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How to Use a Whirligig

A whirligig is a homemade toy consisting of a length of string threaded through the two holes in a large button and tied in a continuous loop. When the string is wound up, then pulled apart, then brought back in repeatedly, the button spins quickly, winding and unwinding the string again and again. As a craft toy, the whirligig has perhaps been around long before buttons were commonly used. Evidence indicates that whirligigs were common toys for many centuries in cultures around the world, according to the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention.

Things You'll Need

String, 3 to 4 ft. long
Large button with two holes

Instructions

- 1
  Insert the string through one of the holes in the button, then back through the other hole. Tie the ends of the string together to form a loop.
- 2
  Hook your fingers onto the string loop on either side of the button so the button rests in the center of the string.
- 3
  Swing the button around in a circle to twist the string loop. Pull outward quickly to unwind the string, then inward to allow the movement of the button to wind the string up again.
- 4
  Pull out on the string again when the button stops spinning to unwind the string in the opposite direction, then in again to allow the button to wind the string again. Repeat this step to keep the button moving.

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