bltd

So, were you aware that Bryce Wilner’s Gradient Puzzles come in a smaller size? AND you can buy the whole bundle for a whole lot of slow and deliberate color sorting that’s sure to calm anyone down (or frustrate the hell out of them?). Either way, it’s a gift that keeps giving, as it can be assembled/disassembled many, many times.
(more…)

Hand me that last piece of birthday cake, will you? Little Puzzle Thing™ jigsaws look just like your favorite food and can be completed in twenty minutes (or less, if you’re clever). Go ahead, give your brain a break and put together a broccoli or ramen bowl; perhaps time your task just before lunch?
(more…)

You’ve got an excellent reason to get out and enjoy the weather, because this Swallow Kite is just too good to pass up. Its wings flap when flying in the air, just like a real bird. There’s a larger Crane Kite as well, with “gangly” bamboo legs. Both would look just fine on a wall as decoration, but do make sure that they stretch their wings every now and then when the sun is out.
(more…)

You’ll have fun twisting and turning these colorful Snake Blocks to make all sorts of interesting shapes and patterns. 24 wooden triangles are held together with an elastic band, and you have your pick of a small, medium, or large version, plus plenty of different color combinations. It’ll keep your hands busy when you’re brainstorming (or waiting for an idea to hit, as is often the case). Be sure to check out the video tutorials on how to make the elephant, swan, ball/a>, and cobra.
(more…)

Okay, this is kind of fun: it’s a puzzle featuring a satellite image of your home. You’ll get to see an area of 1 mile north-to-south and 1.5 miles east-to-west, and there’s a few irregular pieces thrown in to keep it special (the letters H-O-M-E, and a house-shaped piece right where your home is located). Maybe it’s a good thing to get to memorialize your current digs? It would also be an excellent housewarming gift.
(more…)

As you’re sitting around with friends and/or family, bored senseless, don’t just pick up your phone. How about a good game for everyone to play? Let me add these extra requirements: a game for ages 4 and up, and one that won’t offend anyone. Do you have one of those? Because a memory game is a friendly sort of activity that just might help those lazy synapses in your brain, and this one has some very pretty illustrations of bugs/insects with their Latin names.
(more…)

Please tell me you plan to fly a kite before the end of summer. After all, with Haptic Lab’s colorful array of Diamond and Delta Kites, you know you’re tempted.
(more…)

I know you don’t need more clutter around your desktop, but these 3D puzzles are small, fun, and inexpensive. Maybe you could get a few to encourage coworkers little ones to use their brain skills for something other than staring at their phones? They’d be fun puzzles to keep out on shelves, or to disassemble for another day.
(more…)

Get these Lillagunga Rings and your kids (or nieces/nephews) will never say you didn’t encourage their gymnastic skills. Worst case scenario is that they’ll injure themselves; best case scenario is that they’ll wear themselves out whilst developing muscle strength. Maybe they’ll even have fun. The rings are designed to be comfortable in the hand and height is easily adjustable.
(more…)

If any of your kiddos are even slightly interested in space, you’re kind of obligated to get this Space Pod Playhouse. It’s a kit, so it’ll take a tiny bit of elbow grease to construct the “four-foot cosmic cruiser” (75 plastic fasteners and tools are included). Who knows, you may encourage a career in astronomy or engineering. 55 cardboard panels printed with all sorts of details help encourage playtime.
(more…)

Kites! by Fredericks And Mae! Sold on Areaware! Gah! Excuse the excitement, but what better thing to do on a windy day than fly a kite? There’s two different triangular kites and three different windsocks, so pick the one that makes you happiest. There’s a Beach Bundle (includes 2 Kites and 3 Windsocks) for maximum fun.
(more…)

This is a sort of gift for someone who has everything. It’s a toy, so it’s hard not to spin it around, and it’s beautiful, so even when not in use, it’s a lovely little thing to look upon. Precisely turned, hand-polished and signed, each top is gift boxed with with chamois and care and spinning instructions.
(more…)

Puzzles! Put one out on your coffee table and you’ll be able to sneak in contemplation time, because who can resist putting together a few puzzle pieces? Featuring imagery by photographer KangHee Kim, these puzzles play with the eye, as each image shows a mirror within a scene, and the puzzle itself is divided along the mirror’s perimeter, creating two different puzzles in one. Complete them together or apart. Kinda fun, right?
(more…)

February is just a couple of days away, so you know what that means… Valentine’s Day is looming (barf). If you have to get something for your significant other, consider the HeartShapes Blocks from Zoe Miller and David Goodman. The set of 50 wooden pieces are boxed in the shape of a heart, but can be configured into plenty of patterns; it includes an illustration sheet of designs to try out.
(more…)

The phrase ‘fun for the whole family!’ keeps running through my head when I look through the whole of Lego Architecture. And, in fact, building any of the well known structures and monuments will be fun for your whole family, as everyone can participate. Some of my favorites are harder to find and a bit more expensive (Villa Savoye, Farnsworth House, etc.), but look around and see if there’s one or two that might scratch your Lego itch. They may even be collectible further in the future, so, it’s an investment, really, right?
(more…)