Yo-Yo Celebration!!

By Diane Forrest

Have you ever rocked the baby, walked the dog and gone around the world in one afternoon?  You could have if you know a little bit about a yo-yo.  These are a few of the many tricks you can do with a yo-yo.

Did you know that the yo-yo is the world's second oldest toy?  Many believe the origins of the yo-yo were as early as 500 to 1000 B.C.  The picture above shows a young boy playing with one in 400 B.C.

In 1923, Pedro Flores, a man of Filipino descent, began building yo-yos in America. He built the yo-yos by hand, and discovered that America's youth were fascinated with them. In 1928, Flores built the first yo-yo factory, mass-producing the toys in California. He also began to hold yo-yo competitions to promote the toys, which started the first round of yo-yo mania in the United States.

Donald F. Duncan Sr. first saw yo-yos in action around the time Flores began to hold competitions. He noticed how quickly the toys captured the interest of kids and decided to get into the business of making yo-yos. In 1930, Duncan bought out Flores, who was then hired to run Duncan's promotional campaigns.  For the next 25 years Duncan's yo-yos were made of wood, then he partnered with another company in 1955 to make them from plastic.  Due to the popularity of this toy, this day, National Yo-Yo day is in honor of Donald Duncan whose birthday was today.

To celebrate yo-yo day, why not find your old one and try to remember some of the tricks you learned as a kid.

(Images from Google)

Celebrating Yo-Yo Day

(Google Image) 

By Diane Forrest

Have you ever rocked the baby, walked the dog and gone around the world in one afternoon?  You could have it know a little bit about a yo-yo.  These are a few of the many tricks you can do with a yo-yo.

(Google Image) 

Did you know that the yo-yo is the world's second oldest toy?  Many believe the origins of the yo-yo were as early as 500 to 1000 B.C.  The picture above shows a young boy playing with one in 400 B.C.

(Google Image) 

In 1923, Pedro Flores, a man of Filipino descent, began building yo-yos in America. He built the yo-yos by hand, and discovered that America's youth were fascinated with them. In 1928, Flores built the first yo-yo factory, mass producing the toys in California. He also began to hold yo-yo competitions to promote the toys, which started the first round of yo-yo mania in the United States.

(Google Image) 

Donald F. Duncan Sr. first saw yo-yos in action around the time Flores began to hold competitions. He noticed how quickly the toys captured the interest of kids and decided to get into the business of making yo-yos. In 1930, Duncan bought out Flores, who was then hired to run Duncan's promotional campaigns.  For the next 25 years Duncan's yo-yo's were made of wood, then he partnered with another company in 1955 to make them from plastic.  Due to the popularity of this toy, this day, National Yo-Yo day is in honor of Donald Duncan who's birthday was today.

(Google Image) 

To celebrate yo-yo day, why not find your old one and try to remember some of the tricks you learned as a kid.  I have to admit that I was all feet when it came to playing with this toy, but Im brave enough to give it another try.

(Google Image) 

Yo-Yo Day

What better excuse than today to dig out your old yo-yo toy and show off your talents, it is National Yo-Yo Day! Did you know that the yo-yo is considered the second oldest toy in history?

In ancient Greece, it was originally made of wood, metal, and terra cotta and the Greeks would decorate the outside of the Yo-Yo with pictures of their gods. As children began to enter adulthood during these ancient times, it became tradition for them to place their yo-yos on the family alter to pay homage as a rite of passage.

Since their early days, yo-yos have continued to be a beloved toy for people of all ages to enjoy. The yo-yo did not become popular in America though until the 1860's. Philippine immigrant Pedro Flores began manufacturing the toy at his small factory in California and it was soon shipped nationally. U.S. Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon were all big fans of the yo-yo; they were known to show off their skills in the White House while they were in office.

Enjoy a day of celebration today with this remarkable and historic toy. You could even host your own yo-yo competition to see who of your friends truly has the most talent!