Cool Gift of the Day
Thursday, May 25, 2006
What it is:
A delightfully simple wooden game of pegs and springs.
Why we love it:
We have a rule here at Surprise.com, that we never buy gifts for children that make noise or light up. We figure there's enough of that already, and parents will appreciate a gift or two that won't cost them a hundred dollars a year in batteries or give them a migraine. It's surprising, also, how often these very simple gifts are the most compelling. If someone thought up a game several centuries ago and it's still around, chances are it's pretty fun. Mikasi is a concept that's so simple you can't help but love it. The little pegs are held in place by a spring-loaded barrier, and the object of the game is to pull as many pegs out without causing the pieces to reshuffle. The larger the peg, the more points you get. It's a fun game, and it runs absolutely independent of any power source, requires no special cords or attachments, is fun in any language, and at just about any age (over six, please, the pieces are small), which is far more than you can say for most light-up, moving, dancing, fad of the moment toy you might buy.
Where to get it:
On sale from
Zebra Hall for an elegantly simple $65.00