Silly Bandz

All of a sudden, your kids are begging you to buy them these flimsy looking plastic bracelets. They cost as little as $2 and as much as $12.95 a pack and they look like skinny rubber bands. What on earth are silly bands and why are they so popular all of a sudden? Well, silly bands are the new "trading cards" for kids today. They look like insubstantial jelly bracelets at first glance, but they're actually rubber band shapes that kids can layer on their arms. (Some kids wear them from wrist to elbow.) The shapes can be just about anything, from the Statue of Liberty to a baseball bat and are usually sold as themed packs. Often, they have two of each shape per pack so kids can trade for other shapes without giving up any of the shapes they just bought.

Now, about that word flimsy. Looks are not deceiving. Out of our first pack, about 2 remain. A child who is careful with the bands will probably be okay, but if a child is in a hurry to pull them off or gives them a yank, they may break.