\n
Cartwheel.<\/strong> On the day we scattered my father\u2019s ashes, we lightened the mood with some competitive gymnastics. I don\u2019t know how it started, but in attempting a cartwheel, I was shocked at my own creeping decrepitude. Over the last year, I\u2019ve been watching online tutorials and practising \u2013 and I can do a passable cartwheel now. For that joyful split-second, upside down and wheeling, I\u2019m reconnected with my eight-year-old self. Emine Saner<\/em><\/p>\n\u2018For one joyful split-second, I\u2019m reconnected with my eight-year-old self.\u2019<\/span> Photograph: Posed by model; lzf\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHave a kitchen disco.<\/strong> Never underestimate the fun ready to burst out of your kitchen. The crucial ingredient? Good music, played loudly. Parcels are my new favourite \u2013 the whole family have become superfans since last summer\u2019s awesome Glastonbury set. Tieduprightnow, Gamesofluck, IknowhowIfeel, Hideout, Safeandsound \u2013 so many danceable, joyful tracks. Patrick Barkham<\/em><\/p>\n\u2018Quite a grand way to start the day.\u2019<\/span> Photograph: Posed by model; RossHelen\/Getty Images\/iStockphoto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMake pancakes.<\/strong> I don\u2019t do it every morning \u2013 probably four times a week, though. Pancakes are quite a grand way to start the day, but I\u2019m a grand sort of person first thing. My weekdays are wildly unpredictable now that I have children, and while the chaos of hot butter slapping in a pan and my two-year-old wielding an egg beater isn\u2019t exactly textbook fun, it\u2019s the only moment we\u2019ll all sit down together. I used to think treats were for withholding. Now I know better. Morwenna Ferrier<\/em><\/p>\nWear colourful underwear.<\/strong> It used to be white, or black or beige. Now, opening my top drawer each morning brings me joy. Pink, blue, green, purple, yellow \u2026 mix, match, contrast. On cerebral days, explore colour adjacency. Option to coordinate socks. It\u2019s my secret, daily fun. Or was. Paula Cocozza<\/em><\/p>\n\u2018Getting disoriented somehow orients me.\u2019<\/span> Photograph: Posed by model; Ippei Naoi\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nGet lost.<\/strong> Ever since boyhood, I\u2019ve enjoyed losing my bearings. Where I live, in southern Italy, I trek high up a hill into dense woods until the dirty paths end. I never know where I\u2019m headed, much less how to get back home, but that tingle of suspense snugly fits my definition of fun. Getting disoriented somehow orients me. Bob Brody<\/em><\/p>\nCook something from scratch,<\/strong> as a family or group, that you have never made before and would normally buy from a shop \u2013 ravioli, eclairs or sushi, say. Better yet, make something you thought could only<\/em> be bought from a shop: cheese and onion crisps, jelly babies, M&Ms. People create recipes for such things and post them online. Doing it together is the key: that way, you have collective responsibility if the whole thing goes wrong. And each experiment should be a one-off \u2013 it probably won\u2019t turn out well enough for you to ever try it again. Tim Dowling<\/em><\/p>\nA spot of collaborative creativity. <\/span> Photograph: Posed by models; South_agency\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTry communal painting.<\/strong> In February, I went to A Creative Pause, an art class with a twist, and it was the most fun I\u2019ve had in ages. You draw and paint on a big communal sheet of paper and keep moving around the table, so you don\u2019t feel self-conscious about what you have produced. Together, you create a stunning mural and everyone gets to take a piece of it home. It switched on a part of my brain that felt really good \u2013 and inspired uplifting conversations about creativity along the way. Sarah Phillips<\/em><\/p>\nWatch Younger.<\/strong> Romcoms are not usually my jam, but earlier this year I stumbled upon the Netflix show Younger. Set in the New York publishing world, it has a preposterously silly premise: Liza (Sutton Foster), a 40-year-old divorcee, pretends to be 26 to land an entry level job. Cue seven seasons of \u201cnow everyone will find out her secret!\u201d jeopardy. Mindless joy. Anita Chaudhuri<\/em><\/p>\n\u2018You\u2019re trusting the chef to choose what you eat.\u2019<\/span> Photograph: Francesco Riccardo Iacomino\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nGo <\/strong>omakase<\/strong><\/em>.