The strength ball is a popular favourite, & this model has LEDs inside which only work when it rotates at speed. For the benefit of those who have not seen it before, the strength ball uses gyroscopic force to encourage muscle building exercise. The rip cord is inserted & pulled to start the central weight spinning, after that it is up to the individual to rotate it faster & faster. RPM is recorded on the digital counter enabling a competitive element between friends. There is a knack to it but definite benefit can be felt after just a few goes & it is extremely addictive. ...

The stretchy, bright yellow cube of ' Swiss cheese' contains a pair of similarly elastic, cheerful little white mice. The cheese features a variety of craters, through which the mice can be squeezed & threaded, for hours of tactile pleasure. The mice have a cheeky, frolicsome posture which makes them very comical
- already a favourite of ours.
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You could lose hours absorbed in this book! Styled rather like the revision books of school years, this is stuffed with loads of the questions that might have taken moments to answer when you were wearing short trousers or pigtails (or both), but now require a little more effort. Divided up into academic subjects, with a mixture of multiple choice, picture-based & direct from memory answers, this is a sure test for any ex-pupil. You'll probably discover, as we did, the answers section is spied embarrassingly often. Just don't leave this lying around or that know-it-all twelve year old will polish it off in an hour! Fantastic practice for your next pub quiz. ...

Anyone with a need for speed will enjoy this motorbike & power launcher. It works on the principle of a giant spring mechanism on which the motorbike is located. It is drawn back against the spring, clipped in place & then lined up carefully to achieve maximum distance when the clip is released. A slight amount of lean can make a huge difference to the outcome as it will veer off to the side, leading to spectacular crashes! ...

Anyone of a certain age will remember this iconic noise maker (or pocket electronic organ as it is promoted) from the 70s & the forerunner of personal keyboards. Packed with resistors, oscillators & diodes, it's played by touching a stylus against a metal keyboard to make stylised electronic sounds that have inspired musicians like David Bowie, Pulp & The White Stripes. It was famously promoted by Rolf Harris at the end of the 60s & went on to sell over three million pieces. This re-launch is very close to the original with volume control, vibrating effects & now the ability to plug in to an MP3 player & play along with the songs. ...

This 11cm crazy mechanical creature zooms along underwater spinning randomly & bouncing off any obstacle it meets. It has to be seen in action to appreciate how amusing it really is. Certain to liven up bathtime, but equally good in a fish tank or large clear bowl. Colour may vary. Requires 1 x AA battery ...