Homemade Toys

(Page 2 of 2)

November/December 1974
By the Mother Earth News staff 
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Meanwhile, have Mom make the sail from a bright scrap of lightweight sewing fabric or an old sheet.

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Connect the boom to the mast with two small screw eyes and a bit of string. Drill holes and fasten two bolts with several heavy washers to the base of the keel for ballast . . . hang the sailcloth and head for the water.

Take along several washers for extra ballast and use monofilament fishing line tied to the rudder shaft to return your craft to port.

Clatter Blocks

Remember this one? Just grab the end section, move it back and forth and watch the other squares tumble down the line. To make your clatter blocks, you'll need a package of twill tape and seven 2-1/2 X 2-1/2 X 1/4-inch plywood squares. Sand the blocks smooth, weave the two outer apes loosely around the sections and staple the tapes to the top edges of the squares. Then weave the center tape through the other way and staple it to the bottom edge of each section. That's it!

Parachute

This simple toy can be made entirely from recycled materials. For the chute itself use an old handkerchief, worn-out scarf, or goodly square of lightweight fabric scrap from Mom's sewing drawer-but be sure to ask her first!

Next, tie a one-foot piece of string (or longer for bigger chutes) to each of the fabric's four corners, assemble your weight as illustrated, knot those four strings to the screw eye and prepare for lift-off!

Spool Racer

This old-timer is guaranteed to help keep the young 'uns occupied while you finish the chores.

The hardest item to find these days while gathering materials for your racer is a largewooden spool... plastic just doesn't make it! You'll also need a 1/4-inch dowel three inches long, a large bead (bigger than the spool's hole)... leaving enough of each nail exposed to hold the rubber band. Wrap the band around the nails, thread it through the spool and bead, and slip the dowel through the protruding loop. Now you're ready to race.

Wind the rubber-band motor, place the toy on a smooth surface and watch it go!

Spinning Top

Cut this old favorite's disc with a band saw from an inch-thick pine board and assemble as shown in the Image Gallery.

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Comments

  • MC 12/7/2008 6:35:27 PM

    I think I roughly know what to do-- it's not exactly complicated-- but I would like to look at some different ideas for making corn-cob dolls. We have about half a dozen cobs in good condition and I thought it would be a fun project to do with my daughter now that the weather's keeping us indoors so much of the time.

  • deanmackey 12/3/2008 2:45:06 PM

    nice assortment of toys...but what about paper airplanes?

    my site here has over 800 FREE paper airplanes!

    http://www.theonlinepaperairplanemuseum.com

    grab some paper and check it out!

    dean :)

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