ANN ARBOR, MI — The holiday season is here and oh what fun it is to shop for the perfect gift.

If quirky, creative, unique and oddball items are your way of spreading cheer and delighting loved ones, here are five great shops to check out in downtown Ann Arbor.

Located in a funky, colorful building across from Zingerman’s Deli, Catching Fireflies is a whimsical gift gallery with a wide array of products for people of all ages.

For the holidays, a lot of shoppers are buying fun items like “Awesome Mom” and “Awesome Dad” socks, as well as popular Jellycat and Warmies stuffed animals, specialty ornaments, candles and other gifts designed to elicit smiles, said store manager Mary Domingo.

“We do have even like Faygo and Vernors air fresheners,” she said, noting she also was waiting on a fresh shipment of Faygo candles, which the store typically carries in orange, rock-and-rye and red pop scents.

Other items for sale range from baby sloth and tyrannosaurus rex finger-puppet books to wacky wall clocks, gnome and fairy figurines, unique mugs and coasters, crocheted plushies such as axolotls and capybaras, emotional support pickles, Bob Ross paint-by-number kits, coloring books and more.

There also are University of Michigan, Detroit Lions and Ann Arbor-themed products. And if you know any Swifties, Taylor Swift-themed products ranging from magnets and stickers to bags and books also can be found.

“We do have a lot of really good books that are really funny, too, for kids and adults,” Domingo said. “A lot of them are just so hysterical that you don’t even realize how funny they really are until you start reading them.”

Catching Fireflies is at 419 Detroit St. It’s open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

A hop, skip and a jump from Catching Fireflies is Mudpuddles, a toy store on the second floor of the Kerrytown Market and Shops.

The store carries mostly kid-powered toys and very few that are battery-powered, said Aiden Roberts, who co-owns the store with Jan Benzinger, who started it 30 years ago.

“What’s really hot right now is all of the Jellycats,” Roberts said of the stuffed animals flying off the shelves. “I think there was like a TikTok or something that happened.”

The NeeDoh Nice Cube is another hot item, Roberts said, demonstrating how the squishy cube is like a stress ball.

Other items on the shelves include LEGO sets, puzzles like a three-dimensional Harry Potter one, ukuleles and games such as the Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game, Acorn Soup and the hide-and-seek mouse game Where’s Squeaky?

There also are programmable robots, magnetic build kits, marble run kits and other products that combine fun and learning, as well as classics such as the Rubik’s Cube and Slinky.

“Mostly we’re geared toward like 12 and under, but during the holidays we bring in a nice mix for a little bit of all ages,” Roberts said, pointing out one of the creative kits for sale allows users to build a hydro blaster they can wear on their arm like a superhero. “You make it and then you get to utilize it, so it’s science in action.”

Mudpuddles is at 407 N. Fifth Ave. It’s open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

For holiday stocking stuffers, a go-to spot is the Rocket Fizz soda pop and candy shop on Main Street.

“We’ve become a lot of people’s tradition,” store manager Ryan Wheeler said.

In addition to “satisfying sweet tooths” as advertised, the retro-vibe store has an eclectic and humorous mix of gags and gifts, including holiday-themed ones.

Find everything from “exploding coal” chocolate bars made with popping candy to National Lampoon’s “Christmas Vacation” playing cards, festive gnomes, “booze ball” tree ornaments and “pink nightmare” mints inside a collectable tin featuring Ralphie from “A Christmas Story” in a pink bunny suit.

The store boasts over 500 varieties of soda that can be purchased by the bottle, including flavors like Bazooka bubblegum and peppermint candy cane.

There’s even a “Doomsday Lemonade” advertising an apocalyptic taste with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un on the label. That’s next to the “Barf!” soda, which is made with pure cane sugar and is actually pretty tasty, Wheeler said.

Nearly 100 kinds of taffy can be found in bins lining a back wall, ranging from the usual fruity flavors to chocolate peanut butter, pumpkin pie, strawberry cheesecake, pickle and creamsicle.

Lots of other candy from lollypops to eggnog jelly beans and elf chocolate bars also can be had.

Stuffed animals, gemstones, magnets, puzzles and vintage concert posters are among the various other items for sale.

Rocket Fizz is at 306 S. Main St. It’s open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Ann Arbor native Lisa Mattison Roberts, owner of Rock Paper Scissors, said she prides herself on finding fun and unique items to curate the shop on Main Street she started 12 years ago.

That includes a lot of Michigan-made goods and products like coffee mugs with snarky messages.

“We really level it up come holiday season,” she said. “We consider ourselves the place to shop for stocking stuffers, anything pop culture from Taylor Swift to ‘Christmas Vacation’ to ‘Home Alone,’ and all of the fun in between.”

The store significantly increased its floor space last year by expanding into a neighboring retail space vacated by a clothing boutique — a space also previously home to Espresso Royale.

The extra room now includes an entire section devoted to Taylor Swift products, from coloring books to candles, bracelets, ornaments, clothing and more, while nearby is a “Gilmore Girls” section with products inspired by the TV show.

“We do a big Galantine’s thing in February that’s like a rom-com theme … so we try to lean into the pop culture,” Mattison Roberts said.

Other products for the holiday season range from aromatic candles with a Christmas tree scent to Santa mugs, “candy coal” and chocolate peppermint popcorn. The store also carries Ann Arbor and UM-themed goods from shirts to pillows.

Rock Paper Scissors is at 216 S. Main St. It’s open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Another store on Main Street offers one of the most unique shopping experiences around. Ten Thousand Villages, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in October, is a nonprofit selling ethically sourced, fair-trade crafts and housewares from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

For the holiday season, the store is stocked with a wide selection of handcrafted ornaments, creative nativity displays (including a funky one with a cat and dog) and menorahs, in addition to its usual mix of sometimes-peculiar items.

“Who doesn’t like socks for Christmas, and we have a good supply of those that are also certified fair-trade,” said board member and store volunteer Matt McLean, who said the holiday shopping season tends to be the biggest time of year.

Purchases support artisans and strengthen communities around the world, according to the nonprofit, which reports helping transform the lives of 20,000-plus artisans and their families through its mission of paying fair wages, engaging in sustainable business practices and preserving heritage crafts.

Sea turtle figurines made of stone from Ecuador, crocheted stuffed animals from Bangladesh and a nativity scene in a carved gourd from Kenya are just some of the other items on the shelves.

Knitted winter gloves and hats from Peru and Bolivia also can be had, including some whimsical ones with animal themes such as owl, sloth, lion, alpaca, cow and dinosaur.

Other items range from cups and containers to eyeglass holders, soapstone figurines, colorful clothing and jewelry, including tagua-nut “vegan ivory” products as an ethical alternative to elephant tusks, sustainably harvested and crafted by makers in Ecuador and Colombia.

Ten Thousand Villages is at 303 S. Main St. It’s open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free “3@3 Ann Arbor” daily newsletter.