When a boy in ancient Greece reached a certain age, he was required to give up a number of his childhood toys to the gods. Some of these sacrifices were beautifully painted terra cotta yo-yos, the oldest such toys found in museums. Of course, yo-yos made of clay are entirely impractical, and odds are Grecian children actually played with "whirligigs" made of wood and metal, whereas the fancy ones only existed for rites of passage. The...Continue Reading