Squeeze this squishy version of the eight-legged tardigrade, aks moss piglet, aka water bear, and it takes up to (9) seconds to slowly morph back into shape while you feel your stress disappear like the cashews in a bowl of mixed nuts. Measures 4-1/2” long in green with the squeezability of a marshmallow. You probably don’t even know you need it, but you’ll know you needed it once you start squeezing it.

Fully licensed by the Discovery Channel™, these polyresin sharks are 6” long and bounce on little springs above their 3” round coral-reefish bases. Put one on the floor and make guests jump it, or add a little double stick tape and have a dashboard shark. We’ll pick a great white or hammerhead for you because of our superb ichthyological taste.

You could be, and you don’t even need electricity. These extremely old-school pinball games use just (6) little steel balls and gravity, which is pretty much everywhere, as we’ve discovered. Measure 9-7/8" x 5-1/4" under clear plastic with a spring-loaded plunger and 15 ways to score. No electricity means no TILT light, so you can tilt to your heart’s content if things aren’t bouncing your way. You pick the Hi-Score traditional game or the Treasure Hunt game with undersea creatures.

Sometimes the best STEM starts with slime. The Ooze Labs Chemistry Station holds chem lab components including test tubes, measuring cups, pipettes and more, ready for budding chemists to perform (20) experiments specializing in ooziness, sliminess and colorful goopy and fizzy fun. Comes with a 16-page manual. You add some common household items. For ages 6+.

Plus it’s round! The How Smart Are You ultimate trivia set has (200) questions on little discs, split between science and nature, lateral thinking, number-crunching, and visual clues to catch phrases. All this in a 7-3/4” round box, roughly the same size and shape as your head.

’Twas the nightmare before Christmas, because you still didn’t have a gift for the biggest Scrooge on your list. We suggest this 19" long x 3/4" lanyard based on the movie of the same name. Has a molle buckle at the bottom, a 1” clip and a nicely demonic 1-1/2” dia rubber Jack Skellington head. Ho Ho Ho.

Then you might love these Pentomino and Tangram wooden STEM puzzles, or they might drive you mad. You pick the (12)-piece that fits in a 2-3/4” square and will reconfigure into (40) combinations, including a giraffe, elephant and butterfly; or the simple-appearing (7)-piece, also 2-3/4” square, that has (40) solutions including a swan, rabbit and dancing man. To save you from madness, they come with challenge cards that include solutions.

These are the gold standard of twist ties, not to be confused with those skinny little suckers that come on all electronic cords in the known universe. These are Gear Ties®, coated in protective, grippy black rubber with heavy rubber tips, 3" long x 1/8" dia (they look sort of like boot laces with match heads on the ends), suitable for indoors or outdoors, reusable veritably ad infinitum, and oh so satisfying to twist and creatively crimp. Use them for bread bags, earbuds, napkin and silverware sets, power cords, USB cables, mic cords or garden hoses--or turn them into jewelry and be the most interesting person at the party. You pick: the (4)-pack of 3” long ties; or the (2)-pack of 12” long ties.

This generation of Star Trek crew members is really, really short. A mere 2” tall, but fully licensed, wooden, collectible and really cheerful with perfectly round Pin Mate™ heads. We’ll send you (2) different Enterprise crew members from among Capt. Kirk, Mr. Spock, Lt. Sulu, Mr. Scott and Dr. McCoy.

Hey, electronics wizards! This home lab device has your name all over it. Actually, it has the Velleman® name all over it, but it’s an all-in-one workbench with a power supply, multimeter and soldering iron station. Gives us a little jolt just thinking about it! Has a footprint of 15” x 6” with a 1.5A regulated 3-12VDC power supply (2A peak), a digital multimeter that will read from 200 to 2M Ohm, AC from 0-200 or 0-600V, DC from 200MV to 600V and 200uA to 10A. Also tests diodes and transistors, plus continuity via a backlit 1-3/4" LCD, and a 24V 48W temp. controlled ceramic element soldering station has a variable 150°-450° Celsius (300°-840°F) range. Comes with a power cord, leads, iron stand, sponge and spare element. Tips are 1.6 mm round. A very solid piece of machinery in a compact package.

