June 6 – National Yo-Yo Day

National Yo-Yo Day is today!

Playing with a yo-yo is more than just a simple pastime – it’s an art form that brings joy to countless people. There’s something exhilarating about the sensation of the toy whirling up and down the string as it dances to the rhythm of your hand. The beauty of the yo-yo lies in its versatility; it can be used for basic tricks like the sleeper or walk the dog, or for more complex maneuvers like the Buddha’s revenge or the matrix.

But it’s not just about the tricks – there’s a meditative quality to the way the yo-yo moves that can be both calming and invigorating. Watching the yo-yo spin, twist, and turn is a hypnotic experience that can help you forget about the stressors of everyday life. For those who have yet to dip their toes in the world of yo-yo, take the plunge – your mind (and hands) will thank you!

NATIONAL YO-YO DAY: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE YO-YO

The first recorded evidence of the yo-yo is believed to be from ancient Greece in 500BC, where a terracotta figurine was discovered holding a yo-yo-like object. The toy then popped up again in the Philippines in the 16th century, where it was used as a hunting weapon and entertainment for children.

It wasn’t until the early 1900s when the yo-yo as we know it today was patented and popularized by Pedro Flores, who started selling them in his small Velarde Avenue shop in California. From there, the yo-yo has become a global phenomenon, with countless competitions, tricks, and even a National Yo-Yo Museum dedicated to its history and impact. It’s fascinating to think that such a simple toy has such a deep and varied past.

