June 6 - Yo-Yo Day

June 6 is the day to “Walk the Dog”, “Go Around the World” , don’t forget to “Rock the Baby” , because it’s YO-YO DAY!



This is the birthday of the Donald Duncan who popularized yo-yos in the USA. Donald Duncan saw a yo-yo for the first time in the 1920s. A Filipino-American, Pedro Flores, mass-produced the toys in California. He bought Flores’ yo-yo factory and hired Flores to take the yo-yo all around America. Flores held competitions in all the states he visited. Children loved the yo-yo and Duncan’s business went from strength to strength.

Of course there were ups and downs before yo-yoing became an American pastime. Any story about yo-yos would not be complete without a little up-and-down joke. Yo-yos are very popular today, schools have Yo-Yo clubs and competitions.

The true history of the Yo-Yo goes back several thousand years. It is thought to have originated in China. From here, it travelled to Greece. Records from the ancient Greek Empire, around 5000BC, describe a circular toy made of wood. Yo-yos maybe the second oldest toy, next to dolls.

There are lots of cool facts about Yo-Yos:
Big-Yo, the largest working yo-yo weighs 256 pounds and is on display at at the Yo-yo Museum in Chico, California.

The highest price paid for a Yo-yo was 16,029.00. It was signed by former president Richard Nixon and presented to Roy Acuff at the Grand Ole Opry in 1974, it was sold in the Acuff Estate Auction.

To celebrate National Yo-Yo Day, here is a brainteaser for you...

Unscramble the names of these 15 Yo-Yo Tricks or Positions. The # in brackets behind is the number of words in the name and the beginning lettre of each word is capitalized. Some are old faithful tricks, others are brand new and some are adaptation of oldies.

PM me your answers before June 15 and your name will go in a RAK draw from me!!! Have fun!

1. FooccospylpriG (2)
2. irOeLeToldsFfh (4)
3. WektsitdrUbrneaeaBavWneg (4)
4. eopTzellroFwa (2)
5. eepsrel (1)
6. TodhAWrordlune (3)
7. PshiaplicWt (2)
8. isdiuec (1)
9. kaSvaleWc (2)
10. dHmeaHoaikso (2)
11. kDhlgToeaW (3)
12. IiendRrgnGnnri (3)
13. rfeatallw (1)
14. amaianJlgacF (2)
15. TDgunnieeabrllGeoer (3)

I have checked them twice, so I hope I have got the mis-spelling right.

While you waiting to get your words unscrambled, please share a yo-yo memory, if you have a Yo-Yo at your house share a pic or any pictures with a Yo-YO.

I remember my DB and I having Yo-Yos, mine was yellow and DB was green. Neither one of us were very good in the tricks department. We probably spent more time wrapping the string around the Yo-Yo than anything else.

I cut the string off mine, so we could play Cat's Cradle. Dad was not impressed, when I wanted him to fix it!!!

At a camp I worked I. The summers we always seem to take to a children's toy each year. As a counsellor I was one of the first to play along (I was 15 at the time). Yep - yos were the toy the first year I worked! Loved them. I had a red and yellow yo-yo. They were fun. I didn't go far without mine as it could go anywhere, stick it in your pocket and away you go. I learned a few tricks that year....walk the dog, zipper and well....I can't remember the third one.....that may be because on our breaks we would go to the bars and use them for drinking games....something I would not recommend- when the zipper returns and bonks you on the brain it hurts!

Taking them to the bars at .... 15, Tarah!

TFS your YO-Yo Tale!

Tarah... you bad girl you!!

Linda my memories are like yours. I spent more time wrapping the string than anything!!

I do know that the yo yos that are at the Dollarama don't work as good as they used to! Either that or I'm less coordinated...

Which one do you think is more likely??

those are some pretty tricky words! I'll have to do some research.

Cool challenge!!! I had a yoyo.. a red wooden one, and my sister and I would have competitions all year with them when we were little... a log time ago... I sucked at it, but my sister was amazing.. (I wouldn't have told her this then) and to this day she still spins a wicked aroiund the world!!!

I think you need to spend a bit to get a good yo-yo these days. Dollar store ones won't cut it.

Benjamin learned a few tricks with his, and so did Timothy. The other two weren't really interested.

Sent mine....that was a learning experience...I never knew there were so many tricks with interesting names. LOL!

lirose wrote:

Taking them to the bars at .... 15, Tarah!

TFS your YO-Yo Tale!

That is the true picture of a child in a place they ought not to be!. ...lol

Lisa L. wrote:

Sent mine....that was a learning experience...I never knew there were so many tricks with interesting names. LOL!

Got them, Thanks Lisa!!!

I put in the capitals to make it a little easier, I remember Twas the Night Before Christmas scrambled words!!!

Wowsers Lisa.. you area fast.. I have 5 only!!! LOL!

Sent mine!

I had a friend who did yo yo tricks when we were 13 or so. He was showing off in my garage and hit himself in the face with the yo yo. It was hilarious but the poor guy got hurt pretty bad so we had to run for the ice. Come to think of it, he showed off a lot and often got hurt as a result. Great friend, though!

Enjoyed your game, Linda!

I was never one for yo-yos. There was always one kicking around the house but no one really knew how to do anything cool with them. Most of our children have tried them but as said above - they were just cheap ones so the kids spent most of their time winding them!

I have Jerusha's and Jessica's. Thanks, ladies!!!

We had yo-yos as kids too & played with them at recess but I was never real good at it. My oldest son was quite good but wasn't interested in it for long. One year when we were in Las Vegas they were selling them at a show we were at they had lights in them. They were cool so I bought them for $5 each, came home & found them at a store for $2!! Kids liked then for a couple af days!! Think I may still have one somewhere in the basement...

Victoria

I don't remember having a yo-yo as a kid. We did buy them for our kids and tried playing with them and showing them how to use them without much success.Seems like you all we spent lots of time winding them back up! Could call that fun.

Just sent my answers to you, Linda.

Thanks, Pat!

I have Lisa, Jerusha, Jessica and Pat.

The winner is Jerusha.  i will get it in the mail this week!

 Jerusha!

WTG Jerusha!!!