We started noticing it last year: Everyone seemed to be craving less screen time, less doomscrolling, fewer cheap dopamine hits. And not only has that trend continued in 2026, but it’s gotten even stronger. If anything, we’re all more fried! So analog is having a full-blown moment, which happily makes for some seriously great gifting.
After all, there’s just a special, cozy kind of magic in a night with no screens, isn’t there? A puzzle spread across the dining room table. A record spinning while parents dance in the kitchen (and their kids feign disgust in the background). Coloring and baking and crafting and playing board games — comfortcore activities that keep hands busy and minds engaged.
So this holiday season, give the gift of logging off. From paint-by-numbers to an heirloom-quality chess set, here are our favorite picks for anyone (yourself included) who’s ready to put the phone in a drawer and be fully present for all the holiday merriment.
Completing the Puzzle Subscription
Turn off the TV and start a puzzle! And thanks to Completing The Puzzle, you no longer have the excuse, “But I don't know what to do with it when I'm done!” They've figured that all out for you. Completing The Puzzle is the first-ever puzzle rental subscription with high-quality puzzles delivered right to your door. Once you finish, pack it up, send it back, and wait for your new one to arrive. — Kate Auletta, Editor in Chief
Clever Poppy Ultimate Beginner Bundle
I have said for about 100 years that I wanted to get into embroidery. Whenever I see something embroidered at an antique mall or thrift store, I am enchanted, but... they are not cheap. Even thrifted! So, why not make my own? Clever Poppy is the perfect way to get an introduction to embroidery if you're a newbie like me. In their kits, they provide step-by-step instructions as well as everything you need to get started. — Katie Garrity, Senior Editor, News & Social
Lion Brand Sugar Plum Cardigan Crochet Kit
Normalize getting your mom a knit or crochet kit! If they like fiber arts, they will love it. Sometimes people gift me a few balls of yarn, which is amazing, but these kits ensure that I have enough to complete a project. I love Lion Brand's selections, and this cardigan is gorgeous and pretty easy to pull off, too! — Sarah Aswell, Deputy Editor, News & Social
Mixx Revival 65 Vinyl Record Player
There’s something so deeply satisfying about dropping the needle on a record. You can’t skip songs, you can’t scroll... you actually listen to an album in its purest form. This record player makes that ritual easy, and it looks good doing it with its cool retro-inspired case and little viewing window. It plays both LPs and singles, and it’s compact enough to move wherever you want. I can’t wait to hit the local thrift stores and start building my vinyl collection. (Worth noting: This turntable does also have Bluetooth!) — Julie Sprankles, Deputy Editor of Lifestyle & Entertainment
Lucky Charms Book Sleeve
For all the readers out there, this is one book accessory I never knew I needed! I throw my book into my bag along with all my other crap and typically end up ruining it with crayon marks or crumbs from my kid's latest half-eaten snack. This protective padded sleeve keeps your current reads safe from crushed pages and bent covers (and mystery stains!). — Katie Garrity
Ohuhu Alcohol Markers Brush Tip
Coloring girlies, if you're not using Ohuhu markers, we need to talk! This 104-color pack is my go-to when I'm having a cozy coloring night with my daughter. Plus, these markers have a dual-tip marker design — choose the brush tip for sweeping, calligraphic strokes, or the fine tip for details. — Katie Garrity
Sakura Ruled A5 Journal Notebook
I’ve got nothing against my Notes app. In fact, I use it all the time. But I will always, always be a girlie who loves a really beautiful notebook and the way it makes me want to put down my phone and pick up a pen. This journal has a hard cover that comes in some really saturated, beautiful colors; I have the Mulberry and love it, but this Deep Indigo is next on my list! Little thoughtful details just make the notebook a joy to use: thick pages, a ribbon bookmark, a built-in pen holder, and a handy inner pocket. — Julie Sprankles
Mixbook Photo Album
For the person on your list who has approximately 10,000 photos living in their phone and zero prints to show for it, a Mixbook photo book is the most meaningful and genuinely beautiful gift you can give. Mixbook is consistently rated one of the best photo book services for quality and customization, with hundreds of gorgeous themes and layouts that make the final product look intentional and special rather than just a dump of your camera roll. The design tool is incredibly easy to use, the printing quality is stunning, and they run sales constantly, which makes a truly luxurious gift very achievable. — Katie Garrity