<\/strong> This Japanese word translates to \u201cI leave it up to you\u201d. In the dining context, you\u2019re trusting the chef to choose what you eat. This sounds like something a control freak like me would hate, but \u2013 shocker \u2013 it turns out I\u2019m a huge fan. My favourite local restaurant is a one-sitting-per-night, small, cosy spot where you simply tell staff your dietary requirements and they bring you a taster menu of seven surprise courses. Never what I would have ordered, always completely delicious. Polly Hudson<\/em><\/p>\nVisit an arcade.<\/strong> For half the cost of a pair of jeans, you can play skee-ball (my favourite), get weirdly intense about air hockey, and win dinky prizes from claw machines. Even better, you can see your friends do all these things and remember how we were all small children once \u2013 and still kind of are. Madeleine Aggeler<\/em><\/p>\n\u2018I\u2019m a tiny dot in the hugeness of the world, observing it from the main character\u2019s seat.\u2019<\/span> Photograph: Tami Ruble\/Alamy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nSit in the front seat on the top deck of a bus. <\/strong>It doesn\u2019t matter where you\u2019re going, it\u2019s an ageless joy. Take in the landmarks or the life-affirming sights of the more ordinary, but no less fascinating, streets below you. I don\u2019t think I ever feel more happy or alive than when I\u2019m a tiny dot in the hugeness of the world, observing it from the main character\u2019s seat. Justin Myers<\/em><\/p>\nWatch theatre from home.<\/strong> The National Theatre at Home app is some of the best fun you can have with your pyjamas on. I\u2019ve laughed out loud at Ncuti Gatwa in The Importance of Being Earnest, Andrew Scott in Present Laughter, and that fire extinguisher scene in One Man, Two Guvnors. Even when I cried last week at the end of Nye, I\u2019m pretty sure I was still smiling. Frances Ryan<\/em><\/p>\n\u2018I can sense the knots in my brain relaxing as I pedal.\u2019<\/span> Photograph: Posed by models; Peter Cade\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTry cycling.<\/strong> I love to spend hours riding around on my bike, exploring quiet back streets, dedicated cycle lanes and paths along canals. I can sense the knots in my brain relaxing as I pedal; nothing makes me feel as free and joyful. And the best thing about it? The utter elation when you cruise down a hill and feel like a kid again. Ann Lee<\/em><\/p>\nEat unconventional gelato. <\/strong>Forget mint choc chip, strawberry or vanilla; since discovering flavours such as butter-toasted sweetcorn, walnut and cherries, and banana miso, gelato pilgrimages have become a near weekly indulgence, especially now the sun is out. Ice-cream works too. One scoop, in a tub, no regrets. Leah Harper<\/em><\/p>\nWho could be cross with Animal Crossing? <\/span> Photograph: Maskot\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nPlay a video game.<\/strong> Really, any game that brings you joy \u2013 Crossy Road, Marvel Snap, Pok\u00e9mon Go, I Love Hue or Tetris on your phone; Animal Crossing on your Nintendo Switch; a blockbuster narrative game on your PlayStation at home; even something from your childhood. I know someone who carries around a little Game Boy so that they can always play a farming game called Harvest Moon instead of doomscrolling. Keza MacDonald<\/em><\/p>\nGo<\/strong> tracking. <\/strong>Less effort than a treasure hunt, tracking is great fun for kids, or even grownups who loved being a Brownie or Cub. One person sets off and lays a trail using sticks, stones or chalk, and the rest leave later and try to follow it. It can lead anywhere you want (an ice-cream shop or pub are always fun). You can find symbols online, or make up your own before you start. Hilary Osborne<\/em><\/p>\n\u2018It\u2019s salty, sweet, sickly, shameful and moreish\u2019 \u2026 Rich Pelley with his Pringles dish. <\/span> Photograph: Courtesy of Rich Pelley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMake a Pringles chocolate block.<\/strong> Why not join 2026\u2019s most unhinged viral trend? Grab a full tube of Pringles, melt a massive bar of chocolate in a microwave (or bain marie if you\u2019re Gordon Ramsay), pour it all in, bung the tube in the fridge to set, then scoff it. It\u2019s salty, sweet, sickly, shameful and moreish all at once. Yum. Rich Pelley<\/em><\/p>\nCompose <\/strong>music. <\/strong>Thanks to apps such as Koala, Dubler and Ableton Note, music-making doesn\u2019t have to require years of training. Spending a few minutes each day recording musical experiments is a great antidote to doomscrolling and it may just unlock a new, creative sense of fun in your life. Ammar Kalia<\/em><\/p>\n\u2018More fun than slogging on a treadmill.