A word to say 'I work' but for leisure

I’m a Software Engineer and I like to spend my free time developing new software/ideas.
When people ask me what I’ve done this weekend, I typically reply ‘I worked’.

‘Work’ is misleading here as it is automatically associated with professional work.

I’d like to find a word (a verb) that could mention that I worked during my weekend but for leisure, not as a constraint, and whatever the underlying discipline. Like when the painter said ‘I paint’, we automatically know that is for pleasure.

I hope to be clear enough…