Keeki Bread Bag
Anyone who has an addiction to making sourdough (or eating it like me) will absolutely love this bread bag from Keeki. It’s a beeswax-lined linen bag that stores your loaf and allows the bread to breathe. The natural antibacterial properties of beeswax will help deter mold! — Katie Garrity
Papier Midnight Mosaic Chess Set
I’ve long been a fan of Papier, so I was pumped to see the brand venture into board games, starting with this gorgeous Midnight Mosaic Chess Set. It has a scalloped (!!) solid wood board with a full set of wooden pieces, plus a harlequin-patterned box pretty enough to live right on my coffee table. It’s more of a splurge than I’d normally spend on a board game, but I’m very into the idea of a set that lasts for years... something I can play with my kids now, that I hope they’ll ask to pull back out when they’re off at college and come home for a visit. — Julie Sprankles
Posca Paint By Number Kit
I wouldn't call myself an artist by any means, so that's why a paint-by-numbers kit is perfect. I get the zen of coloring, but the end product is pre-made to be gorgeous! — Katie Garrity
Galison Books and Ladders Classic Board Game
For the book lover who’s trying to put down the phone, this is Chutes and Ladders with a literary twist, played on a gorgeous bookshelf board illustrated by Hyesu Lee, where ladders send you up and bookmark ribbons slide you back down (instead of snakes). It’s easy enough for little kids and charming enough for adults, with four wooden game pieces and two dice for 2 to 4 players, so it’s a great pick for family game night. It’s the kind of analog gift that actually gets pulled out and played, and it looks too pretty to hide in a closet! — Katie Garrity
Fraise The Jet Set Pilates Sock Set
I am just now really getting into Pilates, and I feel like it’s such a top-tier analog activity. No screens, no notifications. Just me and my breath (and my very shaky core, ha). These Fraise socks make the practice a little more luxe! They have a non-slip grip that actually sticks, compression arch support, odor-resistant organic cotton, and a really cute aesthetic, too. But what I REALLY love is that this minority-woman-owned company donates a pair of socks to local women’s shelters for every order. — Julie Sprankles
Beyond Bored At The Holidays Adult Activity Book
For the adult who needs a break from wrapping presents, this spiral-bound activity book is basically Highlights for Children, but with a lot more sarcasm and a festive attitude. It has 200 pages of hidden-picture puzzles, mazes, coloring pages, connect-the-dots, festive sudoku, and word searches, all printed on uncoated paper that’s great for pens or pencils, with an answer key in the back so no one has to suffer. It’s a screen-free, hilariously unproductive gift that makes a great stocking stuffer for anyone who needs a place to hide from the relatives! — Katie Garrity
Historic Newspaper Sports Book
For the sports fanatic who already owns every jersey and mug, these books are a screen-free gift that relives their team’s biggest games, seasons, and championships through the real newspaper coverage printed at the time. They come in football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, and more, and you can customize each one by choosing the cover color and design, adding their name to the front, and writing your own dedication inside. It’s an analog gift that feels personal and gets proudly displayed on the coffee table instead of shoved in a drawer! — Katie Garrity
Matryoshka Nesting Doll Measuring Cups
These Matryoshka measuring cups just make me smile! The design is whimsical and charming, but also super practical: Each cup in the set of six stands upright, nests neatly inside the next, and measures from 1/4 cup to a full cup. They’re great for spending time baking with the kids! — Julie Sprankles
Lamy Imporium Fountain Pen black
If you want to romanticize the analog life, this is the pen that does it, because writing with a solid 14K gold nib feels nothing like a regular pen, and the smoothness alone makes grocery lists feel like an entire event. The weighty metal body in matte black was designed by Mario Bellini and has a grooved texture that’s as satisfying to hold as it is to look at, and it comes with a converter and an ink cartridge so you can start writing right out of the box. It’s the kind of pen that gets you to slow down, pick up a notebook, and actually put thoughts on paper, which feels like the whole point of an analog gift guide! — Katie Garrity
