You know when you go out to eat, and they hand you the standard mini-crayon pack and paper kids placemat? Yes – it’s a nice gesture. But sort of expected and kinda boring, right? I was so happy when we met the family for dinner last night and the waiter brought out something I had never seen before. Wikki Stix. Even the name sounds fun. They are these little plasticy bendy sticks (no, wait. I just read online that they’re “wax covered yarn”) that you can twist, hook together, squish, and make all kinds of creations. I think my dad had the most fun with them, surprising the kids with the inventive places he could attach them to his face, ears, glasses, etc. Their web site best describes how I felt when I discovered these things: “You’ve just discovered the best-kept secret on the planet.” At $2.95 for a rainbow pack, it’s well worth stocking up for amusing the kids (and grandparents). The Wikki Stix website has a zillion creative ideas on how to use the “stix” for crafts, learning tools, even solving household problems.

$2.95 at www.wikkistix.com