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# What Are Some Relaxing Hobbies I Can Do on My iPad? 7 I actually use
- URL: https://blog.lakecoloring.com/what-are-some-relaxing-hobbies-i-can-do-on-my-ipad-7-i-actually-use/
- Published: 2026-10-09T10:42:56.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-09T11:49:05.000Z
- Description: Is your iPad just a very expensive Netflix screen? Here are 7 slow, relaxing hobbies that turned mine into something that actually helps me unwind.
- Author: Anja Renko
- Tags: digital coloring

Some evenings I don't want to learn anything or achieve anything, I just want my head to go quiet for a while.

That's what slow hobbies are for. A [slow hobby](https://blog.lakecoloring.com/the-slow-hobby-manifesto-why-coloring-is-the-most-sustainable-thing-you-can-do-for-yourself-this-earth-month/) is basically something you do at your own pace, without a score, streak or a pressure to finish anything. Coloring, knitting, gardening and hand lettering are classic examples. They're relaxing partly because nobody is asking you to be better at them.

And here's the part people don't expect: you can do a lot of them on an iPad.

It happens too often that the iPad becomes just a very expensive Netflix screen. Mine was too, but I soon figured out that [passive screen time is not the same as active screen time](https://blog.lakecoloring.com/active-vs-passive-screen-time-why-coloring-on-an-ipad-is-not-the-same-as-doomscrolling/). And the same screen can serve as a medium for many different hobbies. There's a big difference between watching something and making something.

So, if you're wondering what relaxing hobbies you can do on an iPad, here's the short answer. These are the 7 I keep coming back to:

1. Digital coloring
2. Sketching and drawing
3. Digital journaling
4. Relaxing puzzle games
5. Cozy games
6. Reading
7. Hand lettering

What I like about all of them is that they give me one thing to focus on instead of another feed to scroll through. Below I share how each one works, the apps I recommend, and how I use them myself.

## Relaxing iPad hobbies, one by one

### 1\. Digital coloring

Digital coloring is exactly what it sounds like: you pick a drawing and fill it with colors - with an Apple Pencil or just your finger. [Anyone can color](https://blog.lakecoloring.com/anyone-can-color-even-if-youre-sure-you-cant/) \- because there's no right or wrong when it comes to coloring, just pure relaxing creation. That's why coloring is my default activity when my head is full.

I color in [Lake](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lake-coloring-books-journal/id1183717726?ref=blog.lakecoloring.com) most evenings (I wrote about my evening routine [here](https://blog.lakecoloring.com/from-scrolling-to-stillness-how-i-changed-my-bedtime-routine/)). Right now I'm obsessed with a coloring books Fairy Lullaby by Cleonique Hilsaca and Wildly Ordinary by Tatjana Junker. 

![Red-haired girl in a pink witch hat eating an ice cream bar, with an orange bird and blue flowers, colored on Lake.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/9f/b7/9fb71c9f-fc63-4807-b0e6-c0826d061ecb/content/images/2026/10/JPEG-image-4FB3-A446-0D-0-1.jpeg)

Cozy little witch by Cleonique Hilsaca, colored on Lake.

But here's what I love about coloring in Lake, no matter the art:

- **Real art by real artists.** Every page is drawn by a human illustrator, never AI.
- **Soft ASMR brush sounds** follow each stroke if you turn them on in Settings.
- **The Coloring Journal** lets you check in with your mood and turns it into a palette to color with.

**Do you need an Apple Pencil?** No, [your finger works just fine](https://blog.lakecoloring.com/do-you-need-an-apple-pencil-for-digital-coloring-heres-the-honest-answer/). 

### 2\. Sketching and drawing

Sometimes sketching or doodling is more your thing. You don't need to be good at drawing for it to be relaxing.