Walking around with earbuds that don’t light up and pulse to the music? What are you, some kind of Luddite? These 1/8” standard jack buds have a 37" electroluminescent cord that will keep time while you boogie on down the street. Rechargeable via the included 9” USB-to-micro cord. Has call/music/mic modes.

An adult swimmer like you doesn’t have to freshen your auto air with another pine tree hanging from your rear-view mirror. Try this 3" dia Rick and Morty air freshener, redolent, the package says, of genuine New Car Scent, which turns out to be vaguely soapy/detergentish. Like a laundromat, but in a good way. Made in the USA.

Even if you're not a female flamingo yourself, you can still hatch an adorable hot pink flamingo. You’ll get an equally hot pink, 4-1/4" egg, which you immerse in water and wait a couple-three days while it hatches and grows to 8”+ tall. But the fun doesn’t stop there. Take Pinky out of the water and he or she will shrink back to egg-size and regrow endless times. (The egg, however, will be history.)

If giants smoked, these flint wheel and wick lighters would be in their pockets all the time. But at 6-1/2" x 4-1/2" x 1-1/2", they won’t fit into yours. Which is what makes them so cool. In a steel housing with assorted enameled finishes inspired by Ed Hardy, these oversized flip-top lighters look just like their normal-size counterparts. Come with a double-length flint (use two standard wicks back-to-back when it’s time to replace), and enough batting to soak up a full 8 oz bottle of fluid.

This handy acrylic 2X magnification Fresnel lens (“Fresnel” meaning it has a series of concentric grooves on it) measures 6-1/4" x 4-1/4". It’s mounted in a 360-degree pivoting frame on a stand for hands-free use with books, papers, laptop screens, models, puzzles or whatever you’re working on. Has a pair of LEDs to illuminate your task. You add (4) “AA” batteries.

It’s a little known fact that dinosaurs lived in barns, but this colorful, delightfully cartoony (24)-piece 8" x 10" dinosaur-themed puzzle really brings that idea home since it comes in an attractive and vaguely barn-shaped storage container. The puzzle pieces are bigger, which makes them perfect for kids that are littler. From Crocodile Creek®. Ages 3+.

No need to spin dials when you have this nifty mobile-phone-activated combination lock kit from Madlab©. Phone tones activate a relay switch with a programmable combination of up to (10) digits and an activation cycle up to (10) seconds. You add a case, a 9V battery and medium-level soldering skills. dimensions: 100 x 50 x 17 mm / 3.4 x 1.9 x 0.7"

Snap Circuits® kits are perennial faves here at the home office, and this 47-piece kit is an electronic honey. The most fun you can have without a soldering gun, and it’ll teach you about electricity and magnetism. You’ll learn how the electricity in your house works, and specifically how light switches control electricity, among many other things. Leads to more than (90) projects, and includes a 68-page profusely illustrated manual and a large base grid. The manufacturer, Elenco®, says it’s made for ages 8 to 108, but we’ve never tested it on anyone over 94, so we can’t verify that. You add a trio of “AA” batteries, which, conveniently, we can include in your order.

Each of the (6) diamond-coated carbon-steel bits in this set has a 1/8” shank for use in rotary tools. All of them are 1-3/4” long and include: a ball, cylinder, two sizes of cones, a spindle, and a point.

Stash your cash in Harry Potter’s wallet and it will last longer. In genuine vinyl, these wallets measure a billfoldable 8" x 3-3/8" with a full-length pocket for money, plus (4) 3-3/8” sleeves, one with a window for your driver’s license or ID card. Licensed by Warner Bros. and Harry, yours will be black with a wizardish, Hogwartian theme. The best part? Harry is never out of style.

