Toys

Cardboard isn't the first choice in building materials, but it's an impressive and versatile material that has a wide variety of rainy-day uses, such as making a paddlewheel-powered toy boat to...

Rubber bands can be used for more than just keeping items such as index cards together. In the right hands, they can become some fairly neat projectile weapons, just begging to be launched at...

Repainting old rubber toys is a fascinating hobby as well as a satisfying way to preserve heirlooms. Some collectors wish to renovate an antique. Others want to refresh an object that has been a...

A fun childhood game, the punch ball is a cheap and easy game to pick up and play on your own. The punch ball is also a popular choice to include in goodie bags for kids' parties.

The amazing bendable bouncing rubber was invented in 1943 amid fears of a rubber shortage. Silly Putty's release to the public was not until 1950 and since then has been sent to space, exhibited...

The simplest rubber band gun can be made in seconds with just a standard-sized rubber band and several minutes of practice. Rubber band guns are popular with younger children, mostly young boys,...

Creating plastic toys, whether for commercial purposes or your own craft projects, can be done effectively at home using a combination of basic art materials and professional model-making...

Making paper airplanes is a popular practice among youths. While a traditional paper airplane can travel quite far if well-constructed, a rubber band-powered airplane enables the maker to launch...

The yellow rubber duck started off as a simple floating bath toy for children, but has evolved into a pop culture icon. The toy's popularity is used to raise money for charities around the world...

The art of making dolls has been around for centuries. Through the years a variety of products, depending on what was available at the time, were used to create them. Early dolls were made from...

LEGO rubber band cars are a fun but simple machine young children can build for fun and experimentation. After the car is built, it can be used in classrooms to demonstrate simple physics to ages...

Looking for a great activity for the kids? Feeling cooped up, out of ideas? Are you tired of them using all your copy paper for paper airplanes? Make a fleet of airplace shooters out of your...

Rubber balls, otherwise known as bouncy balls, are a exciting toy for any child. Bouncy balls can keep a child entertained for hours as he can play by himself or with another friend.

American Girl dolls are expensive. But your daughter loves to play with her, dress her up and brush her hair. Is her dolls hair beyond frizzy? Use these tips to give her a healthy brushing that...

There is a very good chance that at some point, either while you were at school or sitting in your cubicle at work, you picked up a rubber band and shot it at someone from your finger. It is all...

The art of dollmaking has expanded in the modern age, from traditional cloth and clay creations to durable, plastic-based vinyl and resin figures. Although many hobbyist dollmakers have, in the...

Rubber band guns have been a popular toy since the early part of the 20th century when they were developed as a cheap toy made out of easily obtained materials. Building a rubber band gun is a fun...

A rubber band racer is a toy vehicle typically made out of household items. The only power source for the vehicle are rubber bands. Rubber band racer kits can also be found at various websites and...

A sling shot is a Y shaped piece of wood or plastic with a rubber strip attached to each fork of the Y. The rubber strips connect to a piece of leather which acts as a pouch to hold ammunition in...

Flight has always fascinated human kind. Spanning from Leonardo da Vinci's sketches of "flying machines" to the Wright brothers, man's mind has taken to the sky. The Wright brothers were given a...

Lots of kids want a rifle or BB gun well before they are old enough to be responsible for them. Wooden rubber-band guns are a safer and less expensive source of fun. They're simple to make and you...

Some of the most popular rubber band launchers on the market are those that are made in the shape and style of pistols. If you are looking for a pistol-shaped rubber band launcher that is easy to...

With toy aisles stocked with overpriced merchandise that, once played with, leads to inevitable boredom, many parents are turning to the toys of yesteryear as an alternative. Luckily, many of...

Rubber duckies are fun -- for babies and children, even for adults and certainly for the avid collectors around the world who continue to seek new models. The proof is in promotional rubber...

Whether they are solid rubber or filled with air, rubber balls are generally constructed in multiple parts which are then attached to each other (though some smaller rubber balls may be molded...