\u2019<\/span> Photograph: Posed by models; Maskot\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nGet sweaty.<\/strong> Saunas are hot right now \u2013 and for good reason: even if you\u2019re feeling miserable, perspiring alongside strangers in a small room releases feelgood endorphins. Not to sound like a wellness bro, but I like to endorphins-maxx by combining the sauna with a cold plunge. It gets the blood flowing \u2013 and, in my opinion, is more fun than slogging it out on a treadmill. Arwa Mahdawi<\/em><\/p>\nHost a themed dinner party.<\/strong> Last year, my sister revealed she loves both margherita (the pizza) and margarita (the cocktail) \u2013 and the idea for a Margheritas and Margaritas night was born. Since then, I\u2019ve been keen to give more get-togethers a novel spin. You don\u2019t have to be intense about it \u2013 although I do have a friend who sent a moodboard to guests ahead of a Halloween dinner \u2013 but adding a theme to a social gathering (summer solstice feast, anyone?) makes it just that little bit more fun, trust me. Lucy Knight<\/em><\/p>\nHow accurate can you be without measuring?<\/span> Photograph: Posed by models; JGalione\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nDraw your own nose.<\/strong> The challenge is for everyone to draw \u2013 without measuring by hand, pencil or any other instrument \u2013 their own nose as closely as possible to its true shape and size. Profile or square on is up to you. Everyone then cuts out their \u201cnose\u201d, measures it against their face and the most accurate wins. Nell Frizzell<\/em><\/p>\n\u2018Tango is slithery, intimate and sultry.\u2019<\/span> Photograph: Posed by models; JackF\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTake tango lessons.<\/strong> Argentinian tango is complicated to learn, but it\u2019s the challenge that brings me so much joy. In contrast to the Irish dancing I learned at school in Belfast, tango is slithery, almost horizontal, intimate and sultry. My weekly 90-minute lessons are hilariously different to how I use my body and mind the rest of the week.. Anna Hart<\/em><\/p>\nLearn to play chess.<\/strong> I haven\u2019t actually improved since I was about 10, but this isn\u2019t about technical ability. For me, chess has livened up everything from long train journeys to evenings in the pub. There is nothing quite like sitting across from a friend, lover or total stranger engaging in furious mental combat as your pints grow warm. Sasha Mistlin<\/em><\/p>\n\u2018Springsteen forces us to interact\u2019 \u2026 the Boss performing in Manchester, 2025. <\/span> Photograph: Shirlaine Forrest\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nSee the Boss. <\/strong>Every couple of years or so, I find an unimaginable burst of joy in seeing Bruce Springsteen play live. Most entertainment tries to reduce our friction with the world; Springsteen does not. He forces us to interact, to be part of something greater than ourselves. That connection is the most joyful thing of all. Michael Hann<\/em><\/p>\nGet sprinting.<\/strong> Running is often treated as an ordeal, but have you seen the way kids run? Inspired by my three-year-old, who turns every walk into a race, I have started adding random sprints into my jogs. I feel invincible, like the reigning champion of the block. It\u2019s exhilarating and it\u2019s fun! Abi Millar<\/em><\/p>\n\u2018Sometimes it\u2019s more fun alone\u2019 \u2026 Sin\u00e9ad Campbell at Everyman King\u2019s Cross.<\/span> Photograph: Graeme Robertson\/The Guardian<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nCinema solo.<\/strong> Although I enjoy sharing the experience with a friend, arranging plans around busy schedules can be a logistical ordeal. Sometimes it\u2019s more fun to just go alone. Catching an evening screening at my local cinema is a spontaneous way to decompress after work and gets me out of a streaming rut. Sin\u00e9ad Campbell<\/em><\/p>\nIntroduce a daily <\/strong>aperitivo. <\/strong><\/em>I\u2019m not suggesting nightly boozing (though it\u2019s 2026, no judgment here); rather, start your evening pretending to be Italian. At 6pm, my husband and I curate a selection of salty snacks \u2013 nuts, olives, anything Italian sophisticates might nibble \u2013 and make an iced, ideally colourful drink (the non-alcoholic Martini Vibrante is almost-perfect Campari red, FYI). I\u2019d love to be able to say we go full Italian, sitting outside, watching our neighbours passeggiata<\/em> while chatting. Actually, we aperitivo<\/em> on the divano<\/em> (sofa, yes I Googled it) watching bad TV. It\u2019s still great. Emma Beddington<\/em><\/p>\n\u2018The closest to pure pleasure any of us are likely to get.