Science Toy Review

Manufacturer: Tedco Toys

This has got to be one of the most original engineering toys ever. Gyroscopes themselves have been around since the early 1800’s, but it took someone from the Chandler Company to turn it into a simple child’s toy (about 70 years ago). I picked one up with some other science kits recently and spent a couple hours one night experimenting with it.

While I had seen them around as a kid, I never owned a gyroscope until now. And I have to say, it’s kind of fun. It’s not like a Slinky and won’t walk downstairs, alone or in pairs, but it will balance on the tip of a pencil or on a string. And it will keep most kids entertained for a while. Maybe not “hours of fun” but certainly minutes of fun. And maybe over the course of a few months, you might cumulatively play with it for a couple of hours.

Recommendation: If you’ve never had one, pick one up. If you had one as a kid, it’ll probably bring back some fond memories. For the relatively low price, they’re a pretty neat toy.