BEST SELLERS

Ten furlongs are condensed to (7) inches, with very small horses, in the Desktop Derby, a 6-horse straight track that lets you win money while you teach the children the evils of pari-mutuel betting. The electric track pulsates and moves the nags along at a pace of about 45 seconds per race, with heart-stopping lead changes. The best part is that they're un-handicapable: a different horse, in a different lane, seems to win every time. Measures 9-7/8" x 3-1/2" x 2" high and runs off (2) "AA" batteries, included. (Stable the horses in the base between races.)

These 5-5/8" wide cardboard solar viewing glasses filter out 99.999 percent of visible light, and 100 percent of harmful UV and IR light, which means they’re safe for direct solar viewing (and your sunglasses aren’t). A sharp, orange image of the sun will always be there because the lenses are scratch-resistant. You get (2) pairs because who wants to watch an eclipse alone? For you techie types who care, they’re rated for transmission under EN1836:2005 and AS/NZS 1338:1992. ISO 12312-2:2015. In other words, they're from a NASA approved manufacturer. 

These gray plastic gargoyles, in creepily authentic detail, are great for cathedral models and graveyard dioramas as long as they’re miniature. Figurines measure about 1” tall. You’ll get (4) of them in an attractive 4” x 3” x 1-1/4” box with a flip-open top and a display window. Great for anyone who wants to add a little goth to a home or office. 

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 all-metal frame 6-1/2" high x 4" x 4-1/4" will collide about 30 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.)

It could have been called an Alabama Buzzer after Alabama Vest, the man who invented it. Or a Clegghorn, after Thaddeus Von Clegg, the clock master who fabricated the first one. But the hand-crafted 4-3/4" long steel instrument was a simple amusement, and the 1840s were a simple time. So it's simply a kazoo.

At least you’ll be in control and your mind won’t be playing tricks on you. That’s at least 20 years away—or fewer if you’ve eaten poorly and neglected your sleep. For now, trick your eyes and still-reliable gray matter with this (50)-pack of Optical Illusions. With some, you’ll see things move or disappear. With others, you’ll wonder how the thing you’re looking at is even possible. Cards measure approx 3” x 5”. Ages 8+. 3 yrs.

Or singing suppositories. The pair is very magnetic, whatever they are. The 1-3/4" long prolate spheroids look like highly polished black hematites. Hold them an inch apart in your palm, toss 'em into the air and listen to them make a sound like the cyber-crickets. Or an electrocuted chicken. The manufacturer suggests keeping these mega-magnets away from computers, pacemakers, TV sets and credit cards.

Geology for those with short attention spans? The original Magic Rocks®, of course! Mix the solution in a jar of water, drop in the pebbles, and watch them grow into a forest of multi-color stalagmites. Growth starts in 10 minutes, is impressive in 30 minutes, and complete (up to 4" tall) in 2 hours. Extra credit if you can make it grow stalactites by gluing the pebbles to the bottom of a jar, then pouring the solution in and turning it upside down. Who knows? Maybe it will work. Comes with a set of marine decals to decorate the jar. Definitely not for use with living fish. For ages 10 and up.

Keep your place with this gold foil money replica of a US $100 bill. Looks like the real thing, including counterfeit-foiling color additions. Measures approx 6" x 2-1/2," which is just half a smidgen smaller than a real C-note. Franklin looks a little like a very old C-3PO in resplendent gold.

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.

From the harmonica kings themselves at the Hohner company, comes this 4" long, 3-octave plus, plastic harmonica, in C, the people's key. We'll pick one in an attractive shade of red, green, blue, yellow or whatever color shows up next, and send it in a little vinyl case.

Based on drawings from Da Vinci's Codex Atlanticus, this Pathfinders catapult kit uses a pair of bent wooden arms as springs to launch clay balls (included) over (4) meters at enemy fortifications (not included, go make your own enemies). The assembled model will be approx 9" tall on a 10" x 7-1/4" base. Made from pre-cut, untreated wood from sustainable forests, and built with pegs for added strength and verisimilitude. A 2013 Creative Child Magazine Top Toy of the Year Winner and a great resource for STEM activities. For ages 12 and up.

Sticker aficionado alert! 3/4" dia. NASA logo stickers. 15 high quality NASA "meatball" vinyl stickers to a sheet so plenty to go around. Teachers give them out during your space explroreation unit. Space lovers, just sticker away.

The Big Bang Bubble Blaster (we just said that 10 times!) looks like a giant hairdryer from the ’70s, right down to the orange and aqua color. But it’s way more fun. This fat gun shoots thousands of bubbles, which built-in multi-colored LED lights give a magical tint to as they sail into the ether. Includes (2) containers of bubble solution, tilting tray designed to reuse the solution, and a 3.7-Volt Li-Ion battery that recharges via the included USB cord. Help kids expand their universe with bubbles! Ages 5+

No need for a bike pump here. The snake-like Airconda is an inflatable tube that soars over 50 feet high after you fill it with air and launch it. To fill, open it up and run with it behind you. When it’s almost full, blow into it like you’re inflating a balloon. Twist the end, close it off with a rubber band that you supply, and let ’er rip! Instructions on the back of the package. Ages 5+.

The Song of the Open Rails. Nothing sets a young person 's heart a-flutter like the mournful cry of a train whistle. A sound that promises adventure, mystery, freedom... Well, we cant offer you any of that, but this may be the next best thing. You've likely seen wooden train whistles like this before-roughly 6" long, with holes in the top you blow into to create a high pitched 'moving out' signal, but you've probably never seen them at such a good surplus price like this before. Allons!

No maybes. Our each is a set of matching “YES” and “NO” buttons, a little over 3" in dia, like on quiz shows. When smacked, they recite one of (10) variations on the theme, as in “No, no, no, no” or “Yes, baby.” or “For the last time, NO.” Perfect for arbitrary decision-making at work and excellent for responding to requests from teens. You add a couple of “AAA” batteries and the buttons do the rest.

And don’t take any wooden nickels! We love the old sayings, but we love this new phosphorescent, glow-in-the-dark powder even more. Comes in (3) colors—green, pink and yellow—and we’ll pick one for you. It’ll arrive in a nice, 5” clear plastic test tube with a screw-on cap. Ideal for crafts, haunted houses, raves and more. You mix it with a medium of your choice and let the fun begin. It’s the cat’s meow! Instructions included.