Spinning

A "Family Day" event at the Washington County Museum today was a great opportunity to let the kids explore a museum. But when the kids got there, instead of seeing art, they focused on the kids' craft tables. They created a spinning toy by coloring a small wooden disc and then inserting a string through two holes in the disc. With each hand holding a part of the string with the disc in the middle, the kids then spun the disc by using both hands to twirl the string (to wind the disc) and then pulling occasionally on the string (to unwind).

I recall making this "spinner" toy as a child by finding a metal soda bottle cap and pounding it until it was a flat, round metal disc. I continued by punching out two holes in the metal disc for the string to go through. Then it was "spinning" time with friends who also made their "spinner." We were kids, but we felt pride in creating something worthwhile from something that would have been thrown away. Perhaps for us, this was the beginning in understanding what it meant to create something and to take pride in it.