Light up the night with this set of (4) personal lights, including (2) flashlights with 5-element LEDs rated for 120 lumens, measuring 3-3/8” long x 1” dia with wrist-straps; and (2) 120-lumen headlamps, 2-3/8” x 1-5/8” x 1-1/8”, with a bracket that pivots 45 degrees and 9-element COBs. Also have high/low/off modes and adjustable head straps. Every dang one of them comes with (3) “AAA” batteries, because we think you’re special.

You will survive, too, just like Gloria Gaynor, and in the woods, even. But only if you have this U.S. Army manual, cleverly titled: SURVIVAL, Department of the Army Field Manual FM21-76. It's 287 heavily illustrated pages of techniques for staying alive (add your own BeeGee jokes here) including orientation, food & cooking, fire- and shelter-making, rafts, animal, insect and plant recognition, and much more. This is the 1970 edition, but staying alive in the woods hasn't changed a whole lot since then. In soft-cover.

This 16-piece set of watchmaker's tools are just as handy for jewelry-makers, crafters, or anyone else working with small parts. The professional watch-repair kit Includes (2) tiny Phillips-head screwdrivers, (3) diminutive flat-heads, a case knife, non-magnetic tweezers, case wrench, metal/plastic watch hammer, link-pin remover, double-head pin pusher, (3) pin-punches, small needle-nose pliers, and a watchband holding block. Just changing bands and batteries? Get these tools to make it a lot easier, and order a brand-new pack of 30 popular-size button batteries-(6) AG1, (6) AG3, (6) AG4, (3) AG5, (3) AG12, and (6) AG13.

Snap Circuits™ has added Brics, their name for little plastic building blocks that are, luckily, compatible with those other little, inerlocking plastic building blocks you have. This award-winning 200-piece Bric Structures set has sheets and blocks plus Snap Circuits connectors, blinking and steady LEDs, a slide switch, a fiber-optic bundle, an incandescent bulb and a melody integrated circuit, along with adapter blocks to mate the Snap Circuits components with the brics. Has instructions to make (26) electrified models, including a house and a tower, on the 10” x 5” base. You add a trio of “AA” batteries. For ages 8+. Winner of Six Toy of the Year Awards!

You’ll need some genuine Transformer bandages. Luckily, they also work on humans. Our each is a tin with (20) sterile bandages, 2-3/4” x 3/4”, all resplendent with licensed Transformer images. As a bonus, you’ll get (2) Transformer-themed temporary tattoos.

We’re out of red; you’ll have to make do. These fluorescent yellow paint markers from Krylon® have a 3/16” wide wedge tip. Paint dries within 15 minutes, the same time it took the Music Man to meet Marian the Librarian at the footbridge, so be patient. Can be used on fabric.

Stick a coin on top of the fishy plate on this plastic coin bank and it triggers a Hiya Kitty inside to mew some cat noises, then peeks out and reaches out a paw to snatch the coin. The box, which is mysteriously made to look like an fruit crate, measures 4-3/4" x 4" x 3-1/2". You’ll need to add a couple of “AA” batteries but that’s the standard price of kitten cuteness today. CLICK HERE for video.

Just how big are your hips? Big enough to handle our 64-oz hip flask? Measures 11-1/2" tall x 6-7/8" wide in the traditional curve x 1-5/8" thick. Holds a party-ready half-gallon, which is 1.89 liters which would be, yes, bigger than those 1.5 liter bottles. In surgical stainless steel with the all-important attached screw cap that won't get lost. Brushed-finish sides, polished top and cap. Suitable for engraving as an extra-special award item.

Yes, same old joke: gloves from Best® Glove Co. These Best® gloves are nitrile-coated cotton with blue elastic wrist bands. Extra-grippy and size medium. Handy in the garden or garage, a big thumbs up. Our each is a pair. Made in USA.

An exhausted physicist. Also this 3-1/4" dia camping lantern. Stands 5” tall with fold-down handles, but pull up those handles and reveal the super-bright, a whopping 600 lumen COB LED light inside. Turns on when you open it, and has a small compass on top so you can see where you’re going. Measures approx 7” open and will shine for approx (6) hours with a trio of “AA” batteries, which are included. In utilitarian gray ABS plastic.

