Alas Poor Yorick Skull Squishy

The skull is cream-white with a matt surface, closer to a theatre prop than to a brightly coloured toy. Eye sockets, nose opening and the row of teeth are cleanly moulded and give the skull its character.

• Skull squishy in cream white with a matt surface
• Made from slow-rise foam according to the manufacturer
• Moulded eye sockets, nose opening and row of teeth
• Printed carton with a viewing window styled as an old book
• Name and artwork refer to Shakespeare's Hamlet
• Intended for the desk, school, work and travel

Squeeze, squash, knead and then watch the skull rise again: that sequence is really the whole point of the thing.

Slow-rise foam feels different from a classic stress ball. You squeeze, squash and knead the skull, it yields softly, and instead of springing straight back it lifts itself slowly into shape. The whole motion is calmer and far less frantic than a ball that bounces back into your palm.

The maker describes Yorick as a sensory fidget toy for busy hands: for revision breaks, for those desk moments when concentration slips, and for the journey in between. Because you can watch the shape recover, squeezing develops its own quiet rhythm, something you can keep going while you read, listen or take a call.

The squishy arrives in a printed carton with a viewing window, designed to look like an old book. The front carries the line Alas, poor Yorick along with an illustration of Hamlet holding the skull, and the window lets you see the skull before the box is opened.

That saves you wrapping anything extra. The box stands on its own, looks like a small volume on a shelf or under the Christmas tree, and explains the reference at a glance. Anyone who knows Hamlet gets the joke instantly, and anyone who does not is handed it on the packaging.

According to the manufacturer, this skull stress toy suits children, teenagers and adults alike, and is aimed in particular at book lovers, readers, drama students and English teachers. In an office it works as an unobtrusive desk toy, in a classroom as a talking point, at home as a small prop among the books.

As a present it fits birthdays, Christmas and Secret Santa, exam season as a bit of encouragement, and Halloween, when a skull belongs in the picture anyway. It also works as a thank-you for a teacher, because the humour is literary rather than merely macabre.

Stand Yorick among the books on a shelf and the stress toy doubles as decoration. On a desk he is ready to grab the moment you take a break.

• Pack him in a bag so he is there for revision breaks and journeys
• Give him during exam season together with notebooks and pens
• Place him on the table as a small decoration at Halloween
• Leave him in the original box for Secret Santa; it explains the joke
• Pair him with a copy of Hamlet for a matching literature gift

The manufacturer also suggests him as a small gift for colleagues, which makes him an easy choice for a shared office desk, where a skull among the coffee mugs reliably raises a smile.

What exactly is the Alas Poor Yorick squishy? A skull made from slow-rise foam that you can squeeze and knead, and that returns to its shape on its own afterwards.

How does slow-rise foam behave? It gives way softly under pressure and does not spring back; according to the manufacturer it rises gradually into shape again.

How is the squishy packaged? In a printed carton with a viewing window styled as an old book, carrying the line Alas, poor Yorick and an illustration of Hamlet.

Where does the name Yorick come from? From Shakespeare's Hamlet. In the graveyard scene Hamlet holds the skull of the jester Yorick and addresses him with Alas, poor Yorick.

Where can I use it? The manufacturer intends it for the desk, school, work and travel, for example as a fidget toy during revision breaks.

Who is it a good gift for? For book and drama fans, literature students and English teachers; the manufacturer names children, teenagers and adults.