Start with the Botanicals water lily set for anyone who likes unusual decor. The Globbles stress balls suit a friend who wants something playful on a desk.
*Paid link
Building setsAges 9+
A brick model of water lily blooms, put together by following the instructions and then kept on a shelf or windowsill as floral decor.
259 pieces · set 11511
Why we like it
Petal by petal, this LEGO Botanicals set builds into a cluster of water lilies, an unhurried evening project for an adult who likes something to show for the time spent.
The blooms hold their shape long after the instruction booklet goes back in the box.
Science and discovery
A magnetic puzzle toy to turn over in the hands, rearranging it into new forms and then working it back into a cube.
Why we like it
This TOSY set holds two glowing magnetic cubes, so one stays with a puzzle-loving friend and the other goes across the table for a race back to the original cube shape.
Whichever one gets left on the nightstand half solved still glows once the bedroom lights go out.
Games and puzzles
A relationship game centered on sweet gestures, giving partners small acts of kindness to carry out for each other in everyday life.
Why we like it
Sweet Gestures turns the small kindnesses of a relationship into a game, with partners trading little surprises on ordinary days.
It suits a pair who leave each other notes on the bathroom mirror.
Electronics
A dedicated handheld e-reader for downloading and reading digital books, keeping a growing personal library together on the same screen.
Named on a list by HGTV (hgtv.com)
Why we like it
Train rides go by in chapters for a commuter with a Kindle Paperwhite, since it holds the whole to-be-read pile at once.
When one book ends between stops, the next title is waiting.
Arts and crafts
A drawing book that flips coloring around: the pages already hold color, and the artist sketches lines on top to turn patches into pictures.
Why we like it
Color comes first in this Workman Publishing book: every page arrives splashed with it, and the doodler's pen turns each blob into a fox, a cloud or a lopsided teapot.
It makes a natural next sketchbook for someone whose notebook margins are crowded with idle sketches.
Home
A display case for arranging minifigures and other small collectibles in tidy rows, turning a scattered collection into an organized showcase.
Why we like it
A display case makes sense for a builder whose minifigures keep turning up under couch cushions instead of on show.
They already swap heads and hats between characters, and this keeps each custom mix standing together in plain view. After finishing a new set, they can slip its newest character in beside the rest of the crew.
Squishy fidget balls from Crayola made for squeezing, kneading and tossing whenever restless hands want something to fiddle with.
Why we like it
Crayola packs six sticky Globbles together, enough to go around a shared apartment with a few to spare.
Each soft ball gives idle fingers something to work at during a long phone call, then gets passed along to whoever asks for a turn next.
*Paid link
A Sony smart TV for watching streamed shows, movies and sports, or for hooking up a game console in a bedroom or living room.
Why we like it
Rather than another desk trinket, a Sony BRAVIA smart TV suits a gadget fan always chasing new tech.
They can stream series and movies on it, then plug in a game console for a match. The new screen then joins the quirky curios already lined up on their shelf.
Earbuds from Apple's AirPods Pro line for someone who likes listening to music, podcasts or calls while commuting or out and about.
Why we like it
On a long flight, active noise cancellation in the AirPods Pro 3 turns the engine roar down to a low hum, which is the main reason to choose them over a basic pair.
That quiet pays off most on the days earbuds stay in for hours at a stretch.
*Paid link
A countertop coffee brewer that makes a single mug at a time from a pod, so nobody has to brew a full pot.
Why we like it
The Keurig K-Express pod brewer gives a night-shift nurse a fresh mug on their own schedule.
After a late shift, they drop in a pod instead of brewing a pot nobody else wants. They can keep a few favorite pod flavors nearby and pick one each time.
A digital alarm clock that sits on a nightstand, shows the time at a glance and sounds an alarm to start each morning.
Why we like it
Sharp's plain alarm clock lets a gadget-loving friend leave every screen outside the bedroom at night.
Their phone can join the rest of the collection on a charger down the hall. That way, browsing reviews of the next quirky find never follows them to bed.
An electric slow cooker for simmering stews, roasts and soups over long hours, letting dinner cook unattended on the countertop.
Why we like it
A Crock-Pot slow cooker fits the routine of a nurse whose long shifts leave little time to cook.
Chili or chicken soup goes in before the morning shift, so supper is waiting when the front door opens. Any leftovers then get portioned into containers for packed lunches.
A single-serve blender for mixing a smoothie or shake in a personal portion, handy for breakfast drinks and cold treats made at home.
Why we like it
The Hamilton Beach single-serve blender fits a gym regular with little time between the alarm and the commute.
They drop in a banana and a scoop of protein powder, then blend a shake just for them.
A float frame that holds a finished canvas painting, turning the artwork into a display piece to hang on a wall at home.
Why we like it
This MCS float frame suits a collector of odd canvas art with a favorite piece to hang.
They choose the strangest find from the stack leaning in the closet, and it goes up framed. A portrait of a dog in a bow tie finally looks like it belongs in a gallery.
A set of lidded kitchen containers for storing leftovers, portioning make-ahead meals and packing lunches, keeping the fridge and pantry neatly organized.
Why we like it
Rubbermaid Brilliance food storage containers give a novelty lover's kitchen something sensible beside the quirky mugs and gadgets.
Takeout leftovers and big-batch dinners get a lidded home instead of a plate under plastic wrap. Packed lunches come together the night before, ready to grab on the way out.
*Paid link
A jigsaw puzzle printed with Kellogg's Eggo artwork, assembled piece by piece at a table and admired as a finished picture.
Why we like it
This RoseArt Kellogg's Eggo puzzle hands a novelty fan a playful bit of brand art to piece together.
Unlike a gag gift that ends up in a drawer, this one gets sorted and assembled at their own pace. Once the last piece goes in, the finished Eggo picture can stay on the coffee table for a while.
A magnetic sculpture for a desk, shaped by hand into a new form, then pulled apart and rebuilt whenever an idea comes along.
Why we like it
This magnetic desk sculpture gives a novelty lover with restless hands a piece they can keep reshaping.
They pull it apart and rebuild it in a fresh form as often as they like. Unlike a trinket that never changes, it can sit by the keyboard as a different oddity each week.
Wrap up the Sweet Gestures couples game, in which partners draw small acts of kindness to carry out for each other in everyday life; it suits partners who already leave each other notes on the bathroom mirror.
Go for the Botanicals water lily set: petal by petal it builds into a cluster of blooms, an unhurried evening project for an adult who likes something to show for the time, and the finished flowers keep their shape on a shelf or windowsill long after the booklet goes back in the box.
and 4 more
and 4 more
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Chosen by our team from store data and what readers pick, not hands-on tests. Nothing is paid to be on this list. Recall notices checked . How we pick
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