When you're very young, all you need to entertain yourself and your friends is a ball and a stick. As one gets older, the games that interest you gradually get more complicated, though the spirit of friendly competition remains pretty much the same.
Whether you're looking for a fun activity that can involve the whole family or a craft project for someone alone, try to remember that they really don't need a phone to have fun. There are plenty of offline activities that can give someone pleasure, and many of the gifts here are a lot more rewarding than pushing buttons.
Lego is advertised as being suitable for people aged 3 to 99, a fact that has 100-year-olds rightly upset. Regardless, as long as you’re young at heart, these adhesive strips will have you plugging and playing in no time.
This classic, award-winning toy is now available in a tandem model. Challenge your siblings to see who can launch their rocket the highest, invite other kids at the park to try their hand, or take it along to a picnic and hold a rocket tournament.
Collect sunlight, plant seeds, watch your trees grow…sounds boring, right? Not so: Photosynthesis is a very competitive game with unique mechanics; accessible to beginners but still a challenge for experienced players.
Though a child of six can learn the rules of Qwirkle, there are layers of strategy that even an adult will struggle to master. With several million copies sold since 2006, this is a game that really offers something for everyone.
Video gamers, educators, comedians and hobby enthusiasts of all stripes can now earn an income by broadcasting their interests online. If you want to do this in real time, you’ll need something beyond a webcam to make things go smoothly.
An educational toy that’s no fun to play with is worse than useless, as it reinforces the idea that learning isn’t enjoyable. This is why we get so excited when we see a toy that excels at both, like this Rush Hour game teaching spatial reasoning and planning ahead.
We don’t always give kids credit for how much they like to think. This is an excellent habit to develop at a young age and can be helped along by supplying them with puzzles that are engaging, nice to look at and just challenging enough to keep them interested.
Simple games can be a lot of fun as long as they’re packed with action. Though each player uses only one finger, even the most competitive and physical child will find it hard to stop playing as long as they can find a willing challenger.
If you’re looking for a gift that’s a little out of the ordinary, or you’re creative enough to come up with your own unique games, you don’t have to settle for substandard stationary. Children, especially, will love the idea of creating their own deck of cards.
If you and your friends are into board games, this set of dice is sure to be a hit at your next party: they’re balls instead of cubes, yet still end up with one number on top.
If precision and neatness are important to you, owning a coping gauge can make your whole day. It is possible to duplicate an irregular profile using scissors and a piece of paper, but using this tool is a great deal faster and more accurate.
It can be difficult to find a board game that people of nearly any age will enjoy. Scattergories hits the mark: although winning doesn’t depend on luck, children can compete with adults on an even footing. This game is also a great way to get to know others better.
Spatial logic tests are all around us: trying to find a route from A to B, playing squash or even trying to visualize abstract information. The best time to learn it is as a kid, but adults need to keep in practice too, and it never hurts if doing so is this much fun.
Anyone can connect two dots, but what if you have to follow a precise route to get from one to the other? This is all this tabletop game is, but you’ll need quick thinking and speedy fingers to win.
Seeing something your mind tells you is impossible is always an inspiring experience. This specially designed disk seems to just spin faster and faster rather than slowing down like a well-behaved object should.
Everyone’s playing video games these days, but have you considered playing with little bits of cardboard instead? It’s way more fun than it sounds! Play this hilarious family-based game from the mind of comedian Jeff Foxworthy.
Everything you know about Monopoly has been reimagined through the lens of the Star Wars universe. This game features some absolutely lovely box art. The aim of the game is still to make all the money, but now it’s Galactic Credits.
This system will only work with a limited number of phone models, but anyone with a matching phone can experience in augmented reality what it’s like to fight Darth Vader one-on-one. That is, if you buy them this gift.
For many Star Wars fans, the original LEGO Millenium Falcon is one of those holy grail items. Unfortunately, that original set is impossibly rare and expensive now. Fear not, however, since LEGO has you covered.
Although you won’t get the benefit of a real arena’s special layout, this laser tag set comes as close as you can for the price. With four pistols and vests, for us at least, this offers the best combination of value and functionality.
Foosball is social, fast-paced, and engaging enough to play for hours. And with this table, you don’t need the extra space to use it. It’s a magnet for compliments and a pretty decent piece of furniture.
Many people are turning towards the past. This is true of gamers, too. This little gadget is shaped like the arcade machines that ate so many of our childhood quarters and, at about six inches high, is small enough to sit in your hand.
This wine making starting kit will, with a little effort and a willingness to follow directions, help produce something to actually serve at dinner and gloat fiercely about. An original gift for the ambitious wine connoisseur.
Rockhounding, as it’s called, may seem like an unusual pastime, but rocks look really pretty and teach you a lot about science. This entry-level rock tumbler is a fun little machine that kids, crafters, science teachers, and fledgling geologists will all love.
Handmade from some lovely woods and about half a yard wide, this wooden board from Husaria will add a definite “Wow!” factor to any sitting room.
Made from precision-cut wood, this clock is sure to impress any curious guest. You don’t need any special tools to assemble it, but this is not an easy project!
Some puzzles are meant just to waste time, others are a little more challenging, and a few barely stop short of being infuriatingly difficult to solve. This one falls somewhere in the latter category.
Gyroscopes move in a way that all our senses and experience tell us they shouldn’t, and they resist any force that tries to change the direction. It’s definitely fun to play with and will easily amaze your kids.
It’s amazing how much fun anyone who’s young at heart can have with only a ball and a few friends. With Teqball there’s no XBox required.
Being able to film your own videos is useful in a whole bunch of contexts, and with this camera stabilizer it’s now easier than ever. This is definitely a great buy for someone into filming.
To get good results in your crafting, you need the right tools, no matter how talented you are. This minc foil applicator starter kit will certainly help.
We sometimes find our attention wandering while working or studying. With this buildable magnets set, you get a chance to quickly reset your brain.
Those good at math are almost certainly going to enjoy COGZ. The Steampunk aesthetic will find it to be a thing of beauty. Things get very hard very quickly with this game, but it also depends on how smart and experienced the opponents are.
A lot of things have been simulated in video games, but now it’s time for street cleaning simulation. At this price, you can afford it as a gag gift for a gamer you know. He will surely appreciate the gesture.