Have you ever heard of a vortex cannon? It certainly sounds scary enough, and in fact there once was an attempt to turn one into an anti-aircraft weapon. What it actually is, is just a gun that shoots out a rotating donut of air.

Why would anyone need to do this? Well, to annoy your siblings, cats, and co-workers, of course! Unlike a Nerf gun or water pistol, it won’t cause any damage (although it is kind of loud). If you want to get someone’s attention, all you need to do is flip up the sight, pull back on the spring-loaded trigger, and aim.

The blast of air can blow someone’s hair back or pick up a sheet of paper as far as 20 feet away and is still perceptible at twice that distance. Children of as young as six can use it, but the bulky body and the need to keep tension on the cocking lever will make aiming difficult for smaller people.

One of its obvious virtues is that it can be used indoors without fear of knocking over the odd flowerpot. It’s also a fun way to play with pets: since they can’t see what’s attacking them, they’re likely to start running in circles. If shooting at unsuspecting people becomes too boring, you can also combine it with stink bombs or smoke.

What you should know before buying one (or several, so you can have games of air tag) is this: it’s just not a durable product. It’s perfectly possible to break one or two parts while assembling it, and the plastic membrane can’t be expected to last forever. It’s a lot of fun, though, assuming that you think of it as a novelty toy that’s going to get used up within a few months.