Unconventional "office toys"?
November 8, 2022 8:25 PM Subscribe
We're going back to in-person at the office (two days a week) and it's my first time in a while working somewhere where I get a desk! This is exciting and I want to celebrate with a fun thing on my desk. Something more unique (and less annoying) than a Newton's Cradle. What are MeFi's go to "office toys"?
Congratulations! I’ve always been partial to my pin sculpture board thingy. Wind-up toys are fun, too. The mini zen gardens are super cute, but in my experience they tend to get sand all over my desk.
posted by Tuba Toothpaste at 9:02 PM on November 8, 2022
posted by Tuba Toothpaste at 9:02 PM on November 8, 2022
I had a miniature zen garden for my office and I loved it.
Edit after Tuba Toothpaste: I didn't have issues with sand getting everywhere; maybe the sides of my garden box were higher or something.
posted by mezzanayne at 9:03 PM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
Edit after Tuba Toothpaste: I didn't have issues with sand getting everywhere; maybe the sides of my garden box were higher or something.
posted by mezzanayne at 9:03 PM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
Get a puzzle you probably won't ever solve - one of those interlocking metal or wood things. I have a sort of matching-cube thing that my eye wanders towards regularly.
You might consider a Far Side daily calendar too - you get to tear off multiple every time you go in, and the sheets double as memo paper for jotting things down.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 9:35 PM on November 8, 2022
You might consider a Far Side daily calendar too - you get to tear off multiple every time you go in, and the sheets double as memo paper for jotting things down.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 9:35 PM on November 8, 2022
I have some "Hand Therapy Putty" at my desk. It's adult silly putty, but it comes in a range of strengths so you can have fun pulling it apart, and forming it into loops and balls. Hard to keep clean.
posted by meowzilla at 11:29 PM on November 8, 2022
posted by meowzilla at 11:29 PM on November 8, 2022
A daily calendar on any theme you like. I liked this one, YMMV. You can also get an origami daily calendar, a paper plane daily calendar, a sudoku daily calendar, trivia daily calendar etc...
posted by gakiko at 11:42 PM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by gakiko at 11:42 PM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
Lava lamp
posted by emd3737 at 12:45 AM on November 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by emd3737 at 12:45 AM on November 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
My boss has a box of assorted inexpensive fidget toys. He offers it to everyone to choose one or try them out.
posted by Red Desk at 12:51 AM on November 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Red Desk at 12:51 AM on November 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
Er … how “unconventional” are you looking for? Amazon and Etsy both sell a number of Lemarchand boxes, also known as “Lament Configurations.” Prices seem to range from $30-$100 (plus your soul, of course). Several models are noted to be “working” or “functional” - I leave it to you to decide whether these are too dangerous for an office setting.
posted by Mr. Excellent at 1:15 AM on November 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Mr. Excellent at 1:15 AM on November 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
I have a set of tantrix, a set of tabletop rp dice, a (quiet) plastic slinky, a pincushion with pins, and some matchbox cars on a tray on my desk. These are mainly to distract visitors, because a) all my own go-to stim toys are wearables and b) my field is one that attracts a lot of neurodivergent people (including me!), and it can be hard to stop people fidgeting with things I'm actually using for work ('please leave my post-it notes alone and stop compulsively capping and uncapping that sharpie, here's a toy car', you get the idea).
posted by ngaiotonga at 2:04 AM on November 9, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by ngaiotonga at 2:04 AM on November 9, 2022 [4 favorites]
I favour flexagon-type things, like kaleidocycles, infinity cubes and their close cousin the Yoshimoto Cube. There are commercial versions of some of those; others you'd have to make yourself, which may or may not be your thing.
Perhaps it would amuse you to have a puzzle box on your desk?
If you wanted something mostly to watch rather than interact with, my first thought was holographic spinning discs... but they seem to have gone out of style, which is a shame, because they're silent and I should think they'd do very well under office lighting. There are some floating around on Etsy and Ebay, but they're "vintage" and therefore expensive. It looks as if moving sand art is still a thing though, if coloured sand drifting slowly into layered landscapes appeals...? There are plenty on Amazon, as well as some more upmarket, arty ones.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 3:35 AM on November 9, 2022
Perhaps it would amuse you to have a puzzle box on your desk?
