There are two kinds of Mexican Jumping Beans. The ones I had in my childhood were shaped like colorful pill capsules and had a ball bearing inside of them so they would tip and flip as you moved your hand. I remember the magical feeling of watching them “jump.”

The authentic Mexican Jumping Beans are not beans at all either. They were seeds with larva inside. You put them in your hand or in the sun and they wiggle and roll around as the larva moves to get away from the heat. You can take care of them by watering and keeping them out of direct sun; the larva would turn into a moth in about two months, if they survived that long. Most children of my generation were unaware that there was a living creature inside their “beans.” They would set aside the toy and the larva would die.