6 New Relaxing Activities to Replace Your Coloring Book Addiction
Call us crazy, but we’re already feeling nostalgic for adult coloring books. After coming home from a long day of girlbossing, it was so relaxing to whip out our stylish coloring accessories and Johanna Basford coloring books. But whether you love ’em or hate ’em, you’ll probably see fewer coloring books around soon. That’s because, according to new statistics from Barnes and Noble, they just aren’t selling as well as they used to. So in an effort to stay on trend and keep up with our self-care routines, we’re highlighting six trendy activities that just *might* replace our coloring addiction.
1. Sticker Books: If you’re looking for a break from coloring books but don’t want to stray that far outside your comfort zone, why not try a fun Paint by Sticker ($7) (and no, they aren’t just for children)? It’s like the paint-by-numbers of your childhood, so you’ll get a dose of nostalgia, but with zero cleanup time. Our senior writer Cortney tried it and concluded that they take waaay less time to complete than coloring books and are actually pretty relaxing too.
View this post on Instagram#inktober2016 day 10/31 Imma do better slowly. Didn't have much to write so I just paint in stuff.
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2. Decorative Planning: Planner girls, this one’s for you. Instead of simply writing down your daily to-do list on a boring piece of scrap paper, try your hand at decorative planning. From detailed doodles to washi tape masterpieces, this creative outlet is both productive and super fun. If you need a little inspiration to get started, check out these *amazing* planner phenoms.
3. Coloring Apps: Coloring apps like Recolor (available on iOS and Android, starting at $3) are a great alternative to traditional coloring books if you’re not ready to let go *quite* yet. It makes coloring super mobile since you don’t have to carry a hefty pencil case wherever you go. We suggest plugging in your headphones and listening to an awesome audio meditation while you digitally color for maximum zen time.
4. Puzzles: It may seem old school, but breaking out a classic 1,000+ piece puzzle is actually incredibly relaxing… especially if you start with the easy edge pieces. We suggest making yourself a hot cup of tea, turning on your favorite music, and puzzling for at least a half hour to really start feeling the calming effects.
5. eBooks: Most of us love cuddling up with a good book on a cozy afternoon off, but sometimes we don’t really have time to run all the way to the bookstore to find a good read (or wait for our Amazon Prime order to arrive). So if you’re in a pinch, it may be time to give eBooks a try (trust me: I gave up paper books for a week and survived, so you definitely can too).
6. DIYing: We may be a tad biased here, but we honestly believe that starting a sweet DIY project is one of the best ways to kick-start your creativity and reboot your mind. If you’re stuck on where to start, check out our DIY kits exclusive to Target — they’ll give you all the materials, instructions, and positive vibes you need to create your very own handmade masterpiece.
Are you replacing your coloring books with a new creative activity? Tweet us by mentioning @BritandCo.
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