From Marbleocity®, the STEM specialists who combine technical education with marbles to make it all more fun. You pick: the Archimedes screw-maker kit that will yield, yes, a working Archimedes screw in wood and plastic, approx 6" tall on a 4" x 6"base; or the Chaos Mountain-maker kit, which demonstrates the random action of mountain creation and will be approx 6” x 4” in wood and plastic when complete. Both are beginner-level, will take approx an hour to build, and include graphic-comic book instructions.

Replace them with this marble game set: (13) assorted 5/8” dia glass marbles, a 1” dia glass shooter, 16”-square denim game mat marked for (3) games, a storage bag and a sheet with the rules to settle all of those schoolyard disputes.

You haven’t had Architectural Digest calling to take photos, have you? Right…so just trust us and we’ll pick a possibly tasteful vinyl wall cling for you. Order (2) and we’ll send (2) different ones. They measure 39-1/2" x 17-1/4", with images to enchant your visitors and raise your profile in the interior design community. Selections include Frankenstein, Cold Beer, Flaming Skulls, Butterflies, Peace Signs, Lighthouses, Checkered Flags, Motorcycles and many, many more, all re-postionable so you can change your decor as often as your socks.

Or woman. This 10” tall human torso model looks male, but stops short of the naughty bits. In either case, there are plenty of interesting removable organs inside, including intestines, liver, stomach, heart and lungs. Torso is on a 5" x 3" base, and comes with a spiral-bound, 22-page manual, with augmented reality activities available in 3D videos via your smart phone. For ages 8+.

The boy scout of ratchet accessory sets, this 7-piece collection of chrome vanadium socket and U-joint adapters includes 1/4" to 3/8", 3/8" to 1/4", 3/8" to 1/2", 1/2" to 3/8", and U-joints at 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2".

Or call it My First Baby Bot. This little kit has (4) punch-out cardboard robot kits, each of them on a 1-3/4” wind-up wheelbase. Bots will measure approx 2-3/8” to 3-1/2”, held together by the magic of double-sided foam tape. For ages 5+.

Grow your own velociraptor? No, silly, this Dinosaur Plant is so-called because it’s 200 million years old. (OK, not this one, but ones just like it.) Looks like a ball of dead weeds, but add a little water and it will uncurl, turn green and start to grow again in a few hours, even after being dormant for months. You’ll get one plant, a bowl and some genuine lava-rock gravel.

From the mid-20th-century German military, this is a fully functional field phone. Weighs in at 8.2 lbs, and comes self-contained in a 10-1/4" x 6-3/4" x 4-1/4" dark brown Bakelite case with a handset on a 4-foot cord, a 52” 2-pin jumper, 25” TT plug cord, ringer crank and a battery holder for the pair of D-cells you’ll need to add. Side has slots for the carrying cord that we don’t have, and the inside lid has a full schematic. Should work with standard stereo speaker wire, and we’d get a pair of these phones if we were you. Small quantity available.

Our each is tub of glitter putty, born at the confluence of silly putty and Ziggy Stardust, with (3) distinct layers of glittery gloop, which Paul, our VP for Gloop Nomenclatura, assures us are heliotrope, apple green and public swimming pool blue. Also smells like Dippity Do, but don’t put it in your hair. You’ll get 4-1/2 ounces, which is more than your mother would like you to have.

It’s a proven stress reliever, banana knotting, and you can participate with our mega-squishy stress banana. Measures 6” long but will stretch to a couple feet. Filled with stress-relieving gel beads, and will take a good long time to return to its original banana shape, which just adds to your relief.

Getting bored with those fancy wine glasses? Step up your table settings with this 4-piece set of 5-1/2” tall, 15-oz glass tumblers embossed with tasteful human skulls. Your set of (4) will include one each in red, green, orange and purple, the better to disguise what you’re actually drinking. Manufacturer says hand-wash only, like the finest stemware, and use for cold beverages only, which shouldn’t be a problem with your friends.

