And pop-nose, and pop-ears. Everything pops when you squeeze this guy’s head. It’s true of most of us, actually. This one, however, is a classic, sometimes seen as the Martian Popper but in this incarnation he’s Panic Pete. Don’t let your children grow up without having one to take their frustrations out on.

Nothing says compact fun like rubber finger puppets. We recommend these for adding a touch of whimsy to parental or grandparental reading of bedtime stories. You pick a quartet of rubber cats or squirrels, in four different colors/breeds, all approx 2” tall and all cute as the dickens.

Teaching a kid how to manage time—hey, that’s up to you—but this wind-up clock kit teaches kids the basic mechanical principles of gears and pendulums. Clock has a clear body, approx 7-3/4” dia x 1” deep with a 1/2” tall base, and individually colored gears for easy identification. It’s spring-driven, so no batteries are needed. Bell "dings" in 15-minute intervals. Tweaking the pendulum mounting, and tuning it, takes a little focus. Ages 6-10. ! WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD–Small Parts. Not for children under 3 yrs.