List of skill toys facts for kids

The yo-yo is an example of a skill toy

A skill toy is an object you use for fun to show off your skill or to perform. It can be anything you can dance with, spin, throw, or just play with in a clever way. Most skill toys are played alone. However, some can be played with friends, like footbag or juggling.

Cool Skill Toys

A performer using devil sticks

Here are some common and exciting examples of skill toys:

Things You Spin or Throw

• Yo-yos: These are classic skill toys. You make them go up and down a string.
• Diabolos: Also called Chinese yo-yos, these are like two cups joined together. You spin them on a string held by two sticks.
• Spinning Tops: These toys spin on a point. There are many kinds, like the Tippe top that flips over as it spins.
• Frisbees: You throw these flying discs. They are great for playing catch or doing tricks.
• Boomerangs: These cool throwing sticks come back to you when thrown correctly.
• Poi: These are weights on cords that you swing around your body in patterns. They often have lights or fire for performances.
• Begleri: These are small beads on a short string that you flip and spin between your fingers.

Things You Balance or Manipulate

• Balance Boards: These help you practice your balance. Examples include the rola bola, where you balance on a board on top of a cylinder.
• Devil Sticks: You use two hand sticks to keep a third, longer stick spinning and juggling in the air.
• Contact Juggling Balls: You roll these balls over your body without seeming to hold them. It looks like magic!
• Dice Stacking: This is a trick where you use a cup to pick up and stack dice quickly.
• Pen Spinning: You can do amazing tricks by spinning a pen around your fingers.
• Cardistry: This is the art of doing fancy flourishes and shuffles with playing cards.
• Rubik's Cube: While a puzzle, solving it quickly (speedcubing) is a skill toy challenge.

Things You Jump or Move With

• Jump Ropes: You can do many tricks and routines with a simple jump rope.
• Pogo Sticks: These let you bounce high into the air using a spring.
• Stilts: Walking on stilts makes you much taller and requires good balance.
• Skateboards and Scooters: Riding these and doing tricks are popular skill activities.
• Unicycles: Riding a unicycle takes a lot of practice and balance.

Games of Skill and Aim

• Jenga: This game involves carefully removing blocks from a tower without making it fall.
• Pick-up Sticks: You try to pick up sticks from a pile without moving the others.
• Darts: Throwing darts at a target requires precision and aim.
• Table Tennis (Ping Pong): This fast-paced game needs quick reflexes and good hand-eye coordination.
• Billiards (Pool): Using a cue stick to hit balls into pockets is a game of skill and strategy.

Creative Skill Toys

• Balloon Modelling: Twisting balloons into different shapes and animals is a fun skill.
• Origami: This is the art of folding paper into various shapes and figures.
• Puppets: Making puppets move and tell stories is a creative skill.
• Whipcracking: Making a whip crack requires a lot of practice and control.

Juggling Props

Juggling props are special items used for juggling. Most often, these are juggling balls or beanbags. But they can also be other things like:

• Juggling Clubs: These are shaped like bottles and are thrown and caught in patterns.
• Juggling Rings: Flat rings that jugglers throw and catch.
• Torches: Some jugglers use torches with fire for exciting performances.
• Cigar Boxes: These are rectangular boxes that jugglers flip and stack.
• Cyr Wheel: A large metal hoop that a performer stands inside and spins.
• Aerial Silks: Long fabrics hanging from the ceiling that acrobats climb and wrap themselves in.