Many of our artists started right here, on an iPad. If you want to try it for free, Apple's [Freeform app ](https://apps.apple.com/si/app/freeform/id6443742539?ref=blog.lakecoloring.com)has simple drawing tools. If you get hooked, Procreate is the app most iPad artists use.

### 3\. Digital journaling

Journaling on an iPad works well if you like writing things down but don't want to carry a notebook around. I use[ Day One](https://apps.apple.com/si/app/day-one-daily-journal-diary/id1044867788%20Day%20One:%20Daily%20Journal%20&%20Diary?ref=blog.lakecoloring.com), but Apple also has its own Journal app. And if you're feeling creative, try the Coloring Journal in Lake: check in with your mood and color it instead of writing it down.

### 4\. Relaxing puzzle games

Puzzles give your brain one small, clear problem at a time. That's the relaxing part: nothing else fits in your head while you're figuring out where the next piece goes.

My favorites are [Art of Flora](https://apps.apple.com/si/app/art-of-flora-cozy-jigsaw/id6743834964%20Art%20of%20Flora:%20Cozy%20Jigsaw?ref=blog.lakecoloring.com) and[ Art of Fauna](https://apps.apple.com/si/app/art-of-fauna-cosy-puzzles/id1630468596%20Art%20of%20Fauna:%20Cosy%20Puzzles?ref=blog.lakecoloring.com). They don't have that many puzzles, and that's exactly why they feel so relaxing: zen sound, no stress and beautiful artwork.

### 5\. Cozy games

Cozy games are probably the easiest category to explain: you farm, decorate, explore or just wander around a pretty world. There are usually no timers, fighting or pressure to end/win. If you need some ideas, my colleague Vita wrote about her favorites in [Playing Cozy Games on iPad Is My New Favorite Hobby](https://blog.lakecoloring.com/playing-cozy-games-on-ipad-is-my-new-favorite-hobby-these-are-the-3-best-ipad-games-i-recommend/).

My personal favorite, however, is [Alba: A Wildlife Adventure](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alba-a-wildlife-adventure/id1528014682?ref=blog.lakecoloring.com). It has a lovely story, you learn about nature and wildlife along the way, and it's great for kids too. I even played it once again with my son.

### 6\. Reading

When I'm not coloring, I'm reading. I read a lot and love physical books, but in the evening I like to keep my cozy corner dark, with only ambient light, so I read on my iPad in the [Kindle app](https://apps.apple.com/si/app/amazon-kindle-reading-app/id302584613%20Amazon%20Kindle:%20Reading%20App?ref=blog.lakecoloring.com). Right now it's Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata.

If you'd rather not buy every book, the [Libby app](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/libby-the-library-app/id1076402606?ref=blog.lakecoloring.com) lets you borrow ebooks for free with a library card (depends on the country).

### 7\. Hand lettering

This one is still on my to-do list. I haven't tried hand lettering yet, but the Apple Pencil is so good for it that I definitely will. It's drawing letters rather than writing them, and on an iPad you can trace over guides, undo shaky strokes and practice the same word over and over without wasting paper. For inspiration, look at Lake artist Joanna Muñoz, who is a true master of slow, beautiful lettering.

## How to make an iPad hobby actually relaxing

The same iPad can be relaxing or completely distracting. For me, it mostly comes down to what I'm doing on it: making or solving something versus mindlessly consuming. 

A few small things that help me:

- **Turn off notifications** while you're doing the hobby. Focus mode on the iPad does this in one tap.
- **Pick one app and stay in it.** Switching apps is usually how a 20-minute break turns into an hour of scrolling.
- **Lower the brightness in the evening** and use dark mode where you can.
- **Give it a fixed spot in your day.** For me it's late in the evening, on my comfy sofa, after the kids are asleep.

If you only try one thing from this list, pick the one that feels easiest tonight. For me, that's still opening Lake and picking up the page I left unfinished ❤️

[Try it for free ](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lake-coloring-books-journal/id1183717726?ref=blog.lakecoloring.com)