The Ball of Whacks is an excellent "fiddling" toy. As I kid I loved playing with magnets and I've always enjoyed geometric art, so the BoW is perfect for me. $30 is pretty steep for a time-waster, but it was worth it.

I'm a high school math teacher who can't keep my Ball of Whacks on my desk at school for long. I bought it last year, and my students went crazy over it! This year's students love it, too. Two comments:

a) The kids make any pattern they choose; in other words, they all ignore the booklet that comes with it. However, they drop pieces (accidentally) often; one piece was lost last year under an immovable object . . . Having 29 instead of 30 pieces has made no difference in the popularity of the Ball of Whacks, however.

b) The dang thing is so popular that pieces of it have begun to disappear this year. I honestly think, unfortunately, that people are stealing 2 or 3 pieces at a time, to fiddle with in their pocket or whatever. I did not have that problem last year at all, but so far this year (and it isn't Thanksgiving yet!), my 29 pieces have shrunk down to just 20 pieces. I've considered buying a new Ball of Whacks because the kids like it so incredibly much, but I hate to encourage stealing . . . Now that Amazon has it on sale, however, I may break down and buy another.

Also: I just received an e-mail from a parent of one of my students, asking for the name of Ball of Whacks. Apparently he has talked about it so much at home that she wants to get him one for Christmas!

Ball of Whacks, A Creativity Workshop in a Ball by Roger von Oech

I love toys and this one has me hooked. Thirty-six plastic pyramids are fitted with magnets so they stick together with a satisfying "clack" to form a variety of geometric shapes. The possibilities for creating stars, polygons, patterns, and random forms are limited only by imagination and accident. I mention imagination because you can try to recreate the designs in the accompanying 96-page information booklet. But accident, I found, was a much more satisfying process. The pieces seem to "jump" into place forming surprise designs that, like a stream of consciousness, lead to further discoveries. And this is one of the major intentions of this kinetic toy.

Roger von Oech is the author of A Whack on the Side of the Head, a book which describes the creative process and offers exercises to flex the inventive muscles. He designed the Ball of Whacks to take advantage of the connections between the hand, the brain, and the creative process. As our hands manipulate the whack pieces, our brain slips into a state of flow - critical for creativity. So simply maneuvering the pieces becomes the most obvious way to make this toy an essential part of your creative work.
In addition, the information booklet gives more than a dozen suggestions for inducing the creative process for individuals, partners, and small groups. Use it as you meditate. Think of it as a metaphor for a problem. Start a brainstorming session. Or just take a mental stretch break!

Learn more at www.thefirefly.org

The Ball of Whacks can be a valuable tool for distraction and refocusing the mind during pain due to illness and disease. My teenage son has suffered a condition that causes him intermittent pain, anxiety and distress. I am continually looking for something to occupy his attention during such painful times.

I have noticed that in mild to moderate pain, playing with the Ball of Whacks beautifully distracts him. His face relaxes, and he is engaged in creativity more than reactivity to pain, which seemingly allows his body to regroup as the pain often dissapates.

I suggest that the Ball of Whacks be more broadly considered a tool in 'pain management' for certain people and conditions. I could also imagine its usefulness in a hospital or clinic setting, like for individuals waiting to undergo chemotherapy. We are very grateful for this addition to wholistic care for our son!

I'm a tacto-phile, as well as a magno-phile, and this 'toy' is an excellent blend of creativity, simplicity and fun! The look and feel of the individual pyramids is very pleasant, and the fun of being able to take it apart and see what you can create is a blast! I wish I had two (or three!)

One word of warning to parents: Kids will want to play with this. I make it a point to never let my kids play with mine unless I am watching them closely, because the pieces would fit in a mouth, and are pointy enough that they could cause pain if applied incorrectly.