Whirlpool Humming Spinner

"Whirlpool Humming Spinner. RCA Whirlpool Home Appliances. Spin it!"

This 1960s advertising giveaway came with string and instructions for removing the pre-punched center disk, opening holes to thread the string through, and pulling on both ends of the string in order to spin the disk, which produced a humming or whirring sound (the illustrations of the boy and girl show how this worked). Homemade "button buzzer" versions use a button instead of a cardboard disk.

I was surprised to discover that this toy has a long and varied lineage. As Wikipedia explains in its buzzer (whirligig) article, "A buzzer (buzz, bullroarer, button-on-a-string) is an ancient mechanical device used for ceremonial purposes and as a toy. It is constructed by centering an object at the midpoint of a cord or thong and winding the cord while holding the ends stationary. The object is whirled by alternately pulling and releasing the tension on the cord. The whirling object makes a buzzing or humming sound, giving the device its common name."

Wikipedia also mentions that Native American made buzzers out of wood, bone, and stone for use in ceremonies and as toys as far back as 500 B.C. It's amazing to think that counterparts to the Whirlpool Humming Spinner were in existence more than twenty-five hundred years ago!