If you wanted something mostly to watch rather than interact with, my first thought was holographic spinning discs... but they seem to have gone out of style, which is a shame, because they're silent and I should think they'd do very well under office lighting. There are some floating around on Etsy and Ebay, but they're "vintage" and therefore expensive. It looks as if moving sand art is still a thing though, if coloured sand drifting slowly into layered landscapes appeals...? There are plenty on Amazon, as well as some more upmarket, arty ones.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 3:35 AM on November 9, 2022
Crags Magnetic Putty has been a hit for me and just about everyone else who comes in my office.
Art of Play has an amazing selection of spinning tops and other grown-up toys and puzzles. I've had my eye on this CMY color cube for a minute.
posted by ourobouros at 4:09 AM on November 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
Art of Play has an amazing selection of spinning tops and other grown-up toys and puzzles. I've had my eye on this CMY color cube for a minute.
posted by ourobouros at 4:09 AM on November 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
I got this as an "I'm cleaning out my office" hand-me-down from my boss - he gave me a set of these white wooden blocks that were cut in irregular shapes, so you could make little Inuksuks. I found this on Etsy, which is similar to what he gave me.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:16 AM on November 9, 2022
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:16 AM on November 9, 2022
If lower interaction is ok, a little Stirling engine is pretty cool.
posted by SaltySalticid at 4:39 AM on November 9, 2022
posted by SaltySalticid at 4:39 AM on November 9, 2022
My favorite "office toy" was a bowl full of tiny, multicolored polished rocks/gemstones. I used to have a lot of call-in meetings (before Zoom was a thing) and spent many hours on boring calls carefully arranging the tiny rocks by color, shape, size; making little designs and landscapes; stacking them, etc. It was fidgety but I swear that it helped me to concentrate in otherwise deadly boring meetings. There were endless designs and arrangements to put them in, they felt neat to run my fingers through, and they were pretty. Win-win-win-win!
posted by Gray Duck at 6:19 AM on November 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Gray Duck at 6:19 AM on November 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
A piece of polished labradorite is great for gazing into while on the phone. Ebay probably the best place to purchase unless you happen to live in Tucson. Great conversation starter too.
posted by bluesky78987 at 6:26 AM on November 9, 2022
posted by bluesky78987 at 6:26 AM on November 9, 2022
Kinetic Sand was a hit in my old office. But make sure you keep it on a plate and that your office isn't carpeted bc it can get ground in over time.
posted by greta simone at 6:40 AM on November 9, 2022
posted by greta simone at 6:40 AM on November 9, 2022
I bought this wooden puzzle for my desk when I was doing an internet detox.
posted by FencingGal at 6:47 AM on November 9, 2022
posted by FencingGal at 6:47 AM on November 9, 2022
Get one of the LEGO Arts or Icons models like succulents, NASA Discovery Space Shuttles, or something equally as dignified.
posted by TofuGolem at 7:24 AM on November 9, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by TofuGolem at 7:24 AM on November 9, 2022 [4 favorites]
I have knock off mini lego flowers on my work desk, they make me SO happy! I also have fidget slug and it is so hilariously tacky and almost vulgar without going over the line that I find it charming, but YMMV
posted by Sweetchrysanthemum at 7:32 AM on November 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Sweetchrysanthemum at 7:32 AM on November 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
Not cheap, but I have a Divoom Ditoo on my desk and it's such a seratonin booster. You can change up the animations, it can display the time and weather, and it doubles as a Bluetooth speaker.
posted by anotheraccount at 9:15 AM on November 9, 2022
posted by anotheraccount at 9:15 AM on November 9, 2022
I hold local elected office as one of my jobs. My "government" office has some beautiful die cast vehicles, a garbage truck, fire truck, police car, bucket loader and an ambulance. They do attract attention. They were all gifts from citizens or vendors. On occasion, one has "walked", but since they were gifts, I shrug it off.
