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This toy was called a bullroarer. A pioneer child would
spin the flat piece of wood on a string around and around, either above the head or in
front of the body. When spun fast enough, the bullroarer would make a loud, roaring
noise. |
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The climbing bear is a simple yet fun toy. To make the
bear climb, pull on one string at a time quickly. Soon the bear will reach the top. |
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The dancing man performs right in front of your eyes without
you having to do much. When the man is pushed up and down on the platform, he looks
and sounds like he is tap dancing. |
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This toy resembles the cup and ball which children still play
with today. The objective is to swing the loop and catch it on the tall branch of
the stick. |
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One kind of pioneer puzzle was made out of two horseshoes
chained together and a metal ring in between. To win, you must get the ring loose
from the horseshoe and chain combination. |
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The whimmydiddle was made from two sticks. One has a
spinning propeller at the end and both sticks are grooved. When you rub the two
together quickly, the propeller spins. |
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This toy is one of the most challenging of them all. It
is called a mountain bolo and to play it properly you have to get the two bone weights at
each end of a string to spin in opposite directions at the same time without colliding. |
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The buzzsaw is a toy made from a string and a big
button. The string is tied in a loop with the button in the middle. You wind
up the string, then pull and release the ends to make the button spin in the center.
Some buzzsaws made a noise. |
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Pioneers took many animals with them on the trail, including
cows, dogs, horses, oxen and sometimes donkeys. Even though the animals had as much
hard work to do as the people, pioneer children could sometimes play with them, as
children today play with their pets. |
