Time for some mindless fun! Do you remember Silly Putty? If you’re around my age, then you probably spent countless hours playing with this Crayola-made toy. For the sake of those who are clueless – Silly Putty is actually a kind of silicone polymer, which has interesting characteristics. It is very pliable, and it bounces when formed into a ball. It also can break if dealt a sudden sharp blow. You can just imagine how much fun a kid can have with Silly Putty.

So why am I writing about this toy (which is still available today, by the way)?

I ran across a new and improved version of Silly Putty! Dubbed the Magnetic Thinking Putty, the product’s maker kicked things up a little bit. They did this by incorporating tiny little magnetic particles (and I mean tiny) into the mixture.

Just like any other glob of Silly Putty, the Magnetic Thinking Putty can be shaped, broken, molded, bounced, and whatnot. The plus here is that it comes with a little cube magnet (neodymium iron boron – whew!) that you can use to manipulate the putty. Since the magnet is super strong, you can “control” the Magnetic Thinking Putty into forming pretty cool shapes without even touching it!

Not convinced of the potential for fun? Check out the YouTube video. I want!