\u2019<\/span> Photograph: Anita Kot\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nCount the dogs.<\/strong> It\u2019s been a year since our dog Herbie died. I miss him terribly; I loved him and he loved me. What more could you want? Now I have to find other ways of getting my daily canine fix. When I walk through the park, I make a point of counting every mutt and watching what they are up to. A dog smelling its best smells and living its best life is the closest to pure pleasure any of us are likely to get. John Crace<\/em><\/p>\nBrowse Pinterest.<\/strong> Unlike other social platforms, Pinterest isn\u2019t built for performance or comparison but visual discovery. You can scroll without pressure, and build worlds that reflect your taste. To me, it feels part moodboard, part archive, part daydream. It\u2019s a slower, more intentional kind of inspiration that I find uniquely calming. Anita Bhagwandas<\/em><\/p>\n\u2018It goes down even better than sweets\u2019 \u2026 Catherine Shoard\u2019s potion.<\/span> Photograph: Catherine Shoard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMake potions.<\/strong> For those who turn to a chemical cocktail in search of happiness, here\u2019s one that never fails. Get a bucket, then tip into it citric acid, baking soda, food colouring and water. Watch as it fizzes and sizzles, colours marbling, foam going everywhere. Optional extras: oil, glitter, vinegar, petals, baked beans. This was the big hit of a Harry Potter party (potions class) \u2013 it went down even better than sweets with 25 Cubs. It\u2019s also an easy win at home: exciting yet calming, ideal for sundowning children restless in the kitchen. Mop essential. Catherine Shoard<\/em><\/p>\nWatch an old TV series. <\/strong>Many small-screen marvels are over just as you\u2019re getting hooked. To beat this, I\u2019d recommend going for an older show with loads of seasons and episodes. If you like comedy, you can\u2019t go wrong with Friends, The Big Bang Theory or 2 Broke Girls. If drama is your thing, The West Wing, Scandal or Law & Order are decent bets. And for fantasy and sci-fi, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Battlestar Galactica and Smallville will keep you glued to the sofa. Sammy Gecsoyler<\/em><\/p>\n\u2018Maddeningly addictive\u2019 \u2026 Cuphead. <\/span> Photograph: Studio MDHR<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nPlay Cuphead.<\/strong> I was warned not to buy this action game for my six-year-old \u2013 \u201cfar too hard for a kid!\u201d said people in the know. Well, it is<\/em> maddeningly difficult. But it\u2019s even more maddeningly addictive. Since Christmas, we\u2019ve been sat side-by-side on the sofa playing the 2017 game in all its stunning, 1930s-style animated glory. I like to think it has been a beautiful bonding experience \u2026 but sometimes when I look over I realise that he\u2019s long gone to bed and I am actually up playing it alone. Tim Jonze<\/em><\/p>\nAdd novelty buttons. <\/strong>Whenever I\u2019m in a new city, I visit a local haberdashers and seek out silly buttons to attach to otherwise boring clothes. My bespoke pieces currently include a cardigan with blackberry buttons and a jacket with fake Roman coin fastenings. I still have houses and mini mobile phones to go. Amelia Tait<\/em><\/p>\n\u2018A total tonic.\u2019 <\/span> Photograph: Posed by model; ArtistGNDphotography\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTry bouldering.<\/strong> As something to remind you that thumbs can grip as well as scroll, I heartily recommend it. And while I am nowhere near good enough to have entered that elusive flow state \u2013 yet \u2013 the focus it takes to be 4.5 metres up with no ropes is a total tonic to the psychological feeling that you have multiple tabs open. That, right now, is exactly the kind of fun I need. Ellie Violet Bramley<\/em><\/p>\nBinge medical dramas.