First and foremost, it’s an iZoom® lantern--a really handy, collapsible, dual-mode, battery-operated lantern. But it’s also a magic trick because to turn it on, you pull it open, like a pirate’s spy glass. Open it once and its 80-lumen LEDs glow bright-white, constant-on. Close it and pull it open again, and the light is an amber 25-lumen, flame-mimicking flicker. Open it again and it’s back to white. At 3-1/2” dia, it stands approx 5” tall when closed, and a max of approx 7-1/2” when open. Has (2) handles that fold down for storage or up for hanging and carrying. Comes in black or gun-metal gray, and we’ll pick because that’s how we roll. Adding to the magic, the whole shebang runs on (3) “AA” batteries. (Not Included)

This Lego® set from Klutz has (58) pieces, including gear wheels, bricks, axles and connectors to build (11) gadgets, including a claw, catapult, assorted vehicles, robots, a fan and a hand-held blender thingy. Includes a 78-page manual with detailed instructions and a plethora of punch-out paper parts for added verisimilitude. For ages 8+, or anyone else who knows what plethora and verisimilitude mean.

The wood filler of metalworkers. This 3.5-fluid-ounce tube of liquid metal filler from Permatex® is made to, well, fill, bond or repair metals. Can be drilled, filed, sanded and painted after curing for 3 to 4 hours. And for the record, it can also be used on wood.

From LOZ blocks, these are those tiny (8mm sq x 5mm) plastic building bricks. You’ll get (2) different kits that we’ll pick with 80-130 pieces (except the 30-piece dolphin) to make a mini polar bear, llama, snake, elephant, deer, panda, zebra, kangaroo, dog, lion, tiger, apple, banana, pineapple, pear, watermelon, orange or bust of Rutherford B. Hayes. OK, we lied about Hayes, but everything else is true.

We’re talking science here, but for younger folk, who still might need a little fizzing or oozing to grab their interest. The Brain Bending Science Kit features oozing, fizzing, erupting and secret messages, and comes with (2) plastic test tubes with caps, a stand, (2) small scoops, straws, swabs, pipet, a little polyacrylate copolymer, (3) color tablets, red cabbage juice powder, corn starch and a 13-page booklet with (11) activities. For ages 6+, and all you add is some common household stuff.

An army travels on its stomach, of course, but we’re fresh out of stomach kits, so we’ll pick a pair of vehicles from our mini-brick military model kits from Sluban®. You’ll get (2) different kits, with between (73) and (174) pieces, from the collection: a helicopter, gun boat, mine sweeper, jeep, two styles of tank, rocket launcher and machine-gun truck, each with a little driver. Finished models will be from 2-3/4" to 6-1/2" long.

Sometimes there’s nothing for it but having your own plasma ball. This is the travel- or office-size, a manageable 3-1/8" dia acrylic ball standing on concentric blue disks, 5-1/4” tall altogether. Lay hands upon it and watch the soothing red and blue streamers wave and undulate your troubles away. Great for disco or psychedelic raves in your car or cubicle; you supply the soundtrack. Also great for just strapping to your head to make sure people look at you at music festivals. Get creative with it--take it everywhere you go. You bring (4) “AAA” batteries.

Sometimes you need a drone that will work with your phone, and, as always, you’ve come to the right place. The X5UW--FPV Real-Time Drone, a quad-rotor from Syma/Tenergy, features a 1MP photo/video camera that will send real-time video to your iPhone or Android, which will also act as the controller for the drone by just tilting it. Also has headless and flip modes and auto-hover. Measures approx 15” dia x 2-3/4” thick with a second rechargeable battery, so you get (2) 7-minute flights on each 2-hour charge. Comes with spare blades, a USB charger and a 16-page manual. You’ll need (4) “AA”s for the controller if you don’t use your phone, and you’ll need an SD card. Has 720P FPV (first-person view). For ages 12+.

Inflatable air loungers are all the rage, and we’ve got ’em! Ours weighs just a smidge over 2 lbs, and when it’s folded and stuffed into its bag with shoulder strap, it measures a mere 14” x 8” x 6”. No pump required! Just swing it around to fill the pockets with air (or use the wind), snap it shut and plop down. Great for the pool, beach, concert, game, picnic, campsite or living room. Hey, it’s your life. When inflated it’ll look like a 20” high x 30” wide x 70” long hot dog bun. Sit in it longways, for a hammock pose, or the other way, where it becomes a single lounge chair--or a love seat if you’re willing to share. Your choose what color but at this price they won’t sit around here for long.

