Homeschool Science: Yo-yos and Spinning Tops

Exploring a spinning top can do more than entertain. The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago shares a great activity that shows how weight distribution and design can change how long a spinner resists gravity and stays upright. These simple DIY projects, from toothpick tops to circle spinners made of cereal boxes and pennies, make an excellent starting point for a spinning tops science lesson at home.

If you want to go a step further, TryEngineering offers a detailed guide for tinkering with tops that walks learners through designing and testing their own spinners. This hands-on challenge is a natural fit for homeschool science, encouraging creativity and experimentation. Students will be able to explore the history of the spinning top, learn about the types and elements of a top, and experiment with how small changes in balance or shape affect stability and spin time.

You can explore physics even further by examining how yo-yos work. Learn how they transform potential energy into kinetic energy, and how concepts like torque and rotational inertia are at play every time a yo-yo moves up and down its string. Linking the tricks—like “Walk the Dog” or “Around the World”—to physics makes for exciting yo-yo STEM experiments. Students can test, time, and compare tricks while learning why each motion looks and feels different.

This video from Scitech’s Toy Tear Down breaks down the physics in a way that’s fun and accessible. It even explores how the concepts relate to modern space exploration.

Take your yo-yo studies even farther with these six yo-yo tricks every beginner should learn and develop some practical skills to pair with the science.

Gravity, inertia, tension, and angular momentum aren’t abstract ideas when you’re experimenting with a yo-yo or designing the longest-spinning top. Whether you lean into tinkering, tricks, or testing spin times, these toys offer an engaging way to turn everyday play into memorable homeschool science.