Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have become a promising class of highly-crystalline polymers with layered stacking structures, ordered porous channels, and highly-tailorable structures. To date, most of COFs are synthesized via high-temperature solvothermal methods, which needs the complicated optimization including temperatures, solvent ratios, catalysts, reaction time and so on. However, the solvothermal conditions with high temperature and high pressure restrict the facile and large-scale synthesis of COFs for practical applications. In addition, the insoluble and unprocessable COF powders obtained by solvothermal methods hinder the potential application in film-related fields. The energy-efficient and environmentally benign synthetic methods are highly desired for resolving those problems. In this review, we provide an overview of the recent progresses in room-temperature synthetic strategies for constructing COF powders or COF films. We first discuss in situ characterization technologies for COF growth mechanism. Then, we demonstrate representative room temperature synthesis of COFs including solid-liquid interfacial synthesis, liquid-liquid interfacial synthesis, on-water surface synthesis, water-phase synthesis, electrosynthesis, sonochemical synthesis, single-solution phase synthesis, mechanochemical synthesis, high-energy ionizing radiation synthesis, photochemical synthesis. Finally, perspectives on room temperature synthesis are proposed from single crystal domains, novel room temperature reaction types, crystallization mechanism, the design of chemical structures and green synthesis.