We aren’t the kind of people to say that being an adult is a bummer. If you’re doing it right, growing up actually kind of kicks ass. You get to eat whatever you want, have guests over late, travel, watch all the Netflix you can handle… Ninety-nine percent of the time, the adult life is great. The one percent of the time it sucks is when we’re strapped to our desks at work with nothing to do but think about all that other great adult stuff. But we make the best of it, because scotch is expensive and a guy’s gotta drink. Luckily, for the boring times in between all the client meetings, email chains, and report deadlines, there are plenty of ways to amuse yourself at the office.
Buckyballs
It’s kind of mind blowing how fun a pack of tiny magnetic balls can be, but we really do love these little things. They can be molded into anything from cylinders and pyramids, to ropes, globes, boats, bridges; just about anything your brain can come up with. They’re easy to maneuver and work great for mindless toying around, especially in a place where silence is crucial. $17+
SKEYE Nano Drones
Consumer drone technology has developed light years beyond what anyone probably thought it’d be even five years ago. Today, there are precision 4-channel nano drones that weigh less than 12 grams, have 6-axis flight control systems, and can do backflips at the touch of a button. BACKFLIPS. The best part about this fun little contraption is its price. You can own one for a cool 24 bucks. You’ve spent more money for a pizza than you will on this drone. $24
Big Shot Tavern Puzzle
Sometimes it’s important to just keep things simple. This puzzle itself is a real ball-breaker, but the design is classic and dates all the way back to the Middle Ages. It is said that knights would give these types of puzzles to their wives before they left on adventures or quests or whatever the fuck else knights would do in the Middle Ages, in order to help them pass the time. But don’t be fooled by its age—there’s a reason why these all-steel contraptions are still boggling minds today. $25
Fidget Cube
Everybody has those days… You’re sitting there in the office on a 12-hour work bender, trying to stay focused. But for the life of you, you just can’t manage to knuckle down and get shit done. You start tapping your feet, clicking your pen, spinning around in your chair, pacing—anything to keep you pushing forward. The Fidget Cube is a small desktop doohickey that incorporates a slew of traditional fidgety things—a clicker, a switch, a joystick, a set of rolling gears, a clickable ball and socket, and a rotating dial—in order to help you stay focused without losing your mind. The campaign was an absolute smash hit on Kickstarter, and as far as we can see, it’s the perfect office toy. We’d also recommend jumping on now if you want the 19 dollar price tag. Once it moves to retail, the price will jump up to 25 bucks. $19
The Jack Puzzle
Right now, you’re looking at that and you’re seeing six brass sticks with chunks taken out of them. You’re confused, and you may even be a little angry at us for suggesting these things. What you’re actually looking at is a mind-bending and exceptionally frustrating minimalist brain game made of a solid pound of precision milled brass, all by a master machinist in Rhode Island. We like to think he just sits up there laughing as he creates new gadgets that we’ll eventually get too frustrated trying to put together and throw at our colleagues. $95
The Feel Flux
What do you look for in a good desktop toy? Something simple, but engaging; something puzzling, but easy to clean up; something fun, but not juvenile; and if you can throw a magnet in there, even better! Well, allow us to introduce you to The Feel Flux. Basically, two opposing magnets come together to make a really fun little toy. It might take a little while to get the hang of, but once you learn how to time it, things get fun. Just do yourself a favor and keep these things away from your phones, computers, or anything else with built in memory. They’re really powerful magnets, dummy. $89
Concept Zero Ferrofluid
There is no point to this game. In fact, it’s not a game at all. But even so, it’s probably one of the coolest things on this list. Invented in 1963 by NASA’s Steve Papell as a liquid fucking rocket fuel, ferrofluid is a highly magnetic substance that makes for a lot of fun in the presence of a magnetic field. Somewhere along the way, these guys decided to stick a little of the highly magnetic fluid in bottles with some water, and when you hold a magnet to it, it makes weird and ridiculous shapes. There’s a lot of science involved in how cool this stuff is, but who cares? All you need to know is that it’s fun, safe, and perfect for your desk! $25
