An office toy (also known as an executive toy or a desk toy) is a

novelty item A novelty item is an object which is specifically designed to serve no practical purpose, and is sold for its uniqueness, humor, or simply as something new (hence "novelty", or newness). The term also applies to practical items with fanciful or ...

typically placed on the desk of a

corporate executive Corporate titles or business titles are given to corporate officers to show what duties and responsibilities they have in the organization. Such titles are used by publicly and privately held for-profit corporations, cooperatives, non-profit org ...

or other office worker. They have no work-related function, but are often intended to provide decoration or pleasure, relieve stress or inspire

creativity Creativity is the ability to form novel and valuable Idea, ideas or works using one's imagination. Products of creativity may be intangible (e.g. an idea, scientific theory, Literature, literary work, musical composition, or joke), or a physica ...

.Hsiang Cheng 'Sam' Wang (2007) The Investigation of Office Toy. National Central Library The

Newton's cradle Newton's cradle is a device, usually made of metal, that demonstrates the principles of Momentum, conservation of momentum and conservation of energy in physics with swinging Sphere, spheres. When one sphere at the end is lifted and released, i ...

is a classic example of an office toy.

Functions

Different types of office toys fulfill different needs for their users. Although providing pleasure and being decorative could be the two major functions in office toys, there are still some differences between each types of office toys. For example,

puzzle A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together ( or take them apart) in a logical way, in order to find the solution of the puzzle. There are differe ...

-type toys can also help inspire creativity. A fidget spinner is an office toy that is used to reduce stress or boredom.James Plafke (2016
Fidget Spinners Are The Must-Have Office Toy For 2017
''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

'', 23 December 2016. Design curator Donald Albrecht described executive toys as "aspirational" objects, "less tools for provoking creativity than foghorns of identity and status in a sea of corporate homogeneity." Toys with corporate logos act as advertisements, such those distributed by

pharmaceutical sales representative Pharmaceutical sales representatives or Medical sales respresentatives are salespeople employed by pharmaceutical companies to persuade doctors to prescribe their drugs to patients. Drug companies in the United States spend ~$5 billion annual ...

s in doctors' offices.

Examples

* Drinking birdJulie Lasky (2015
"Designing Distraction: Executive Toys"
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The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', 4 February 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2016. * Fidget spinner * Kinetic sand *

Magic 8 Ball The Magic 8 Ball is a plastic sphere, made to look like an oversized , that is used for fortune-telling or seeking advice. It was invented in 1946 by Albert C. Carter and Abe Bookman and is manufactured by Mattel. The user asks a yes–no questi ...

Jason England (2015
"Executive desk toys explained"
''

Cosmos The cosmos (, ; ) is an alternative name for the universe or its nature or order. Usage of the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity. The cosmos is studied in cosmologya broad discipline covering ...

'', 20 July 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2016.Rose Hoare (2012
"Toy story: Office playthings come of age"

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

, 4 September 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2016. * Pin ArtChris Merriman (2013
"MIT demonstrates a morphing computer interface"
''The Inquirer'', 14 November 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2016. *

Stress ball A stress ball or hand exercise ball is a malleable toy, usually not more than in diameter. It is squeezed in the hand and manipulated by the fingers, ostensibly to relieve stress and muscle tension or to exercise the muscles of the hand. Despi ...

Useless machine A useless machine or useless box is a device whose only function is to turn itself off. The best-known useless machines are those inspired by Marvin Minsky's design, in which the device's sole function is to switch itself off by operating its own ...

References

{{Reflist, 2 Novelty items