Do you ever miss how simple life felt when we were kids? No constant notifications. No pressure to be productive 24/7. Just afternoons filled with music, crafts, and walks with no destination.

If you grew up in the 90s or early 2000s, you probably remember Walkmans, sparkly gel pens, Tamagotchis, and singing Britney Spears songs in your bedroom. I’ve been craving more of that energy lately. So I started to bring pieces of my childhood into my everyday life.

Here are 10 fun and easy ways to relive the best parts of your childhood and bring some of that carefree magic back into your adult life.

1. Use a Walkman or MP3 Player

Leave your phone at home and take a walk with just your music. No notifications, no group chats, no mindless scrolling on Insta or Tiktok. It’s strangely freeing. Let your inner 12-year-old DJ take the lead and enjoy the simplicity of just listening.

2. Try a No-Phone Morning

Remember when mornings were slow? Before screens took over? Recreate that by putting your phone away for the first few hours of the day. Make yourself coffee or some tea, read a magazine, eat your cereal at the table while staring out the window, write in your diary, or try out different outfits or hairstyles in front of your mirror. It’s a calming way to reconnect with yourself.

3. Play Old-School Games

I recently got a Tamagotchi and it feels so simple, but it’s so much fun! Whether for you it’s also playing with a Tamagotchi, Mario Kart on Nintendo 64, Pokémon on a Nintendo DS, or The Sims on an old PC, revisiting the games you loved as a kid instantly brings back cozy memories. If you don’t have the original consoles, try finding emulators online. Even just hearing the intro music from your favorite childhood game is enough to melt stress away.

4. Do Crafts Again

Get your hands messy with beads, glitter, and colored pens. Meet up with your friends and make each other cute friendship bracelets like you used to, or create a vision board using old magazines. You don’t need to be “good” at crafting. Just enjoy the process! Let yourself make something just because it’s fun.

6. Keep a Diary (The Fun Kind)

Not a planner. Not a productivity tool. No app on your phone. A real diary. One with your secrets, little drawings and stickers, just to get your thoughts out of your head. You could use cute highlighters, write in different colors, and let your inner tween take over the page. You’ll be surprised how healing (and funny) it can feel.

7. Watch Your Old Favorite Shows

There’s something so comforting about curling up with the shows that made you feel seen growing up. Whether it’s Adventures of the Gummi Bears, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, or Kim Possible rewatching these brings back a sense of innocence and joy. Pop some popcorn, grab a Capri Sun, and turn your living room into a 2004 pyjama party.

8. Revisit Childhood Snacks

Bring back your childhood favorites: get the candy you always used to eat, pudding cups, your favorite ice cream, or Capri Sun. You could even make your own little box with things you bring to your workplace to make it more fun. Food has memory, and these little nostalgic treats have a way of bringing back the happiest moments, like after-school snacks with your siblings and cartoons playing in the background.

9. Host a Phone-Free Hangout

Invite your friends over for a no-phones-allowed night. Watch your favorite 2000s rom-com, paint your nails, bake cookies, play board games, or do karaoke in your pajamas. You’ll probably find yourself laughing more, connecting deeper, and enjoying the kind of pure fun that doesn’t need to be shared online to be meaningful.

10. Go Outside Just to Play

Go for a walk with no destination. Swing at the park. Ride your bike around your neighborhood just because. Let yourself move without a goal—no fitness tracker, no step count. Just the breeze, the sunshine, and your inner child enjoying the moment.

Final Thoughts

Growing up doesn’t mean you have to let go of everything that made you feel alive as a kid. In fact, reconnecting with that part of yourself can be incredibly grounding and healing. Life can be busy, but nostalgia reminds us to slow down and feel more. To live more in the moment, like we used to when we were kids.

So next time you reach for your phone out of habit, maybe grab your MP3 player instead. Or spend an evening crafting with no pressure, just for fun. You deserve to feel that light-hearted joy again. It’s still in you. You just have to make space for it.