Some may say they have a difficult time finding items for special needs kids to give for holiday gifts or birthday presents. I know that the special day class my seven-year old non-verbal son attends has a wide variety of toys, games and puzzles to fit the diversity of the students. Since the summer I have been purchasing therapy related items for my son via eBay. I have donated many puzzles and games to the classroom and share with the teacher and aides when I find a worthwhile product.

Such is the case with the Hoberman Mini Sphere™ that I recently purchased at the Discovery Channel Store. From previous purchases I know this is one store I can count on for some unique items that will offer sensory stimulation for my son. This will expand from 5 ½” to 12”. The texture is very different and actually not pleasant for me due to having eczema on my hands. I feel it irritates my skin, but luckily both my sons have played with the Hoberman Mini Sphere™ since I introduced it to them.

The geometry of the Hoberman Mini Sphere™ is based on the intersection of a cube and an octahedron, which makes a folding polyhedron called a trapezoidal icositetrahedron, according to the page filled with games and activity ideas. Other suggestions include purchasing many for party favors, spinning on a tabletop, jugglers, twirl on your arm and do a finger spin.

The Hoberman Mini Sphere™ consists of black and neon green hubs. They can be snapped in place to keep the circled shape so you can roll it along the floor. We enjoyed the glow-in-the-dark effect by entering the bathroom and turning off the lights to see the magic.

The Hoberman Mini Sphere™ almost resembles a miniature holiday tree in the upright position. This will stand flat and returns to this position after being opened. I had my non-verbal autistic son sit in front of me on the floor as I demonstrated the opening and closing sequence to the Hoberman Mini Sphere™. This is quite mesmerizing to watch and it has a sound effect of the hubs flicking one another during this process.

My son enjoyed holding the Hoberman Mini Sphere™ in his hand while popping it open as he was walking and watching television. The recommended age is for four years and older. My eight year-old placed his hand inside and twirled this around his arm. For the price of $14.95 this has been a wonderful experience for my kids. I already told the classroom aide that they needed to have one of these in the classroom. This is a great stress buster for your desk at work or the home office and a fun crowd pleaser at a party. Since this is also glow-in-the-dark it would be good for outdoors in the summer time. There was no mention on the box that this could not be used outdoors. Another name for this is a magical mobile.

Add some bright to your night by picking up a Hoberman Mini Sphere™ and get inspired by the visual display of the colors as this opens and closes. A Discovery Fact™ noted on the box, “ Phosphorescent (glow-in-the-dark) paint is used to make watch faces and hands glow without the need for batteries. That’s one bright idea!” The box mentions this is approved by the Parent's Choice Foundation. If you find an unauthorized copy of Hoberman products you will be rewarded when providing specific details to (212) 349-7919.

If you have someone to purchase a gift for and stumped on ideas, this is truly the perfect choice that gives the recipient a visual glow, something to do with their hands and a pleasing activity. For children that may not show interest in many items, those that are on the autism spectrum, I would suggest heading to Discovery Channel Store and find some trinkets to put under the tree and in the stocking. Their items really help our kids explore their world, plus this is portable fun and would be good for long car rides or even a plane ride this holiday season. This is compacted when in the close position and will not set off any alarms and needs no maintenance.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 14.95
Type of Toy: Magic
Age Range of Child: Whole Family