100 IMPRESSIVE YO-YO MOVES

Advanced Brain Twister: A complex yo-yo trick involving multiple string wraps and precision control.
Atom Smasher: A fast-paced trick where the yo-yo travels in a tight orbit, resembling atomic particles.
Barrel Roll: A maneuver where the yo-yo rolls around the hand in a barrel-like motion.
Black Hops: A series of consecutive high jumps and catches, demonstrating skill and agility.
Boingy Boing: A visually striking trick where the yo-yo bounces rapidly between strings.
Boomerang: A trick where the yo-yo travels in an arc away from the thrower and returns.
Buddha’s Revenge: A complex trick involving intricate string formations resembling Buddhist symbols.
Candy Rain: A playful trick where the yo-yo moves in a cascading motion, reminiscent of falling candy.
Cat’s Cradle: A classic string formation where the yo-yo is manipulated between intersecting strings.
Chinese Yo-Yo: A traditional yo-yo style originating from China, often featuring acrobatic and rhythmic elements.
Cold Fusion: A challenging trick involving a series of string wraps and intricate maneuvers.
Crazy Eight: A fun and dynamic trick where the yo-yo traces the figure-eight pattern in the air.
Double Dragon: A trick where two yo-yos are manipulated simultaneously, showcasing coordination and skill.
Double or Nothing: A fundamental trick where the yo-yo is looped around the index finger twice before returning.
Eiffel Tower: A visually striking trick where the yo-yo forms a shape resembling the iconic landmark.
Elevator: A trick where the yo-yo moves up and down the string in a controlled manner, resembling an elevator ride.
Eli Hops: A high-energy trick featuring consecutive hops and catches with the yo-yo.
Fisherman: A trick where the yo-yo is manipulated with a smooth, flowing motion resembling fishing.
Forward Pass: A basic yo-yo throw where the yo-yo travels away from the thrower and returns.
Freehand: A style of yo-yo play where the string is not attached to the player’s finger, allowing for more complex maneuvers.
Gyroscopic Flop: A visually impressive trick where the yo-yo appears to float and spin in mid-air.
Hook: A trick where the yo-yo is caught on a string segment and redirected in a different direction.
Hop the Fence: A trick where the yo-yo jumps over the user’s opposite hand, demonstrating timing and precision.
Iron Whip: A trick involving a fast and controlled whip motion with the yo-yo string.
Jade Whip: A trick where the yo-yo is whipped around the user’s hand in a graceful motion.
Jacobs Ladder: A string formation resembling a ladder, created by manipulating the yo-yo through intricate motions.
Kamikaze: A complex trick involving multiple string wraps and rapid movements, demonstrating advanced skill.
Keychain: A trick where the yo-yo is manipulated with small, precise movements resembling a keychain.
Kwyjibo: A trick sequence involving several hops, pops, and string mounts, requiring precise timing and coordination.
Ladder Escape: A trick where the yo-yo moves through a series of string formations resembling a ladder.
Magic Drop: A trick where the yo-yo drops off the string and re-mounts in a different formation, creating a magical effect.
Man on the Flying Trapeze: A classic trick where the yo-yo swings back and forth on a single string segment.
Matrix: A visually stunning trick where the yo-yo passes through a triangle-shaped string formation.
Ninja Vanish: A trick where the yo-yo disappears from one string segment and reappears on another, creating a vanish-like effect.
Orca’s Arm: A trick involving intricate string formations resembling the arm of an Orca whale.
Over the Falls: A trick where the yo-yo moves in a circular motion resembling a waterfall.
Pinwheel: A trick where the yo-yo spins rapidly in a circular motion around the user’s hand.
Plan D: A challenging trick sequence involving multiple string mounts and transitions, showcasing advanced yo-yo skills.
Plastic Whip: A trick where the yo-yo is whipped around the user’s hand with precision and control.
Pop the Clutch: A trick where the yo-yo is released and immediately caught, creating a popping sound.
Quadruple or Nothing: A variation of the Double or Nothing trick, involving four loops around the index finger before returning.
Ripcord: A trick where the yo-yo is launched from a spinning motion, resembling the release of a ripcord.
Rock the Baby: A classic trick where the yo-yo is rocked back and forth in a cradle-like motion.
Round the World: A basic trick where the yo-yo travels in a circular motion around the user’s body.
Skin the Gerbil: A trick involving intricate string formations and rapid movements resembling the movements of a gerbil.
Sleeping Beauty: A trick where the yo-yo spins at the end of the string without returning, resembling a sleeping beauty.
Slack Trapeze: A variation of the Trapeze trick where the string is slackened, allowing for more dynamic movements.
Spirit Bomb: An advanced trick involving complex string formations and rapid movements, creating a mesmerizing effect.
Split the Atom: A trick where the yo-yo is split into multiple segments and reassembled, showcasing precision and control.
Stop and Go: A trick where the yo-yo is stopped mid-motion and then restarted, creating a stop-and-go effect.
Suicide Catch: A daring trick where the yo-yo is released and caught mid-air, demonstrating skill and timing.
Superman: A visually impressive trick where the yo-yo spins horizontally above the user’s hand, resembling the flight of Superman.
Trapeze: A fundamental trick where the yo-yo lands on a single string segment, forming a triangular shape.
Tidal Wave: A trick where the yo-yo moves in a wave-like motion, resembling the ebb and flow of the tide.
