Spirograph Jr.

Product Information

A Spirograph is a geometric drawing toy that originates from the Victorian era. Mathematician Bruno Abdank-Abakanowicz first invented the Spirograph sometime between 1881 and 1900, as a way of drawing spirals. But the Spirograph that we know and love today, was developed by engineer Denys Fisher in the mid-sixties, and was advertised as a way to draw “a million marvellous patterns”. Which, given the number of combinations possible, isn’t far from the truth! How does a Spirograph work? To create designs, wheels are placed either within or along the outside of the plate or ring. Plates and rings have teeth on the outside and inside edge. Consequently, wheels can be used on either side. Plates and rings are held in place using Spiro-putty, magnets, or pins. Try to keep the pressure as even as possible, as this will help you to maintain a consistent speed. This is important as it helps to avoid your pen slipping. The Spirograph has been around since the mid 60s, putting it firmly in the class of being a 'retro' toy, but it's never really gone out of fashion. The clever cog and ring design can help even the most art-shy user create stunning patterns just by having a steady hand.

Instead of looking at specific developmental areas that children might need help with, look at their interests and how those interests can be incorporated into the toy. This will ensure that play and learn go hand in hand, allowing learning toys to develop important skills in children during their play-time.Spirograph sets come with at least one pen; some sets include two or three. By using the pens included with the set, you’re assured that they will fit in the wheel holes. However, you can use any pen or pencil that fits in the wheel hole, whether it came with the set or not. Each Spirograph wheel has several holes into which you place a pencil or pen to create a design. Some sets have larger holes than others, and newer sets tend to have larger holes than older sets. Larger holes allow for the use of a greater variety of writing instruments. While small holes limit instrument choice, they hold the pen or pencil tighter, which can make drawing easier. Jumbo-sized pieces make creating Spirograph® art fun and easy for little hands, and an easy-to-carry drawing tablet doubles as a work station and handy storage case to keep everything neat. When you're shopping educational toys for your child, the first thing to consider is the age of the toy. Educational toys should be age appropriate, otherwise they will not be helpful in developing skills or learning concepts.

For example, if you are buying a toy for a toddler that is too advanced, they may get bored and turn to other activities while they wait for the toy to be played with. Thus, early learning toys are appropriate for toddlers, instead of too complex toys. When starting out with a new configuration, take it slow. Keep the rotations as slow as possible to allow the muscle memory in your hand to develop. Then gradually increase speed as you feel more confident with that configuration. Try to concentrate on moving your pen with the gear, in the direction that the gear is rolling – rather than how the design is developing. Doing this will help you get used to the motion needed to create that design. Calling all aspiring artists! Now even the youngest creative minds can make amazing designs with the Spirograph® Jr. design set!Keep your pen as vertical as possible when drawing, as this will help the gears to move around the ring as smoothly as possible. Shaped wheels: Shaped wheels come in a wide variety of shapes, including bar, quad, triangle, and oval. Like the round wheels, shaped versions also have multiple holes to vary the design. Spirographs can produce a multitude of different interesting and intricate patterns, but did you know that these patterns have a special name? The geometric drawings that a Spirograph makes are mathematical curves known as epitrochoids and hypotrochoids.