Toys are all fun and games, right? Well, not really. Some toys are actually taken very seriously. So seriously that there are competitions around the world! Here are some toys with which your parents might encourage you to play.
The yo-yo is one of the world’s oldest toys. It is a simple toy made of a long piece of string tied to an axle. The axle acts as a spool by allowing the string to coil around it. At the other end, there is a slip knot in which you place your finger. Some modern yo-yos have ball bearings to keep the yo-yo spinning.
To use it, you hold the end of the string and throw the yo-yo downwards until the string is completely uncoiled. If it is thrown correctly, the yo-yo will wind itself back into the person’s hand.
People have discovered many tricks that can be done with yo-yos. One of the most famous tricks is called 'walk the dog.' This trick is done by swinging the yo-yo down and letting it spin gently along the floor. This trick takes lots of practice, but is one of the easier tricks!
Since the 1930s, people from around the world enter yo-yo competitions to show off their tricks. As of 2015, 33 countries compete in the competition. Each competitor performs a routine for three minutes. Watching these performers do their tricks is both amazing and entertaining. The contest has been dominated by the Japanese; they have taken home 85 World Titles in 22 years!
Dominoes is a game that originated in China. Players play with tiles. Each tile has two sides, and each side is either blank or has 1-6 dots. There are different ways of playing dominoes, such as by blocking other people's dominoes or scoring points.
Dominoes is played in competitions. There are even international competitions. But some people compete with dominoes in a different way. They build long lines and spirals so that when the first domino topples, the rest fall with it. It requires a lot of patience!
We have all seen the Rubik's cube, the 3-D puzzle with six colours. But did you know that cubes are used in a sport called speedcubing? Players must arrange the colours so that each face is one colour. But as the name suggests, they must complete it as quickly as possible.
There are many methods used for solving a cube, and some are faster than others. The most popular are the CFOP, Roux, and ZZ, all named after popular speedcubers. There are many different types of speedcubing competitions. Some play one handed, some play blindfolded, and there are different cube sizes, too.
The Soroban, a Japanese abacus, is an old toy that is used to teach arithmetic. It consists of rods and beads: one bead has the value of five, and four have the value of one. You move the beads to represent a number from 0 to 9. It helps students visualize mathematical problems.
In Japan, national soroban competitions are held. Students from across Japan compete against each other by multiplying and dividing numbers. Some numbers have as many as 16 digits! It may look old, but many people prefer to use a soroban instead of a calculator.
Who knew playing with toys could be so serious. Do you see yourself as a competitor with any of these toys?