This year we thought we would pick the toys for the Holiday Catalog based on what we played with most during the year. What we thought would be an easy selection turned out to be quite the challenge, as there were quite a bit more "toys" around the RainyDayMagazine office than we realized. The more we looked, the more we found. We finally agreed to narrow down the list to the top five out of the lot.

The toy that was the hardest to put down once picked up was definitely the CyberCube. Everyone who played with it instantly became addicted to it. We are not quite sure why...maybe it's the smooth magnetic spheres, maybe it's the way they click together. Whatever the reason, we have "lost" countless hours to this mesmerizing puzzle. We like the larger version of CyberCube, but you might want to check out their new "travel size" ones if you must have one with you at all times.

Another excellent "time sink" is the Rubix Cube. Some of us used to be able to solve it in under a minute, but it has been a while since the wrists were in competition form. Still, this old-school puzzle is still a favorite around the office. The DynaFlex PowerBall is less of a toy and more of an exercise device. This powerful gyroscope will both strengthen your wrist and get your competitive juices flowing. The reason is the PowerBall has a built-in "max RPM" counter. Once the contest of "who can get the highest RPMs" starts around here, it does not stop until someone gets a blister.

our last two selections are from Glen Turner: the Halbach Array and the precision gyroscope. Glen runs a site with a lot of interesting techie toys. It is also the source for all things gyroscopic. Just be warned that if you get one of these gyroscopes, you will while away a lot of your free time just watching it spin :-)  Happy Holidays!!!  [Permalink] -Holiday Catalog: Toys