Even though I love video games as much as the next person, some people do take it too far… And while adults can make their own (good or bad) choices, kids need a helpful hand in the right direction. Which isn’t spending 10 hours a day glued to a computer chair.

And a little DYI can be lots of fun (even if dad has to help). The Electric Plane Launcher mixes old-fashioned paper planes with technology and makes a simple game 10 times more fun. Yes, launching planes off the balcony is cool… but how about when they fly off at 50 km/h?

No, of course it doesn’t come with the plane. But there’s dozens of websites and books with tons of models, and building the plane is part of the game anyway.

How much under $29.99?
A little: ~$23 on IWantOneOfThose.com.

What’s better than a zombie? Two zombies, of course. But what’s even better? Everyone’s best friend, Dismember-Me Plush Zombie!

He might be a bit on the dead side, but he’s still adorable down to his tiny detachable brain. All his limbs plus head come off and you can play mix & match with them afterwards. It’s a zombie, of course it can function even if his head is attached to his armpit! But the best part is the torso: it can be pulled apart so you can examine zombie guts.

And, unlike regular zombies, there’s no need to find a gun to kill him. Simply put away his parts where he can’t reach them and you’re safe. …Until his mummy comes to get him, at least.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $12.99 on ThinkGeek.com.

Anyone who’s ever been forced to watch a lame TV show has wished for the ability to mentally change the channel. Unfortunately… nope, no can do. There’s other solutions, though…

And since there’s at least one perfectly fine and unconspicuous way of doing it, the Ray Gun Channel Changer seems like a perfectly useless idea. Yes, it looks like an alien gun from an old B-movie, and it’s interesting in that respect, but… why? It’s far too primitive to be used as a real remote, as it can only change the channel up and down, and it’s way too big to appropriately annoy someone. If you’d see your flatmate changing the channel with a ray gun while you’re watching, wouldn’t you just take it from him and smash it to pieces?

It looks like an one-time use gagdet which isn’t at least funny. Just… don’t.

How much under $29.99?
Some: ~$16.30 on Firebox.com.

Via RedFerret

Men with a death wish couldn’t find anything better than the PMS Swear Bear Talking Plush to ensure their demise. This adorable pink teddy is a lady bear and she’s suffering from PMS, so she’s not in the best of moods – and the woman who receives it won’t be happier either.

The bear utters charming statements like “I will f**king destroy you!” and “I suffer from PMS: Putting up with Men’s S**t!”, and the second a woman sees it she will probably stab the gift-bearer with the nearest sharp object (if she’s PMSing, make that a blunt one).

I’d like to see a guy give this to his feminist girlfriend when she’s got PMS. The wounds would be interesting to study.

(But really, this PMS thing is blown out of proportion. It’s hormones and we still love you, even when we’re being bitchy.)

How much under $29.99?
Exactly $29.99 on EntertainmentEarth.com.

Via ubergizmo

The “useless, but oh so fun” category includes so many products your mum (or at least mine) wouldn’t approve of. What, spend money on something so silly? What’s the point?

The point is that if people would only buy things they need, they would live very sad lives.

My life would be a little bit happier if I had carpets. Not that I don’t like my tiled floor, but carpets would give me the perfect opportunity to buy a pair of FunSlides. Just like you can “skate” across wooden floors wearing socks, the FunSlides are like a pair of carpet skates. The secret is the friction resistant plastic base; all you need to do is strap them over a pair of regular shoes and off you go!

(Kids will love them, but make sure the china is out of the way…)

How much under $29.99?
Some: $19.99 on TheSimtecStore.com.

Via bookofjoe

“Buy, buy, buy” is probably already stamped on our brains by society. But how many of us forget that making can be just as fun?

Even if it does involve some money changing hands, the kit for the Drawdio is probably very much worth it for beginner DYIers.

Although it’s described as “an electronic pencil that lets you make music while you draw”, if you watch the demo video here you can see it’s more noise than music, and that it’s actually pretty annoying. But it’s not about the music per se; it’s the fact that you’re basically turning something visual into something auditive. And making it work is twice the fun, anyway.

Note: Although the kit can be bought, free downloadable schematics are also available here and you can buy your own parts.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $19.50 on AdaFruit.com.

Via BoingBoing

He’s one of the most famous video game characters. Millions of fans have lived and died alongside him in the Halo game series. And now he’s – sort of – real in the form of an action figure.

The Halo 3 Series 3 Master Chief stands 5 inches tall, but packs a lot of detail in that small frame. Beside the trademark helmet, it comes with a sniper rifle and a spike grenade. It has no less than 9 articulation points: neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, hips, knees, ankles and feet. Almost like having the character in the room with you… except for that nasty shooting going around.

What’s Master Chief without enemies and allies? Good point, which is why there’s a bunch of other Halo figures to choose from right here. Get them together and work your pew-pew-pew magic!

How much under $29.99?
Some: $15.95 on SplitReason.com.

Keeping shedding pets out of a room can be… entertaining (especially if the door doesn’t lock). Keeping annoying little siblings out can be even tougher. The Echo Bot Memo Recorder won’t be able to do either for a long while, but at least it’ll give them a good scare.

This little alien can record up to 10 seconds of sound and then automatically play them back when a motion sensor is triggered (works up to 3.3 feet). You can make it visible or as inconspicuous as you like, because it’s got suction cup tipped legs which allows it to be placed in a variety of places.

For best results record yourself yelling “Stay out!” or something as friendly. Bonus: you can also think of creative ways of using it for Halloween.

Of course, you could also use it for nicer purposes like saying “hello” to every one who enters the room, but that’s not as fun as scaring people, is it?

How much under $29.99?
Some: $14.99 on ThinkGeek.com.

Any game, no matter how silly or repetitive, becomes exciting when you’re bored. I’ve played the Sony-Ericsson version of Space Invaders more than I’d like to admit. But the 5 Second Stadium Stopwatch Game is of a different breed.

It’s extremely simple: you have to push the button after exactly 5 seconds. Only you don’t see the timer so you have to guess. Can someone be entertained by something like this for more than an hour? It depends on the level of boredom, I suppose.

But the develppers were smart, see, so it’s actually got 4 modes, not just one. The other 3 are 10-Second Chicken Race (the goal is to get as close to 10 seconds as possible without going over), practice mode (you can see the timer) and challenge mode (with “varying time stages”, presumably the same thing as the 5 seconds version but with different timers).

Each set comes with two timers (in case you’re with a friend who’s just as bored, probably). So, what are you waiting for? Oh, right: for it to cost $5, not $29. And a severe case of absolutely nothing else to do.

How much under $29.99?
A little: $29 on Kilian-Nakamura.com.

Via OhGizmo!

If you’re into self-abuse (or you’re one of those few people who are good at and enjoy mindgames), the K-Dron has your name written all over its shiny surface.

But the K-Dron is not originally a toy. It’s a shape discovered by Polish artist/mathematician Janusz Kapusta and it’s got some unique properties. One of them, it appears, is that it can be turned into a game that will drive unfortunate users insane.

The brain-teaser is deceptively simple: 4 K-Drons needs to be assembled to reproduce the shapes in the included booklet. However, it’s more difficult than it seems…

It’s not a new game concept by any means. I played Pentomino when I was 8 and loved it. But the complex shapes will give more depths (and 3 dimensions) to an old idea.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $9.90 on Amazon.com.