Harbor House Botanical Leaves Quilt Set
My idea of a perfect night is analog all the way: a puzzle on the table, no screens, and something truly cozy to curl up under. The stone-washed 100% cotton has that already-broken-in softness, and the tonal embroidered leaf design makes it look gorgeous without feeling fussy. It’s lightweight enough that you won’t overheat but still warm enough for a long puzzle session, and it comes with a quilt plus two matching shams to make the whole bed look put together. — Katie Garrity
Solo Stove S'mores Bundle
Nothing, and I repeat nothing, gets my family to put their phones down faster than the promise of melty marshmallows and chocolate atop graham cracker squares. I love that this Solo Stove S’mores Bundle makes real s’mores possible anywhere! It comes with a tabletop fire bowl, roasting sticks, fuel, and a bamboo tray to hold all the fixings, so you can set up your s’mores station anywhere from the kitchen counter to the coffee table for movie night. There’s even a fun little recipe book with creative riffs on the classic. — Julie Sprankles
Tuneshine LED Light Album Display
This is such a perfect gift for a music lover. You connect it to your phone and it displays the album cover of whatever song you're listening to. In a world where we aren't listening to music as thoughtfully as we used to, I love how this brings you back to the days when you would hold and see an album before you played it. This is the perfect gift for the millennial in your life who likes the way we used to do things. — Sarah Aswell
LEGO Pretty Pink Flower Bouquet
Tried and true! You cannot go wrong with a good LEGO set, and this one is a classic in our house. I have it in a real vase on my desk, and it just looks so cute. — Katie Garrity
Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 Instant Camera
There is something so nostalgic and special about instant cameras. There's such a sense of joy in seeing a photo printed out on photo paper instead of collecting digital dust in your phone's camera roll. Bring this as a hostess gift to your next event, and I promise, everyone will be fighting over it. — Katie Garrity
Chloe & Maisy Co. Coloring Book
These coloring books are so special for so many reasons. First, the company proudly donates 10% of all proceeds to animal rescue and rehabilitation efforts, helping more dogs find the love, safety, and second chances they deserve. Secondly, these images are based on the founder's own dogs! — Katie Garrity
Wildwonder Mahjong Party Pack: Oh Joy Holiday Edition
Welp, it’s finally happening: I’m late to the party, but I’m finally hopping on the mahjong train thanks to this limited-edition holiday set. Wildwonder teamed up with AAPI artist Joy Cho of Oh Joy, and her vibrant style really shines through here: The whole thing is stunning and cool and creative. Inside are 160 extra-thick, hand-painted tiles, plus dice and a Birdie Bam tile. Bonus: It comes with a six-pack of Wildwonder sparkling drinks, which are delish (the Mango Gold is my fave). — Julie Sprankles
Funboy Kids Sleepover Bed
One of our favorite things to do as a family is family read-a-thons in the living room: We all grab a blanket and our favorite book. My daughter now begs me to bring out her adorable air mattress for a whimsical, super-cozy feel during our read-a-thons. It's even more magical under the Christmas tree lights! — Katie Garrity
Yoto Player 4th Gen
If you're looking to get your kid off screens, the Yoto Player is our go-to. Our daughter absolutely loves hers. They have hundreds of cards to choose from (stories, music, etc.), plus radio stations and special podcasts. We have both sizes (we love the smaller Yoto for on-the-go), and prefer this over other screen-free media-type toys. — Katie Garrity
Tramontina Enameled Cast Iron Bread Loaf Oven & Trivet Set
I didn’t get into bread baking during the pandemic, when it was all anyone talked about, but better late than never! I adore the idea of pulling a fresh-baked loaf of bread out of the oven, and I can’t think of a prettier way to do it than with this enameled cast-iron bread loaf oven. This dark red color is SO dreamy! I also like that you can use it for roasting recipes, and that it comes with a solid-wood trivet to rest on for easy oven-to-table serving. — Julie Sprankles
source https://www.scarymommy.com/shopping/analog-gift-guide-digital-detox
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