We’ve never felt the need to hang Illinois flag curtains on the windows here at the home office, but we understand they do things differently in Texas. Hence, our each is a pair of Texas-flag curtains, each at 36" x 30" with 2” pockets at the top for a curtain rod, plus a 58” x 14” valance, because it ain’t a window treatment without a valance, hoss. If you disagree, the valance would also make a nice scarf to wear while tailgating at Sooners games.

Like the one the monkeys used to hold for organ grinders? No--a much handier thing, and no monkey business involved. This collapsible tumbler starts life as 1-1/4” tall x 3-5/8” dia disc, sort of hockey puck-ish, but pull (or push) the bottom (or top) and it expands accordionishly to a 5” tall, 14-oz translucent plastic tumbler. And, as is so often the case, microwaves and dishwashers are not its friend.

"Screeeeeek! Screeeeeek! Screeeeeek!" Recognize that? It's the sound of someone sawing a styro-foamal block. It's followed by the sound of a vacuum sucking up hundreds of little foam shards. Free yourself from both with this clever electric hot-knife that slides through those chunks of craft foam like a straight razor through a ripe mango. Perfect for carving foam blocks into shapes - or smaller blocks. Measures 10" long OA with a 4-3/4" long, needle-like cutting wand, heats up to 410°F (so be careful), and makes screeeek-free and shardless cuts. Has a 7-foot cord, line switch, safety stand, and wall-outlet adapter.

Like a switchblade, but optical. Push the button on this 2” x 1” x 1/14” black plastic case and watch a 3/4” dia approx 10X acrylic loupe pop out, ready to rumble. If the Sharks or Jets squared off against the West Side Antique Dealers or Stamp Collectors….

The manufacturer says these magnetic canisters are “ideal for storing desk accessories,” although anything larger than paper clips or pushpins will be tough. On the other hand, they’re just the ticket for storing glitter, confetti and other tiny craft supplies. Our each is a 3-pack of 1-7/8” sq x 1-3/8” deep white plastic boxes with little disc magnets in the bottom. Tops have windows so you can see what you put in them.

The boys in the back room called this IZoom Pro™ flashlight ludicrously bright, and they’re usually right. Rated at 300, 1200, and 2500 lumens with a strobe setting, light is through a reticular COB LED element with an adjustable focus lens. Takes (6) “AA” batteries, and they’re included. Measures 7” long x 1-1/2” dia in black aluminum alloy body. Has up to a 4-hour life, depending on the beam strength you use.

Then better check your bore. This tiny bore light, made for looking into barrels or other tight spots, measures 3-1/4" long x approx 5/8” dia with a single white LED. Includes a slide on right-angle fiber-optic head and a pocket clip. Take off the head and it’s a nice mini flashlight. You add (1) “AAA” battery.

Or just stop worrying about the line breaking. Battlecord is skinny but megatough stuff. And this one is a 50-foot length of black cord rated for 2,650 lb test. Measures 1/4” dia with a 7-strand core and is rot, mildew and UV resistant. Made in the USA for Atwood Rope.

You need this. Anybody who's ever made a third trip to the hardware store on the same day needs this. The (100) -- count 'em, (100) -- chrome vanadium driver and bit attachments include slotted, Phillips, square (Robertson) head, torx, hex and 12-point bits, plus security Phillips, torx and hex, and (4) different driver adapters (one of which, a super-cute cup-hook driver, has us oddly excited). They're all in a flip-top plastic case. How come it's surplus? If you turn it upside down and shake it, some of the bits fall out of their little size-marked slots. So don't do that. Or stick a thin sheet of foam inside it and all will be well.

A giant step forward in paper-doll dressing. This 64-page spiral-bound book, Dressing Up has 32 pages of cartoon-ish illustrations, a dozen pages of paper fabric designs, and 8 sets of cardboard stencils to cut out head-to-toe clothing for the boys and girls in the pictures. Stencils can also be used to position over the figures, and color inside the spaces. Also, couture-conscious kids can always add more colorful papers and create their own private collections.