Trick Ladder: A series of progressively difficult yo-yo tricks arranged in a ladder-like sequence, used for competition and skill-building.
Undermount: A trick where the yo-yo passes underneath the user’s opposite hand, creating a unique mount.
UFO: A trick where the yo-yo spins horizontally on the string, resembling an unidentified flying object.
Waterfall: A trick where the yo-yo travels in a cascading motion, resembling the flow of water down a waterfall.
Warp Drive: A fast and dynamic trick where the yo-yo moves with rapid acceleration and speed.
Zipper: A trick where the yo-yo moves rapidly up and down the string, resembling the movement of a zipper.
Zenith Spin: A smooth and controlled trick where the yo-yo spins at the zenith of its trajectory, showcasing balance and precision.
Advanced Flying Saucer: A trick where the yo-yo spins horizontally while being manipulated by the user’s fingers, resembling a flying saucer.
Around the World: A trick where the yo-yo travels in a complete circle around the user’s body before returning.
Atomic Bomb: A trick where the yo-yo is thrown downward with force, bouncing back up into the user’s hand.
Axel Flywheel: A trick where the yo-yo spins horizontally on a single string segment while being manipulated by the user’s fingers.
Basket Stall: A trick where the yo-yo is caught on a string segment and balanced on the user’s hand, resembling a basket.
Bermuda Triangle: A trick involving intricate string formations resembling the shape of a triangle, with the yo-yo spinning inside.
Brent Stole: A trick where the yo-yo is thrown into a small loop of string and caught on the opposite side, creating a stole-like effect.
Buzzsaw: A trick where the yo-yo spins rapidly on a single string segment, resembling the motion of a buzzsaw.
Corkscrew: A trick where the yo-yo spins in a spiral motion around the user’s hand, resembling the motion of a corkscrew.
Cross-Arm Trapeze: A variation of the Trapeze trick where the yo-yo is landed on the string segment crossed over the opposite arm.
Dizzy Baby: A trick where the yo-yo spins rapidly in a circular motion above the user’s hand, creating a dizzying effect.
Double or Nothing to Trapeze: A trick sequence where the yo-yo is looped into a Double or Nothing formation before being landed on the Trapeze.
Eli Hop to Trapeze: A trick sequence where the yo-yo is hopped into the air and caught on the Trapeze string segment.
Fingerspin: A trick where the yo-yo spins horizontally on the user’s finger, demonstrating balance and precision.
Flop to Trapeze: A trick sequence where the yo-yo is flopped over the user’s finger before being landed on the Trapeze.
Gyroscopic Whip: A trick where the yo-yo is whipped around the user’s hand while spinning in a gyroscopic motion.
Hidemasa Hook: A trick where the yo-yo is thrown into a slack string formation and caught on the opposite side, named after Japanese yo-yo player Hidemasa Senba.
Horizontal Skin the Gerbil: A variation of the Skin the Gerbil trick performed horizontally, with the yo-yo spinning on its side.
Hot Potato: A trick where the yo-yo is passed rapidly between the user’s hands, resembling the game of hot potato.
Houdini Drop: A trick where the yo-yo is dropped off the string and caught on the opposite side, creating a disappearing effect.
Inverted Atomic Bomb: A trick where the yo-yo is thrown downward with force, bouncing back up into the user’s hand while spinning on its side.
Iron Whip to Trapeze: A trick sequence where the yo-yo is whipped around the user’s hand before being landed on the Trapeze.
Kamikaze to Trapeze: A trick sequence where the yo-yo is thrown into a Kamikaze formation before being landed on the Trapeze.
Laceration: A trick where the yo-yo is whipped around the user’s hand and caught on a slack string segment.
Leg Wrap Trap: A trick where the yo-yo is wrapped around the user’s leg before being landed on the Trapeze.
Mach Whip: A trick where the yo-yo is whipped around the user’s hand while spinning rapidly, resembling the motion of a mach whip.
McBride Roller Coaster: A trick sequence involving multiple string wraps and transitions, named after American yo-yo player Steve McBride.
Mickey Mouse: A trick where the yo-yo is manipulated into a shape resembling the iconic Disney character’s ears and face.
Mystic Muffin: A trick sequence involving intricate string formations and rapid movements, named after American yo-yo player Paul Escolar’s trick.
Offstring Whip: A trick where the yo-yo is whipped around the user’s hand and released into an offstring formation.
One-Handed Star: A trick where the yo-yo is manipulated with one hand to create a star-like formation.
One-Handed Trapeze: A variation of the Trapeze trick where the yo-yo is landed and manipulated with one hand.
One-and-a-Half Mount: A trick where the yo-yo is looped around the user’s finger and landed on the string, creating a one-and-a-half mount.
Over-the-Shoulder Whip: A trick where the yo-yo is whipped over the user’s shoulder and caught on the opposite side.
Palm Grind: A trick where the yo-yo makes contact with the user’s palm and spins, creating a grinding sound.
Pendulum: A trick where the yo-yo swings back and forth on a single string segment, resembling the motion of a pendulum.
Pirate Ship: A trick where the yo-yo is manipulated into a shape resembling a pirate ship, complete with sails and a mast.
Reverse Brent Stole: A variation of the Brent Stole trick where the yo-yo is thrown into a small loop of string and caught on the opposite side in reverse.
Sidewinder: A trick where the yo-yo spins rapidly on its side while being manipulated by the user’s fingers.