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Mechanical Toys for Kids

Video games and other electronic toys are all the rage right now, but there is something fascinating about mechanical toys. Not only can you take them anywhere, but they are also toys that people of all ages seem to enjoy. Just trying to figure out how they operate can sometimes make them interesting. Not only can you purchase such toys, but they can also be built as well. Building them would make them even more special to those who received them.

Educational Mechanical Toys
- Robots are one example of a mechanical toy.
  
  Learning how things work in the real world can be achieved by understanding how mechanical toys work. Gears, cogs, springs or whatever else is used in the toys are often the same types of workings in the machinery of today and yesterday. Lessons in physics, reaction and math can also be taught through such toys. Brain Wave Toys offers educational mechanical toys. They carry a wide variety, everything from trains and robots to car kits and motors.
Making Mechanical Toys
- Some people craft their own mechanical toys from wood.
  
  Making your own mechanical toys can be just a hobby or made into a side business. Designs range from the very basic to very intricate, so if you've never tried this before, make sure to start with something simple. Automata offers mechanical toy instruction CDs and PDF links that teach you how to design and build your Automata or mechanical toy yourself. The National Geographic Store also offers a kit called the Wacky Wigglers Mechanical Toy Set, which has plastic pieces and is battery operated.
Windup Toys
- Chattering teeth is one type of windup toy.
  
  Windup toys have been around since many of our great grandparents were kids. They are easy to play with anywhere and most kids enjoy their simplicity. Many such toys were made of tin back then and they have been quite collectible over the years. For those who like the toys, but aren't interested in collecting, there are a few companies that still make them the same way. One such company is Tin Man Tin Toys.
Battery Operated
- Battery-operated toys usually have electronic features
  
  While some toys run off of manpower or being wound up, others run on batteries, alhough many of today's battery-operated toys are from the 1950s or are copies of what was big back then. Companies such as Retro Planet offer toys like battery-operated dogs and planes that are mechanical and look just like the originals. It becomes more and more difficult to find quality toys of this type except in museums, but there are still some available if you know where to look.

Childrens Toys