The Way Toys Work

The Science Behind the Magic 8 Ball, Etch A Sketch, Boomerang, and More

Ed Sobey, Woody Sobey

If you've ever wondered how an Etch A Sketch writes on its gray screen, or why a boomerang comes back, or how an R/C car responds to a radio controller, now you'll have your answers. The Way Toys Work explains the technology, history, and trivia behind 50 popular toys, with patent blueprints and photos of the "guts" of devices including:

* Kaleidoscope        * Magna Doodle          * Slinky

* Nintendo               * Super Soaker            * Big Mouth Billy Bass

* Rubik's Cube        * Silly Putty                  * Video Game Light Gun

* Furby                    * Dunking Bird             * View-Master

* Yo-Yo                  * Push 'n' Go Car        * Wiffle Ball

* Gyroscope            * Operation                  * Hula Hoop

You'll also find pointers on how to build your own versions using recycled materials and a little ingenuity, experiments that can be done with certain toys, and tips on reverse engineering old toys to get a better look at their interior mechanics. The only thing you won't learn is how the Magic 8 Ball is able to predict the future--some things are best left a mystery.

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION

Aerobie

Air Hog

AstroBlaster

Balsa Wood Plane

Bicycle

Big Mouth Billy Bass

Boomerang

Bubble Gun

Die-Cast Toy

Diving Submarine

Dunking Bird

Electric Train

Erector Set

Etch A Sketch

Friction Car

Frisbee

Furby

Gyroscope

Helicopter

Hula Hoop

Jack-in-the-Box

Kaleidoscope

Magic 8 Ball

Magna Doodle

NERF Gun

Nintendo Entertainment System

Operation

Play-Doh

Playful Penguin Race

Pop-Pop Boat

Potato Gun

Pullback Car

Push ‘n’ Go Car

Radio-Controlled Car

Remote-Controlled Robot

Rubik’s Cube

Silly Putty

Slinky

Stilts and Jumping Stilts

Stomp Rocket

Super Soaker

Video Game Light Gun

View-Master

Vortex Tornado

Water Pistol

Water Rocket

Wiffle Ball

Windup Toy

X-zylo

Yo-Yo

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Bob Guildig and the staff of Eastside Trains, Inc., in Kirkland, Washington, introduced us to the new era of high-tech electric trains. We’re still running the American Flyer train Ed’s father bought for him when he was born. Bob demonstrated integrated circuit remote-controlled trains that smoke when you press a button. Thanks, Bob.

Carl Kadie, who has helped with several of our books, loaned us his collection of Hula Hoops. Dominique Avery provided her expertise to demonstrate how to keep the hoops going. Joshua Wickerham took the photo of the Furby.

Matt Pierce and Don Uchiyama coached us on electronics issues. Bill Hones at Fascinations gave us the background on the AstroBlaster. Andrew Kamondy at Spin Master sent us the information on the invention of Air Hogs and a Liberator—wow, what fun that is!

Scott Eberle, Vice President for Interpretation at the Strong National Museum of Play, home of the National Toy Hall of Fame (which was founded by Ed Sobey) wrote several pieces that appear in the book. Rollie Adams, Director of the Strong Museum and National Toy Hall of Fame, wrote a piece as well. Rollie also supplied the photos of die-cast toys. Thank you, Rollie and Scott.

Thank you all.

INTRODUCTION

Wow, That’s Neat!

Some toys command interest and inspire wonder. They do the unexpected or the seemingly impossible. They make us think about how they work and how they relate to the scientific concepts we’ve learned. They’re just neat.

Fling an Aerobie and watch it fly, and fly and fly some more. Experience tells us we shouldn’t be able to fling something so far with so little effort. Launch a boomerang with a hefty throw and it returns. That’s crazy; things we throw don’t come back. Draw a picture on an Etch A Sketch and erase it with the flip of a wrist so it’s ready for the next creative idea. Pull a toy car back eight inches and watch it zoom 20 feet across the kitchen floor. What convoluted laws of physics allow for such seemingly magical experiences?

The magic of toys is not shrouded in secrets, but is there for us to see. Take screwdriver in hand and open toys up to enjoy the magic in a new way. While the toys themselves inspire awe, seeing how they’re made lets us admire the engineers’ creativity and problem-solving abilities. As awesome as the toys are to play with, they are even more awesome to understand.

Toys of technological...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• INTRODUCTION
• Aerobie
• Air Hog
• AstroBlaster
• Balsa Wood Plane
• Bicycle
• Big Mouth Billy Bass
• Boomerang
• Bubble Gun
• Die-Cast Toy
• Diving Submarine
• Dunking Bird
• Electric Train
• Erector Set
• Etch A Sketch
• Friction Car
• Frisbee
• Furby
• Gyroscope
• Helicopter
• Hula Hoop
• Jack-in-the-Box
• Kaleidoscope
• Magic 8 Ball
• Magna Doodle
• NERF Gun
• Nintendo Entertainment System
• Operation
• Play-Doh
• Playful Penguin Race
• Pop-Pop Boat
• Potato Gun
• Pullback Car
• Push ‘n’ Go Car
• Radio-Controlled Car
• Remote-Controlled Robot
• Rubik’s Cube
• Silly Putty
• Slinky
• Stilts and Jumping Stilts
• Stomp Rocket
• Super Soaker
• Video Game Light Gun
• View-Master
• Vortex Tornado
• Water Pistol
• Water Rocket
• Wiffle Ball
• Windup Toy
• X-zylo
• Yo-Yo
• BIBLIOGRAPHY