It's play time, by rediscovering the abandon of play, you can reduce stress, improve your mental health and take a well needed time out. We see children do it all the time, jump ropes, create...

Powered by just a little tension energy, the rubber band balsa airplane is an experiment that can teach any kid the fundamentals of flight.

K'nex is a brand of construction toy similar to Legos. However, unlike other traditional building block systems, K'nex uses a series of plastic rods that are connected by stationary plastic joints...

The slingshot is synonymous with little boys and trouble. On television, it has been carried by Bart Simpson on "The Simpsons," Opie Taylor on "The Andy Griffith Show" and Dennis the Menace. The...

Have some fun with a rubber-band-powered toy car. This car moves without electricity (batteries) and can help you teach children about momentum and energy. Plus, they'll learn about making their...

If you've ever wanted to make a fart machine, but didn't know how, now you can make one with simple objects. It only requires a minute, is real quick and simple, and it's guaranteed to make people...

The standard-size wrestling ring you see on TV (or in person) measures about 15-feet by 15-feet in area, which provides plenty of room for large men and svelte women to hurl each other around. If...

Whether you're bored and looking to pass the time, or just looking for a use for a dried-up pen, a rubber band-powered pen gun is a simple and enjoyable craft activity. It requires minimal...

While the specific mechanisms vary from wind-up toy to wind-up toy, all of these types of playthings work on the same fundamental energy principle: potential energy. When you wind up the toy, the...

Children love pretend play. Even children without access to toy guns will use their hands or a stick to play cops and robbers or cowboys and Indians. It is important, however, to ensure that a toy...

The rubber ball has been a favorite toy for generations of children. They love to incorporate rubber balls into games and playground activities. Once assumed to be a relatively recent innovation,...

Spring rain brings puddles... And where you find puddles, you'll find kids! Have fun in the puddles that spring brings by making a puddle paddle boat! This activity is a fun way to experiment...

A ping pong ball launcher is a really cool gadget for kids. There are not a whole lot of supplies required. The instructions are fairly simple. Once completed, you can create a competition to see...

Are you looking for a fun and unusual craft for your children? This Water Balloon Yo-Yo is the perfect outdoor activity for any age. Sit back and watch the fun (just don't sit too close). :D

Making a toy musical instrument, like a banjo, is a fun and easy craft that you can have your youngster help you with. Kids love hand crafts and will probably enjoy making the banjo as much as...

Switchblade knives are dangerous weapons and are banned by many state and federal laws. But you can make a harmless switchblade in just a few minutes with two ice-cream sticks or Popsicle sticks...

Slings were used all the time as weapons back in ancient days. Even David used one to kill Goliath in the Bible. Nowadays children like to make them for fun. They can set up soda cans and...

The most basic flying toy is the glider. Whether it takes the form of a flying disk, flying ring or a traditional airplane, the principles are still the same. The highest level of flying toy is...

You can make your own rubber ball with Borax and glue and other ingredients you might already have around the house. This fun scientific experiment yields a bouncing rubber ball that can be...

Long a staple in bathtubs across the country, rubber duckies are becoming increasingly popular as décor and even as fashion accessories. Let's just say that they have come a long way.

This interesting toy can be constructed from generally available household materials, or with items that can be obtained at most craft or hobby supply stores. With adult supervision, the rubber...

Rubber snakes can be used for entertainment, display and protection. Find a healthy person who you'd like to target, then strategically position the rubber snake. If you're creative enough to set...

"Yo Joe" and "Knowing Is Half the Battle!" means much to the children of the '80s. GI Joe was more than just a comic book and cartoon, it was a series of action figures that helped raise a...

A Whoopee Cushion is a gag toy. A person sits on top of the cushion and it makes a sound like a raspberry. The idea is for the individual to activate the cushion unwittingly. Learn how to make...

Begin by either saving or buying rubber bands of all sizes, widths and colors. Starting one is simple, and making one is fun. Make Rubber band ball in any size, with the smaller ones being the...