4. Playing

Bit of an overlap with 'mental', but needing a trip to Smiths, the back of the kids' toy cupboards or (best of all), a leisurely spree on the Websites of Hawkins Bazaar and its sister company Tobar. Equip yourself with:

  • word game books
  • hand-held puzzles like Rubik's cube and that little plastic thing where one tile is missing and you shuffle the others around to spell out the first line of Hard Times or to reconfigure a nuclear power station
  • ridiculous desk games like: micro-croquet tiddlywinks 10 pin bowling
  • a ball to bounce - or 3 to juggle
  • a dart board - perhaps one of those nice safe magnetic or Velcro ones if there are kids, pets or colleagues at risk from rogue throws

Websites