsical, low-tech living. Last August, Campbell shared a bag she’s curated filled with screen-free activities to pick up instead of her phone. Think things like a book of crossword puzzles, knitting or a set of watercolors.

“After about 10 years of research, I read a book called The Power of Habit, and it said that to change a habit you have to replace it versus just quitting it cold turkey. So, an analog bag is the solution to phone addiction, keeping replacement activities close! A small tote full of crafting gear, games, creativity, reading materials, etc,” Campbell tells me.

Ironically, the analog bag has become viral on TikTok, with Campbell inspiring thousands to create their own.

Why Did Analog Bags Become So Popular?

Analog bags are trending for one clear reason: People are desperate for ways to break their phone addictions.

“We scroll and barely remember the video that came before it, and it doesn’t feel good,” explains Jacey Adler, a New York-based content creator who makes videos about cozy hobbies. “We want an alternative, but phones can feel like the only option available in the moment.”

“If I get home after a long day with no brain capacity left and I have to think about pulling out all my hobby supplies, I’m just going to end up scrolling on my phone instead,” she explains. “Knowing I have one go-to place to reach for when I’m bored makes it so much easier to actually follow through on my hobbies.” Analog bag activities are also typically relaxing, a feeling people have realized our phones don’t always give us.

“These bags are literally filled with tangible tools to resist the digital noise,” concurs Bonnie Smith Whitehouse, author of the upcoming book In Our Hands: A Maker's Manifesto for Changing the World Through Creative Practices. “Working with our hands reminds us that, in this noisy world, we can always come home to ourselves. I believe they resonate because, unlike scrolling and AI, analog activities remind us that our imaginations and our creative impulses belong to each of us alone and make us our unique selves.”

What to Look for When Packing Your Analog Bag

“I always say spend a week or so taking note of what you're going to your phone for,” Campbell says. “Taking lots of notes in your notes app? Put a journal in it. Reading the news app a lot? Subscribe to a print newspaper. Wanting creative inspiration? Get a design book. Bored and scrolling? Put a deck of cards, sudoku booklet or watercolor paints in there for entertainment.”

If you find yourself reaching for your device instead, don’t be afraid to rotate items. An analog bag is meant to be fluid. Meanwhile, Adler advises looking for activities you can do at different energy levels — “something that turns [your] brain on, and something that turns it off.”

While like Campbell, you can take an analog bag with you on the go (who says you can’t knit a scarf in a wine bar?), many of us are most tethered to our phones at home, whether it’s sinking into the couch with the endless scroll or filling our eyes with blue light before we drift off in bed.

Keep reading to find the best analog bag items to help you get started. We’ve included items you can use on your own or pull out with family and guests. Plus, one bonus item to really cement your phone-free time.

Puzzles & Games

A tactile game can challenge your brain and take your focus away from a screen. We love Puzzle Mania!, which features classic New York Times games (crosswords, Connections, Wordle, sudoku, etc), twists on these established games as well as entirely new ones. The puzzles are not only diverse but seem endless, preventing boredom. There are options for playing solo, with another adult, and even some games kids may enjoy. Other games include an adorable Mancala set that’s small enough to tuck into your bag, a volume of Murdle logic puzzles and a reliable set of playing cards.

Fiber Arts & Crafts

“Knitting is relaxing, rhythmic, and I love feeling connected to smooth wooden needles and yummy, soft fibers,” Whitehouse says. She loves yarn from the brand Purl Soho, which makes super soft, workable yarn, including a gorgeous skein of 100% bulky-weight Merino wool. Pair it with Clover Takumi knitting needles, Whitehouse’s go-to brand. If you prefer a guided project, pick up a Wobbles kit, a favorite of Adler’s — it comes with all the materials and instructions you need to make a small, crocheted animal friend. Or wind down with other accessible crafts like a bedazzling kit. “It's incredibly satisfying and gives me something to focus on in the present… It's a good way to express your creativity with minimal brain effort,” Adler says.

Journals & Stationary

Putting pen to paper is a wonderful tactical activity to put you on pause from the digital world. Campbell raves about The Ritual’s multipurpose leather journal: It doubles as a sketch pad with the brown paper inside and you can keep sticker sheets in the sleeves to use for junk journaling. If that isn’t your thing, revive the lost art of writing letters to stay in touch with a loved one. It feels so much more intimate than typing another text message. Plus, pair either hobby with calligraphy, using Whitehouse’s favorite lettering pens and guidebook.

Painting & Coloring

Stowing art supplies in your analog bag can reunite you with activities you enjoyed in childhood, before you ever heard the term “screen time”. Paint freeform to get creative or use a coloring or painting book for a lower-energy activity. For coloring, Adler recommends pairing a set of Crayolas with the adult coloring book Little Joys. The pages depict small, everyday joys, like “the warmth of sunshine in your face” or “the smell when it’s about to rain”. “While it's relaxing to color and the drawings are so cute, it's also a great reminder to notice the little things that can bring you joy,” she says.

Meanwhile, Anthropologie’s mini Watercolor Paint Set is Campbell’s “absolute favorite.” “I find the more convenient the analog activity, the more you'll use it. The point is to change a habit that doesn't serve us. This kit is so convenient and easy to clean, and the colors are such high dopamine,” she says. Alternatively, turn to a coloring book from the cutesy brand Coco Wyo or Uncommon Goods’ floral bookmark set.

Bags & Baskets

While the beauty of this trend is that you can use any bag you have on hand — like that $5 Trader Joe’s tote collecting dust in your closet — we’ve also curated some options for if you turn up empty. In place of a bag, we also recommend a stationary “analog basket” that can seamlessly blend into your decor. When looking for an analog container, consider two things: what you’d actually reach for and what would fit your analog activities. Anthropologie’s quilted print basket strikes the perfect balance between basket and bag — sturdy enough to stand on its own but flexible and with handles. You also can’t go wrong with a woven basket or a reusable shopping bag.

Bonus: The Brick

While not intended to put in your analog bag, this will certainly help you use it. If you aren’t already familiar with it, The Brick is a small device that locks you out of apps on your phone. Once turned on, the apps you’ve chosen can only be accessed by physically tapping your phone to The Brick, like initiating Apple Pay. Unlike your phone’s screen time settings, you can’t easily override The Brick, and you can even put it on “strict mode,” so you can’t even delete the app. You do, however, get five emergency Unbricks. You can have a family member hide your Brick or put it in an inaccessible place to keep you off enticing apps.