Penciltype soldering iron imported from Taiwan. Overlook the charming instructions, it works just the way everyone does. 30 watt 110 volt, nice, serviceable unit.

Our mini-coffin, in unfinished pine with brassish hinges and a clasp, is 6" long x 1-3/4" deep x 3" at the shoulders. You definitely want to think outside of this box, but it's perfect for gerbils, mice (just because you killed them doesn't mean you can't give them a nice send-off), Halloween and Day of the Dead displays, and tiny vampires. We use ours to store doornails.

Lovely to look at, delightful to make jewelry out of. Our (25) piece set of polished gemstones includes: amethyst; howlite; tiger eye; hematite; amazonite; carnelian; sodalite; turqurenite; plain and rose quartz; rhodonite; unakite; snowflake obsidian; orange calcite; lemon jade; four varieties of jasper (serpentine; red, brecciated, picture and blue dalmation); and more. All approx 5/8" across.

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.

These non-fog not-really-welding goggles are just what you need to cap off your costume. Sure, the flip-up dark lenses are too dark to see through easily (that's why they have conventional clear plastic lenses underneath them), but leaving them flipped up just adds to your zany, adventurous, steampunk persona. Aesthetics include side vents and an adjustable elastic head strap. And the goggles accept standard 50mm replacement lenses, but if you think the party is going to be that rough, we suggest that it would be cheaper and easier to just buy a couple of pairs at this price-from-the-past.

Newtonian demonstrator for science teachers. Mindless play for the rest of us. These are shiny, nicely balanced, high-performance examples of the classic Newton's Cradle - a ball on one end of a row of (5) suspended, barely touching balls swings into the others, and the ball at the opposite end reacts to the collision. The 11/16" dia balls in the small version (all-metal frame 6-1/2" high x 4" x 4-1/4") will collide about 30 times. The 7/8" dia balls in the large version (metal frame 5-1/4" high x 4" x 6", with a wooden base) will collide about 100 times. Awesome. Even more awesome that we paid someone to count the bounces just for you! (Unpacking note: Less awesome if you just yank it out by the suspension lines and pull a couple of balls loose. Be gentle.)

How to shoot an azimuth for fun and profit: Get the ultimate direction finder, a lensatic compass. It has a 2-1/8" dia face marked in 5-degree increments, a 1/4" dia sight lens, 9/16" dia bubble level, and a 1-1/2" sight with crosshairs. Measures 3-1/4" x 2-1/2" x 1-1/8" when folded and comes with an 18" long cord and an olive drab belt pouch. For instructions, go to www.armystudyguide.com, click on "prep for basic" then "land navigation," then click on "determine a magnetic azimuth using a lensatic compass." Piece o' cake.

Call it pocket microscopy. Our teensiest tiniest double-lens microscope is just 1-1/2” long x 19/32” dia with a barrel that will pull out another 1/2” for coarse focus. Rated at 16X, and comes with a teensy tiny carrying pouch.

Outdoorsy brides-to-be all across America are registering for this BPA-free modular plastic knife/fork/spoon combo. The fork and spoon snap together like a molle buckle, hiding the surprisingly sharp serrated knife inside. Measure 6-1/2” long when together. Our each is a service for (4) in red, blue, orange and green. Camping utensils don’t get any utensiler.

Measure temperatures without a touch with this digital infrared laser thermometer. Pistol style, 6" long with a 3" nose and 1.5" back-lit LCD readout. Point the guide laser where needed and measure from -58 to 716 F, and -50 to 380 C. Accurate to +/- 2 degrees C. Handy for science projects, HVAC work and making sure your glass of wine is the perfect temperature. You add a pair of "AAA" batteries.

Inflatable air loungers are all the rage, and we’ve got ’em! Ours weighs just a smidge over 2 lbs, and when it’s folded and stuffed into its bag with shoulder strap, it measures a mere 14” x 8” x 6”. No pump required! Just swing it around to fill the pockets with air (or use the wind), snap it shut and plop down. Great for the pool, beach, concert, game, picnic, campsite or living room. Hey, it’s your life. When inflated it’ll look like a 20” high x 30” wide x 70” long hot dog bun. Sit in it longways, for a hammock pose, or the other way, where it becomes a single lounge chair--or a love seat if you’re willing to share. Your choose what color but at this price they won’t sit around here for long.

