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How to Make a Spinning Top From a CD

Children have been making spinning tops from scraps and bits of junk for hundreds of years. Visit a village in Africa or India and you will find creative kids spinning tops made from cans, wood and discarded CDs. Producing a homemade spinning top from a CD and a few other household items requires access to a drill and glue, in addition to the ability to work with care and attention to detail.

Things You'll Need

Old CD
Sharp pencil
Card stock
Thin, 2-inch wooden disk
Electric drill
Wood glue
Empty jar

Instructions

- 1
  Push a pencil through a piece of stiff card to make a tight-fitting hole. Carefully remove the pencil, then match drill bits to the hole until you find one that fits perfectly. Using the drill bit, create a hole the exact diameter of your pencil through the center of a thin wooden disk.
- 2
  Place the CD, shiny side down, on a flat surface. Glue the wooden disk to the exact center of the CD. Line up the hole in the wooden disk with the center of the hole in the CD to align it correctly. Allow the glue to dry.
- 3
  Turn over the CD so the shiny side is up and the wooden disk is underneath. Rest it on top of an empty jar. Apply glue to the hole. Push about 1 inch of the pencil through the center hole to form a spindle. Adjust the pencil until it is at a 90-degree angle to the CD and points straight up. Allow the glue to dry.
- 4
  Remove the finished spinning top from the jar. Place the pencil point on a flat surface and rapidly spin the spindle between your hands. The momentum produced by the spinning will enable the top to stand upright while it spins.

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