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A woman in an orange sweater is practising her golf swing in a narrow, cobblestone alleyway lined with bicycles, adjacent to a building with large windows.

Play

idea

The achievement society is burning us out, we need more play

This is about more than a self-help switch – it will take structural changes to reject capitalism’s productivity obsession

by Alec Stubbs

Hands clapping flour over a ball of dough on a floured surface with a wooden rolling pin nearby, in a dark background setting.

Food and drink

idea

If you don’t fancy mindfulness, then try cooking instead

When overwhelmed I schedule in a cooking day: playful, daring and full of memories. Beats any other stress-reliever for me

by Chloe Faure

A close-up of a man using an online betting platform on his smartphone. The phone screen lights up a darkened room

Addiction

guide

How to control your gambling

What’s fun at first can all too easily get out of hand. Learn the warning signs and use these tips to rein things in

by Luke Clark

A child in a yellow shirt and red shorts pushing a tire uphill on a steep, gravelly incline against a clear sky backdrop.

Play

film

A cobalt mine becomes an unlikely playground for children in Congo

A film by Francis Alÿs

A person’s hand arranging small pebbles next to a miniature landscape featuring a tall rock, an obelisk, and scattered colourful yarn balls.

Psychotherapy

idea

Sand-tray therapy can reach feelings at the ‘edge of awareness’

Originally developed for use in child therapy, sand trays are now helping adults with their difficult thoughts and emotions

by Doreen Fleet

A person in a yellow jacket skipping stones at the beach during sunset, with calm water and rock formations in the distance.

Play

idea

All you need to know to start skipping stones like a pro

With the right attitude, stone skipping is a rebellious act that will leave you feeling like you have glitter in your veins

by Julie Benda

Black-and-white photo of photographers taking pictures of a meerkat at a zoo, with onlookers in the background.

Animals

film

The zoo is a funhouse mirror that reflects and refracts the peculiarities of being human

Directed by Bert Haanstra

People using virtual reality headsets and controllers in an immersive gaming setup, with others in the background also engaged with VR devices.

Play

idea

A game is not a game without a special kind of conflict

From 5,000-year-old boardgames to last year’s video-game blockbusters, all games feature a kind of collaborative conflict

by Eric Zimmerman

A surfer rides a large blue wave, with white spray and foam around them under a dark, dramatic sky.

Meaning and the good life

idea

What surfing says about the importance of serendipity in life

What surfers call the elated state of ‘stoke’ is really a celebration of life and the meaningful serendipities it brings

by Aaron James

Dance

film

How the acrobat and choreographer Yoann Bourgeois plays with gravity and time

Directed by Raphael Wertheimer