I'm not sure I'd call these "office toys". They might be better labeled as "decor".
posted by Colonel Sun at 11:03 AM on November 9, 2022
I'm not sure I'd call these "office toys". They might be better labeled as "decor".
posted by Colonel Sun at 11:03 AM on November 9, 2022
n-thing catapult/ trebuchet (search using "flat pack" or "kit")
In grad school, I had a (literal) pound of silly putty on my desk.
posted by porpoise at 12:31 PM on November 9, 2022
In grad school, I had a (literal) pound of silly putty on my desk.
posted by porpoise at 12:31 PM on November 9, 2022
I have a Soma Cube as my desk toy.
The one I got comes up 50 different construction objectives.
posted by GnomePrime at 1:08 PM on November 9, 2022
The one I got comes up 50 different construction objectives.
posted by GnomePrime at 1:08 PM on November 9, 2022
A bowl of Lego minifigs that can be assembled in so many ways.
Magic 8 ball, slinky, silly putty, magnetic putty, etc.
posted by theora55 at 3:19 PM on November 9, 2022
Magic 8 ball, slinky, silly putty, magnetic putty, etc.
posted by theora55 at 3:19 PM on November 9, 2022
Legos been mentioned but I love the idea of the Lego bonsai tree that you can make flower at random times during the year
posted by piyushnz at 7:30 PM on November 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by piyushnz at 7:30 PM on November 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
I love buckyballs but have found that fidgeting with them too much gives me blisters and occasionally callouses.
posted by bendy at 11:24 PM on November 9, 2022
posted by bendy at 11:24 PM on November 9, 2022
A desk name plaque with your name isn't really curiosity raising but it does allow you to celebrate desk ownership.
posted by SemiSalt at 5:49 AM on November 10, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by SemiSalt at 5:49 AM on November 10, 2022 [1 favorite]
A former boss bought some things for our small group to spruce things up. One of those things includes this USB powered cactus shaped humidifier. I've taken to using it when in the office. I leave it plugged into an external monitor that has USB plugs.
Our office is large so I am under no illusion that this is doing anything for the humidity but it is a nice ritual to fill up the water when I come in. It is an ever so slight aural and visual distraction and every once in awhile someone will stop and inquiry about it. It is a nice conversation starter.
posted by mmascolino at 7:43 AM on November 10, 2022
Our office is large so I am under no illusion that this is doing anything for the humidity but it is a nice ritual to fill up the water when I come in. It is an ever so slight aural and visual distraction and every once in awhile someone will stop and inquiry about it. It is a nice conversation starter.
posted by mmascolino at 7:43 AM on November 10, 2022
Personally I have stuffed animals (bean bags are great) & a 3d printed heart gear (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:243278)
posted by elizabot at 8:46 AM on November 10, 2022
posted by elizabot at 8:46 AM on November 10, 2022
Rubik's cube!
posted by matildatakesovertheworld at 6:09 PM on November 11, 2022
posted by matildatakesovertheworld at 6:09 PM on November 11, 2022
Today I found out that fidget fabric mazes exist. I bought one and just found patterns on Ravelry for this.
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:04 PM on November 12, 2022
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:04 PM on November 12, 2022
They might cost more than you went to spend, but the Table Museum series of action figures from Good Smile Company features poseable plastic representations of famous artwork. A lot more interactive than just looking at a print!
Some do feature artistic nudity, so not all may be appropriate depending on your work culture.
posted by xenization at 7:17 AM on November 16, 2022
Some do feature artistic nudity, so not all may be appropriate depending on your work culture.
posted by xenization at 7:17 AM on November 16, 2022
My wife got me this puzzle-a-day calendar a couple years ago and I love having it on my desk.
posted by noneuclidean at 3:38 AM on November 23, 2022
posted by noneuclidean at 3:38 AM on November 23, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:31 PM on November 8, 2022