<\/strong> As a self-confessed health nerd, I\u2019ve always found them a fun way to escape and immerse yourself in someone else\u2019s story. I\u2019m currently loving The Pitt, whose every episode represents an unwaveringly tense hour of one shift. Then, for light relief, I\u2019ll switch over to the Scrubs reboot, a nostalgic revival of the original show. A perfect night in. Lizzie Cernik<\/em><\/p>\n\u2018The real king of holiday card games.\u2019<\/span> Photograph: Steve Skjold\/Alamy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nPlay <\/strong>Monopoly Deal<\/strong>.<\/strong> I have never finished a game of Monopoly, yet I have won \u2013 and lost \u2013 dozens of games of Monopoly Deal. Why? Because unlike its tedious parent, the card-game version of Monopoly is well designed, blisteringly strategic and loads of fun to play. It\u2019s luck-based enough to make dramatic comebacks possible, and occasionally unfair enough to still function as a devastating critique of capitalism. Why everyone plays Uno is a mystery to me: this is the real king of the holiday card games. Joel Snape<\/em><\/p>\nLearn a tune.<\/strong> I hadn\u2019t learned anything new on guitar since pre-kids \u2013 the oldest is 16 \u2013 when I heard friends discussing how hard it would be to play Blackbird by the Beatles. Gauntlet. Thrown. On the first attempt, the chord changes and singing over the fingerpicking seemed impossible, but unravelling the song\u2019s mysteries was so fun that I was still there, four hours later, my little finger throbbing. I can\u2019t stop playing it now, much to the irritation of said teens \u2013 joy! Amy Fleming<\/em><\/p>\n\u2018It\u2019s absolutely, unforgettably hilarious\u2019 \u2026 Kate Abbott takes off. <\/span> Photograph: Linda Nylind\/The Guardian<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nGo <\/strong>skydiving (sort of).<\/strong> I took my kids last month and they had a good time, sure \u2013 but I haven\u2019t squealed with such delight in years. If you want four minutes of exhilaration that is absolutely, unforgettably hilarious, look no further than Hangloose\u2019s outdoor vertical wind tunnel (also known as an Aerodium), which is so powerful it was used for aerial stunts in the Mission: Impossible movies. It\u2019s not cheap, but I screamed myself silly as the 120mph blast sent me flying skywards. Eat my jetstream, Tom Cruise! Kate Abbott<\/em><\/p>\nLearn Japanese.<\/strong> Unless you absolutely need to learn a language, you\u2019re unlikely to stick with it unless you really enjoy it. That\u2019s why I\u2019d recommend Japanese. Teachers suggest that learners use mnemonics to remember kanji<\/em> characters \u2013 attaching memorable images to new words speeds up fluency. For instance, \u201ccircular\u201d is pronounced \u201cmaru\u201d in Japanese. To recall this, I imagine Martin Freeman chasing Ruby Wax around in a circle. Also, I just learned that the Japanese word for testicles (\u91d1\u7389) means \u201cgolden balls\u201d. Apparently, Japan is a nation of David Beckhams. Daniel Lavelle<\/em><\/p>\n\u2018Simply marvellous\u2019 \u2026 Dorothy L Sayers\u2019s Gaudy Night. <\/span> Photograph: sjbooks\/Alamy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nRead old detective novels,<\/strong> ideally from earlier than 1950. There\u2019s less horror, lower stakes, and plenty of irresistible lines that you can irritate your loved ones with by insisting on reading them aloud in a clipped RP accent. Right now, I\u2019m loving Dorothy L Sayers\u2019 1935 mystery novel Gaudy Night, about a vicious vandalism and hatemail campaign wreaking havoc on a fictional women\u2019s college in Oxford. Simply marvellous, old chum. Rebecca Nicholson<\/em><\/p>\nClimb outdoors.<\/strong> The feel of real rock under you and big space all around is a thrill. It\u2019s crazily addictive, but a challenge to get started. A fun way in is to sign up for the very sociable Arc\u2019teryx Climbing festival (May 23-25) in Langdale, or get on a course with outfits such as Climb South West, Climb Pembroke and Mountaineering Scotland. Kevin Rushby<\/em><\/p>\n\u2018Even a novice can knit a baby blanket.\u2019<\/span> Photograph: Posed by models; Compassionate Eye Foundation\/David Oxberry\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nJoin a knitting class.<\/strong> My local group is full of seasoned knitters and, although I\u2019m an eternal novice, I\u2019ve managed an Ewok hood, a baby blanket and two beanies (with much needed help) to give as gifts to nieces and nephews. My knitting is still questionable, but the solidarity with my sisters of stitch \u2013 and the laughter as I try to configure the knitting acronyms \u2013 make it all fun. Remona Aly<\/em><\/p>\n