This is the classic mesh stress ball, and at Rs. 295 it is the easiest squeeze toy in the shop to say yes to. A soft rainbow ball about 6 cm across sits inside a white net. At rest it is a neat round ball with a honeycomb of pastel pink, yellow, orange and blue showing through the mesh. Close your hand on it and the ball pushes out through every gap in the net as a cluster of shiny little bubbles.

That bubble effect is the whole appeal. It looks different every time depending on where the fingers press, it feels slightly springy under the thumb, and when you let go the bubbles sink back behind the net and the ball rounds itself off again. Children tend to press one bubble at a time; adults tend to crush the whole thing in one fist at the end of a long day.

Six centimetres is a size most hands can wrap around: a small child uses both hands, an adult uses one. It is quiet, it does not roll far on a desk, and it is cheap enough to buy one for every child in a family so nobody has to share.

It makes a practical return gift or goodie-bag filler for birthday parties, and teachers use them as rewards because they are useful in a classroom rather than one more sweet.

The net protects the ball, but it is still a squeeze toy with a soft skin. Keep it away from sharp nails, pens and pets that chew, and do not leave it in direct sun. If the net gets grubby, wipe the outside with a damp cloth and let it dry.

Why this product is worth considering