File these games under “small parts included — perhaps best not to play in a back seat or on an airplane.” (File also under funnily named games and don’t let your under-three-year-old get ahold of them, for they are choking hazards.) But they are also nifty activities to keep school-age kids occupied while waiting in an airport (fewer cushions for tiny pieces to get lost in), at a restaurant while waiting for dinner or in an RV parked at a campsite.

Think-ets Genius consists simply of a tin not bigger than a standard Altoids box filled with little trinkets (get it?), ranging from a small arrowhead and tiny tomato to a miniature shell, polar bear and airplane. The idea is to use these little items to create stories and play thinking and guessing games to help pass the time.

When I pulled this out of my bag of tricks on our road trip this summer (while at a restaurant), my family of four shared lots of giggles making up “Surprise Stories” — as suggested in the set of instructions with 10 game ideas. We started with one person saying, “Once upon a time there was a….” and passing the box to the next person, who’d choose a trinket and start the story with that item as subject material. After a sentence or two, he or she would pass the box to the next person to continue the story with another trinket. We often ended up with a polar bear on a plane, getting lost and needing the mini-compass to find his way home… regardless, it was tons of silly entertainment.

Other suggested games include more challenging spelling activities, as well as a math game that focuses solely on the included die. When you grow weary of using the same objects over and over again, you can purchase the original Think-ets ($9.99), which come in pouches and differ completely from the Think-ets Genius ($15.99)  items. Peruse options at the Think-a-lot Toys online store; I’ve also found some items discounted on Amazon.com.

Nanodots are 216 mini spherical magnets that are stored in a small carry pouch. They truly are “kick-ass take-no-prisoners, juiced-up super magnets,” as the marketing materials from this irreverent company describe. Milled from the rare earth mineral Neodymium, each tiny sphere has incredibly powerful magnet attraction — so much so that you can form a necklace or bracelet with them, wear them around the house and they won’t fall off.

Nanodots come in four hues– original steel-like color, black, silver and gold. The real design fun comes when you mix and match the colors to make all sorts of different designs and little objects. Check out Dotpedia.com to see all of the wild creations Nanodots enthusiasts have made. My 10-year-old daughter sat for literally 90 minutes playing with our sample Nanodots when they arrived in the mail — she followed the included instructions to “morph” the dots into an emerald shape (having some “almost success”). She also created some fun jewelry and stuck some wacky shapes to the refrigerator — watching two strings of magnets repel each other, too, was also great fun.

A huge cautionary note: you don’t want to play with these around young children, since a warning message reads in part, “Swallowed magnets may stick together across intestines causing serious injury.” (Yes, they are that powerful.) The company contends that Nanodots are not intended for children, but I’m certain any responsible kid age 8 and up wouldn’t even think of sticking them in their mouth. (That said, I did read the warning to my kids.)

Nanodots range in price from $29.99 to $39.99, depending on the color, and can be purchased at the company’s website or Amazon.com.

Thinking ahead to holiday season, either of these items would make great stocking stuffers!