A pinwheel is a simple child's
toy made of a
wheel
A wheel is a rotating component (typically circular in shape) that is intended to turn on an axle Bearing (mechanical), bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the Simple machine, six simple machin ...
of paper or plastic curls attached at its
axle
An axle or axletree is a central shaft for a rotation, rotating wheel and axle, wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In ...
to a stick by a pin. It is designed to
spin when blown upon by a person or by the
wind
Wind is the natural movement of atmosphere of Earth, air or other gases relative to a planetary surface, planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heatin ...
.
History
A similar toy had developed independently in
Polynesia
Polynesia ( , ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of more than 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are called Polynesians. They have many things in ...
(known as ''pekapeka'' or ''peʻapeʻa'') using either coconut palm leaflets or strips of
pandanus leaves; in colder climates like that of New Zealand (the toy also called ''pepepe'' in
Māori),
phormium leaves are used.
Today's most popular style of pinwheels is rooted in
East Asia
East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...
. The design for example is typical of a japanese
origami folding technique for a pinwheel.
During the nineteenth century in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, any wind-driven toy held aloft by a running child was characterized as a
whirligig, including pinwheels. Pinwheels provided many children with numerous minutes of enjoyment and amusement.
See also
*
List of toys
References
External links
How to Make a Pinwheelat
wikiHow
wikiHow is an online wiki-style publication featuring informational articles and quizzes on a variety of topics. Founded in 2005 by Internet entrepreneur Jack Herrick, its aim is to create an extensive database of instructional content, using ...
Traditional toys
Paper toys
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