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5 Cheap(ish) Things That Will Keep You Entertained for Hours

Credit...Michael Hession

Welcome to the Smarter Living newsletter. The editor, Tim Herrera, emails readers with tips and advice for living a better, more fulfilling life. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.

When was the last time you just sat around and played? You know, turned your phone on Do Not Disturb mode and goofed around for an hour or two like when you were a kid?

If you can’t remember, it’s time to relive the old days.

Researchers have found that playtime for grown-ups can increase productivity at work, serve as a therapeutic outlet and enhance your overall well-being. Further, playing can even counteract the effects of stress, decreasing inflammation and possibly improving vascular health.

Though it sounds kind of silly, all play really means is engaging in an activity you find pleasure in, something that is deliberately unserious that allows you to disengage from the stress of real life for a while.

So in collaboration with Wirecutter, a New York Times company that reviews and recommends products, here are five cheap(ish) things to help bring a little fun back into your leisure time.

Slime-making kit

Slime! What could be more fun than playing with slime?

With the Cra-Z-Art Nickelodeon Slime Super Slimy, Wirecutter’s top pick, you can make four big batches of the gooey stuff, whether that’s clear slime, opaque slime or even slime that smells like cotton candy. (?!)

Drawing tablet

If art is your hobby of choice, Wirecutter’s top drawing tablet for beginners is the Wacom Intuos Draw. It works on Windows and macOS with most popular art programs, and Wirecutter’s reviewers found that of any tablet under $100, the Wacom offers the most precision and control.

MIDI keyboard

Keep your creative juices flowing with a MIDI keyboard — a compact, easy way to create music with your computer — like the Arturia MiniLab MkII, Wirecutter’s top pick for beginners.

Drones

An old employer of mine would have a yearly raffle to get rid of all the items that were sent to us unsolicited over the past 12 months (with the proceeds going to charity, of course). One year I won a tiny, softball-size drone, the type of thing you’d buy for your 9-year-old niece or nephew, but a highly coveted prize at the raffle.

After I collected my prize, my co-workers and I gleefully raced back to our corner of the newsroom to test it out. I ripped through the packaging and charged the motor for a few minutes, then prepared for takeoff.

It was my very first drone flight, and just as expected, I crashed it into chairs, desks and the floor. An unsuccessful, turbulent ride, forever burned into my memory because as I was crashing my new toy around the offices of The Washington Post, the managing editor just happened to be passing by my section and caught the entire ordeal. He surveyed the scene of my disastrous flight path, let out a deep sigh, then looked me square in the eyes and said: “No.”

Anyway, drones are really fun, and Wirecutter’s favorite drone for beginners is the Parrot Swing.

(For the record, he has a great sense of humor and was joking around, but … yeah.)

Calligraphy pens

Learn calligraphy with the Speedball Calligraphy Collector’s Set.

Have a great week!

—Tim

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• Your phone can combat depression.

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• Exercise, at any age, makes the heart younger.

• Balance your media diet.

• Learn how to respond when someone says No.

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