Toys

Once confined to vaudeville and music halls, today's jugglers do anything from plate spinning to playing with devil sticks. In fact, you could define juggling as using feats of dexterity to manipulate one or more objects.

By Jonathan Strickland

The invention of the Etch-a-Sketch ushered in a new way to make art without making a mess. Learn about the history, design and inventor of the Etch-a-Sketch device, and how this simple toy became a long-lived classic.

By Marshall Brain

Add your own personal touch to a child's toy collection by making toys yourself. This article provides instructions for making everything from play dough to jigsaw puzzles, rocking horses and sandboxes.

By Editors of Consumer Guide

Did you know that Silly String has been saving lives in the Iraq War since December 2006? Our article reveals many little known facts about this substance. Find out how troops have used it learn the history of the silly string mystery and uncover its effects on the environment.

By Tracy V. Wilson

For many, Lego building is not kid's play at all. In fact, some amazing works of art and pieces of machinery have been made from this classic toy. Watch a cool video and see impressive images of Lego genius.

By Tracy V. Wilson

Yo-yos can be traced back at least 2500 years. It's a toy with true staying power and it lately it’s gone high-tech -- ever heard of a yo-yo with a clutch? Learn about yo-yo physics, tricks, history and some serious upgrades in design.

By Tom Harris

Rumble Robots were one of the most popular toys to hit the shelves in 2001. While there's no revolutionary machinery involved in their design, they do combine several familiar technologies in an innovative way.

By Tom Harris

Throwing a boomerang isn't as easy as it looks in cartoons. There's a technique to it — learn how to throw a boomerang (and have it actually come back to you) in this article!

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

The classic little water gun has evolved into a double-barrel water blaster that can soak someone standing 50 feet away. This isn't your father's water gun. The pump mechanisms at work here are pretty ingenious. Take a look inside these high-power toys.

By Tom Harris

The principle behind BB guns is pretty much the same as in firearms, except there is no explosion. So how does the BB shoot out of the gun?

The Magna Doodle... For kids it's a cool toy. For parents it's art without the mess. For the rest of us, it's a tribute to the beauty of physics. Watch videos of how the Magna Doodle works and discover the science behind the Doodle.

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D.

It's pretty amazing: When you throw a boomerang, it actually does come back to you -- if you throw it properly. Find out why the boomerang returns and how to throw it like a pro.

By Tom Harris

The Dancing Monster is a popular novelty toy that reacts to noise or motion that it senses in the surrounding area. Find out how the Dancing Monster works and what the different Dancing Monster parts do to entertain and surprise.

Mood rings were an extremely popular fad in the 1970s. How do they change color, and can they really tell your mood?

Singing fish are everywhere -- at the mall, on TV and in catalogs! They are silly, but it turns out that there is an amazing amount of technology inside them -- they are really simple robots! Find out exactly how they work.

By Jeff Tyson

What does wallpaper have to do with one of the coolest toys of all time? Learn just why Play-Doh acts the way it does, how it stormed the 1950s toy market and even how to make your own!

By Tracy V. Wilson

They look so unimpressive: a pair of flimsy glasses with thin plastic lenses, one blue and one red. But when you wear them in a 3-D movie, the images seem to leap off the screen toward you. How does the magic work?

Some of the newer yo-yos have a special "clutch" system, so that when the yo-yo slows down it comes back up by itself. How does a yo-yo clutch work?

Ever wanted to make that pinewood derby car run faster? This article breaks it down mathematically, focusing on air resistance, axle friction and tire stickiness and how these factors affect the performance of your car.

A drawing toy with a white screen and a "pen" that lets you draw on it, along with a slider to erase the whole thing when you're through: Magna Doodle has remained popular with kids despite its simplicity.

Most of us have been eating PEZ candy since we were kids. What does PEZ stand for, and where did the kooky dispenser come from?

Have you ever wondered how a See 'n Say produces sound without a battery? And where does it store its 26 different phrases? Solve the mystery of the See 'n Say!

By Marshall Brain