New kids on the block

There will never be a replacement for Legos, but in a bizzaro world, Offbits could be the next best thing. A bag of Offbits looks as though it's filled with toolbox spare parts (springs, screws, et al.). Assembled, these pieces build a variety of kooky, adorable robots—like something out of an '80s-era Spielberg film. According to the company story, these “open-source toys” are malfunctioning robots in need of adoption. There are nine kits available ($25 each)—mix and match any and all the parts to create unique characters. www.theoffbits.com.