Since I have little people in my life again (grandchildren) I am always on the lookout for cool toys. I find construction toys keep kids interested the longest. A clever design that works great for toddlers are bristle tiles which resemble giant velcro. Long combs on every surface stick together enough yet pull apart easily for tiny hands. Like Magnatiles, a little bit of helpful stickiness assists in making things. There are lots of knockoff brands. I don’t even know which one was the original, but Picasso Bristle Tiles work fine. — KK 

I am late to discovering cooperative board games. Instead of competing with other players to win, you cooperate with them to win. This changes the vibe of a game in a significant way, transforming it from a me thing to a we thing. There is a whole world of cooperative games, but the one I enjoy the most so far is The Crew. Each round of the game consists of “missions” the players need to complete, and the missions get more complicated – requiring more cooperation – as the game progresses. There is a bit of a learning curve, but everyone playing is on the same team (the crew), so helping each other becomes the norm. I am much more interested in playing games now and very uninterested in playing standard competitive games. — KK

I’m having fun playing with Stained Glass Smash at glass.funwebsite.fun. You just click the screen to smash the glass and haphazardly create geometric works of art. It’s creative and easy, and it’s a soothing distraction. — CD

This digital word game called Totem Word is a quick and fun way to find a single word that resonates with you in the present moment. You start off with 10 words, narrow them down to 5, and ultimately choose one that defines you. I’ve been focusing on  words related to my passions, personality traits, and aspirations. The final word I select serves as a guiding principle throughout my day. So far, my daily words have included artful, restful, inquisitive, and avant-garde. — CD 

Infinite Mac is a website that takes you on a nostalgic journey through Macintosh software from the years 1984 to 2000. The entire Macintosh experience runs seamlessly in your browser. One gem I stumbled upon was a version of Tetris from 1989. The simplicity of the 1-bit illustrations captured the essence of that era, reminding me of the joy I experienced playing games on those early computers. — MF

My family has long suspected that I have ADHD, so I went to a psychiatrist, and he confirmed it. In addition to practicing breathwork and taking long walks whenever possible, I bought a six-pack of Silly Putty eggs. Now, when I'm not using my hands for a productive purpose, I find myself kneading a wad of Silly Putty. It helps me stay focused during Zoom meetings and phone calls. After around two weeks, I discard the old wad and replace it with a fresh one. — MF

I’ve been playing the Rogue video game off and on for more than 35 years, since the late 1980s. The object is to descend a monster-filled dungeon (displayed using ASCII characters, not graphics) and retrieve the Amulet of Yendor on the lowest level. I’ve never succeeded; if a monster doesn’t kill me then I starve to death (food is scarce). I hope to beat it before I die in real life! — MF

If I can't make a decision on something I like to consult my Universe Splitter app ($1.99 iPhone, Android). I enter two possible paths of action and press the "Split Universe" button. It then reports back to me which universe I'm in and what action to take. It's fun and silly and like flipping a coin, except you're creating multiple universes. The app keeps track of all your past universe splits and has a running tally of estimated universes created. I'm up to 512. — CD

Construction toys – like Legos – are among the best toys because they are so open ended, infinite in form, satisfying and durable. But many construction sets need nimble fingers. Magnetized sets are better for younger kids because the magnets aid the building. The best magnetic construction toys for the youngest toddlers are Magformers, which are basically large outlines of shapes, whose holes make them super easy to grip, while the magnets ensure they will easily stick together. They are fun enough that older kids build with them too. Like Legos we keep adding to our set so that by now we have enough pieces to let several kids play at once. — KK

One of my resolutions for 2023 is to “play” more often, but also figuring out what kind of “play” works for me. My friend Camille described it best when she said play should have no consequences. That inspired me to start coloring before bed, which is very relaxing and seems to help unravel all the busyness I have in my head before I sleep. I’m currently coloring a book of sacred geometry designs by Martha Bartfeld, which is now of print but I found the newest edition here: Mandala Designs. — CD

You’ve probably heard of the Prisoners’ Dilemma, a scenario in two prisoners independently decide whether to cooperate or betray each other in order to minimize their own punishment. The best strategy for a single game is to betray the other player. But what happens if you have to repeat the scenario over and over again with the same prisoner? The betrayal strategy will fall short of other strategies, such as tit-for-tat. This website, called The Evolution of Trust, is an exciting way to learn about game theory, trust, and human behavior. — MF

I had fun playing the “incremental games” A Dark Room and Universal Paperclips a few years ago, and someone recently recommended Progress Knight. (There are a lot of different versions available for web and mobile; search to find one that works on your computer or device.) You start the game as a beggar with few skills or resources, and by wisely allocating your time and money, you try to level up as much as you can in the 70 years allotted to you. Once you die, you can start again with an added experience boost. — MF

The go-to source for physical puzzles is Puzzle Masters in Canada. They have everything, including lots of Japanese puzzles: Puzzle boxes, puzzle locks, jig saw puzzles, rubik’s cubes of all varieties, magic puzzles, toys, collectible puzzles, all very high quality. — KK

The Small Fish Metal Brain Teasers set contains 6 bent metal puzzles. The challenge is to separate the interlocked pieces. One of ​​the puzzles is very easy to solve, making it a good starter challenge for a kid. The harder ones have resisted hours of my effort to solve them. The puzzles are made from heavy metal and won’t discolor your hands like cheaper bent wire puzzles. Comes with a cloth bag to hold them. — MF

You can be creative and destroy less books by using this web app Blackout Poetry Maker created by Emma Winston. You can choose from 3 sample texts or copy and paste your own custom text. I used excerpts from my diary and created this poem I call “All the unknowns are outlined.” — CD

I had been coveting ready-made book nooks on Etsy for a while now, but I am so happy I waited and bought my own build kit from CuteBee. I bought the Pray in the Church kit, but there are other whimsical options. The instructions were easy to understand and it took me a couple hours to assemble, but it was meditative and fun to see it come together. It came with everything I needed, except for two AAA batteries, wood glue, scotch tape and scissors. — CD

I’m playing around with an AI-powered app that enables me to paint music. Appropriately named Paint With Music, this free web-based app from Google transforms my doodles into music based on its visual form. It’s playful, just a toy and perfect fun for kids. — KK

PlayPhrase.me is a fun distraction to play with for a bit. The intention of the site is to help teach how to apply phrases in English. You type in any phrase and it will play you scenes in movies and television where your words have been spoken. You can even download the clips. You can view 5 phrases per search, but anything past that requires a $3 per month Patreon sponsorship. — CD

I played Ransom Notes with my family a couple of weeks ago and we laughed ourselves to tears. Each player grabs a handful of about 75 words printed on magnetic strips (they look like refrigerator magnets) from the inventory. Someone draws a card from the deck and reads the instructions. Example: “Tell someone you’ve clogged their toilet during a party.” Each player has to use their word magnets to form an answer on a small metal plate. Example, “I have elaborate booty chaos please not mad,” or “did dump tough disappear.” You are supposed to vote on the “best answer,” but we were too busy laughing hysterically to keep score. — MF

Unlike regular jigsaw puzzles, which have pieces that don’t match up with the artwork, this puzzle’s 40 large pieces are cut in the shape of the black and white creatures from artist M.C. Escher’s 1957 lithograph Mosaic II. The puzzle is a lot harder to solve than you may think. It’s out of print, but used ones are available on eBay and Etsy. — MF