The Coconut Oil Squishy

Press your thumb into it and it gives way slowly, then stays exactly where you left it. That slow, dense give is the whole point, and it is why this one keeps a hand busy long after a normal stress ball has been dropped on the floor.

It is a 2.4 inch translucent ball, 6 cm across, small enough to close a fist around and heavy enough in the palm to feel like something. Squash it flat, twist it, push a finger straight through the middle. When you have finished pulling it out of shape, roll it between two hands and it goes back to a ball, ready for the next one.

Slow give is the whole difference

Most squeeze toys shove your fingers back out within a second. This one keeps the shape you gave it, so what sits on the table is a record of what your hand just did. Kids notice it straight away, and so does everyone who picks it up after them.

Three translucent colors

Clear, blue and purple, each one see-through enough to hold up against a window and watch the light move inside it. Pick a different color for the free one and two of them travel in different pockets.

What you should know

• 2.4 in across, about 6 cm, sized for a child's fist and an adult's pocket
• Slow, dense give: it keeps the shape you press into it
• No batteries, nothing to charge, nothing to switch on
• Silent, so it works in a classroom, a car and a waiting room
• Wipes clean with mild soapy water and a soft cloth

Keep it out of direct sun and away from sharp edges and it stays soft. It is not food and it is not a chew toy, whatever it looks like.