Maybe. Could also be a stegosaurus, triceratops or something else--that’s part of the fun of paleontological parenthood. Just submerge the 4-1/2” tall ersatz dinosaur egg into cool water and wait 48-72 hours while it cracks like a real egg and the baby dino grows to a be a foot long. If your mother won’t let you skip your bath for a few days (they’re like that, mothers, no scientific discipline), just use any container bigger than a 12” dinosaur.

Nifty because it’s got (8) LEDs and (4) modes: (8) white LEDs all-on for use as a, well, headlamp; (8) white LEDs blinking for emergency situations, (4) white LEDs so you can stay in that cave longer; and (2) white LEDs steady-on for that behind-enemy-lines work. The whole thing is attached to an adjustable, 3-strap elastic headband. Weather resistant too! Runs approx (12) hours on the (3) alkaline “AAA” batteries that you add.

Punch 1/8" to 1/2" holes in leather, balsa wood, etc., with this set of (9) steel punches. The punches, which come in a fitted black-plastic carrying case, are 1/2", 7/16", 25/64", 3/8", 5/16", 1/4", 3/16", 5/32" and 1/8". They are 3-1/4" to 3-3/4" long, with knurled grips, imprinted sizes, and side slots to allow the slugs to fall out.

Turn the knob on this battery-powered lantern and watch the trio of 12-element COB LEDs go from nothing to 600 lumens. Measures 8-7/8" tall x 4-1/2" dia with a clear 4-1/8” tall window around the light, which has a folding handle and a bonus compass on top. You add (3) “D” cell batteries and you’re good for approx (6) hours, or more if you dim the light. We’ll pick one in red, blue or green because it doesn’t matter.

What do rotary tools have in common with fashionistas? Yes, it really is all about accessorizing. This set includes (20) shading bands, (10) fiberglass cut-off wheels, (21) assorted grinding stones, (3) polishing wheels, (45) woolen wheels and points, (36) silicone cut-off wheels, (60) sanding discs, (6) brushes, (5) diamond burrs, (8) high-speed steel burrs and drills, (3) mandrels and some polishing paste, all have a 1/8" shaft and come in a dandy wooden case. Case measures approximately 12-3/8" x 5-3/8" x 1-3/4".  Check out our best selling rotary tool here. Click!

If the question is whether to tie a bunch of these giant latex professional weather balloons to a lawn chair, the answer is no. (They burst at about 82,000 feet anyway.) Besides, this is a true weather balloon, with plenty of fun, nonfatal uses. The cream-colored latex balloon is approx 40" dia when flaccid, you should pardon the expression, but has an 8-foot dia when inflated. The neck is 9" long x 1" dia. Scientists, meteorologists, inventors, teachers and the imaginative filmmaker are warned to launch the balloon carefully. The material is delicate and not made to survive brushes with pavement, pine branches, or clumsy physics students.

Red not available and only available in egg shell/cream color only. 

Our micro rocket packs a lot of fun into a small package, much like hockey's original Pocket Rocket, Henri Richard, the 5' 7" brother of Maurice "The Rocket" Richard. Unlike Henri, this rocket's powered by baking soda and vinegar (not included), and actually flies quite high. Bullet-shaped, it's just 2-3/8" tall x 13/16" dia and sits on a launch base 2-3/4" tall x 3/4" ID. For rocket scientists over 5 years of age.

This 6” long wire stripper/crimping tool has (7) positions to strip wire between 10 and 22 AWG, with a 3/8” cutting edge, serrated ends and a lock. Also has plastic-coated handles. Pat says they’re better quality than your average pair.

How about three extra hands? This multi-purpose workstation tool has a large 3X, 3-1/2" dia LED-lighted magnifier on a 10" gooseneck (you add 4 "AA" batteries), a soldering-iron stand, cleaning sponge plus steel wool, a canister of flux paste, a pair of  alligator clips with ball-socket mounts on the ends of a 4" rod  plus an extra hand with a third alligator clip on a 10" gooseneck. It all weighs in at a stable 3+ lbs and has a 7-1/4" x 6-3/4" base so you won't need fourth hand to hold it upright.