TOPS & GYROSCOPES

2" flywheel in a well-made metal frame. The trick is the same as it has been for 100 years. Wind the string through the spindle, pull it firmly to set the flywheel spinning, and perform effortless balancing magic on pencil tips, string tightropes, and the like. We tend to forget that bicycles and aircraft navigation both rely heavily on gyroscopic principles. It's never too early to tell the kids. Besides, it's fun.

For Zivko the robot Click here

Says it all in the headline. Hang house and car keys separately, or just pinch the middle and it's a ball-bearing spinner ready to relieve your fidgetous anxiety. Try to do both at the same time, however, and you'll find a new level of frustration unless your thumb and index finger are six inches long. (Surplus!) We'll send you one in a lucky shade of bright green. And just to be clear, you can’t use these for mountain climbing—only for keys and amusement.

Admit it, we all still love to spin. These fidget spinners have a radius of about 1-1/2”, and a great feel. Better than that, they’re branded, which means you’ll get one with an official Looney Tunes or Justice League design on it. Yeah, we’re talking Bugs Bunny, Tweety Bird, Tasmanian Devil and Batman—every last one of them a great spinner. We'll reach into our grab bag and pull one out. ! WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD–Small Parts. Not for children under 3 yrs.

Rattlebacks are plastic semi-elliptical shapes, 3-7/8" long, that illustrate Newton's laws of motion, while mystifying kids. Set them down (the rattlebacks, not the kids) and their offset center of gravity makes them spin. Spin them in one direction and they stop and reverse themselves. You get a package of (10) in assorted colors, along with a lesson plan and suggested activities.

Spin this spindle and watch it turn in perpetuity!!  Well, for a long time anyway.  Inside the 5-1/2" long colored plastic spindle are magnets which are repelled by magnets in the 5" x 3" black plastic base.  The variously colored spindle floats in the air above the base thus virtually free of normal friction. Nifty desk toy named "Revolution".

Yo, you’re never too old for a yo-yo—you just forgot how much you love them. You were pretty damn good at them, too—don’t be modest. Come on back to the yo-yo with this high performance, wing-shape Nomad Yo-Pro™ in pleasing purple. Measures approx 2-1/2” dia with a 1/2” gap and flared edges. Has really nice action, too. String is about 3 feet long and when you put that little loop on your finger, oh man, it takes you back. Ages 8+, which qualifies you. Quick question: if your yo-yo doesn’t come back up, is it just a yo?

A tiny touch of whimsy from your local scientific and surplus monger. You get a trio of 1-3/4" dia x approx 2-5/8" tall plastic tops in assorted colors, with the American Science & Surplus logo on the disc. The tops of the tops have a vaguely Constantinopolitan shape, and are a different color from the bottom. Just one more dazzling detail from Jarvis.