The Very Best Gift Ideas for True Nerds
Nerds come in many flavours, yet the only ones that get attention from makers of gift idea lists are the classic comic book and video game nerds. These gifts will rectify that.
For the “Let’s eat in the garden” nerd
A big tray with proper sides. Our wild guess is that most people don’t have a proper tray at home. Some might use a large chopping board, but as we all know, croissants and grapes tend to roll off those. So if you have a nerd in your life who enjoys eating out in their garden, inner courtyard, or perhaps on their balcony, treat them to a proper tray.
For the flower-loving nerd
A so-called “flower frog”! No, it’s not what you think. It’s a heavy metal base with sharp metal needles sticking up. You forcefully stab flowers and twigs into them, and put the whole thing in a bowl of water to create the most amazing flower arrangements. If that doesn’t make any sense to you, please have a look at these two masters in action: the first and the second. Lovely.
For the classic nerd
A speed cube! A speed cube? A speedcube. No nerd is complete without a speed cube. Unlike regular Rubik’s Cubes, a speed cube is designed to turn at speed, hence the name. And even if your nerd doesn’t like memorizing a bunch of algorithms to efficiently solve the cube, a speed cube is such a pleasure to fiddle with that it really doesn’t matter.
For the cooking nerd
A carbon steel frying pan. It works on all kinds of stovetops, from modern induction to classic gas hobs, and once you’ve seasoned it, it’s as non-stick as any of those toxic non-stick pans. The big difference is that this pan can last a lifetime.
For the “Let’s learn about stocks!” nerd
The absolute atrocity that is Monopoly was designed to teach people about the horrors of monopolies. Instead, it became a study in how not to design a board game.
Oh well, if you would like something more cutthroat that also allows you to invest in other players’ companies, kind of cooperatively, look no further than the fantastic masterpiece Iberian Gauge. A masterful example of a cube-rails game - an accessible subgenre of train games that is the logical next step after Ticket to Ride.
