Soviet Tots Try Parachutes

AIR-MINDED Soviet children are provided with the thrills of parachute jumping through use of special towers erected in many city parks. Equipped with small parachutes, the youngsters slide down a chute atop the 14-foot towers and settle slowly to the ground. Metal guide rings keep the parachutes open.

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A Seesaw Merry-Go-Round

By HARRY D. TIEMANN

A LOT of fun can be had with the teeter-totter merry-go-round shown in the illustration, and any boy can make it who is at all handy with carpentry tools. If built substantially it will amuse the youngsters, big and little, for years. It will go up and down like a seesaw and spin around like a top until the passengers are dizzy.

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Two-Wheel Skate
Roller skates with only two wheels provide some of the thrills of ice skating the year ’round. The two large wheels are center-mounted and are made of plastic-rubber. The skate is adjustable in length and has a cushioned ankle strap.

Harmless Steam Cannon Shoots Ball Bearings

THIS tiny steam cannon operating in much the same manner as Archimedes famous cannon will prove an interesting project for the workshop. The cannon works in a very realistic manner simply by heating 3/8-inch steel bearings until they are red hot then dropping into the barrel of the cannon in which a small quantity of water has been poured. The hot bearing striking the water converts it into steam which immediately expands and shoots the bearing out of the cannon.

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This looks like a really nice toy.

Model Tank Packs a Wallop

EQUIPPED with four electric motors, this control-line tank brings a remarkable note of realism to living-room war games in the home of Alfred J. Brosseau, of Cambridge, Mass., who spent a year and a half building it. Measuring 6″ by 12″, the model can imitate any action of its big brothers.

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Boy’s Midget Tractor Is Just Like His Dad’s

While Marcus Ming, Sr., a Mississippi county-road super-intendent is towing heavy machinery with his huge track-type tractor, Marcus, Jr., is usually at home towing his playmates’ wagons here and there with his own 1-1/2-horsepower working model of his dad’s juggernaut. Father, son, and machines are below.

Forget the kids, I want a set of these!

Child Size Blocks Make Bridges

RECENTLY brought on the market by a California woodworking company is a set of child-size building blocks which can be used outdoors to make doll houses, child-size bridges, railways and other childishly imaginative structures. The set consists of blocks about four by six inches which are used in conjunction with flat boards that dovetail in proper relation to each other so that every imaginable kind of furniture and dwelling can be erected. No fastenings other than the lock joints are used. Picture below illustrates what can be done in the way of building bridges.

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The Mysterious Submarine

By F. D. BURKE

THE interesting little toy described in this article will, when placed in water, automatically dive and come to the surface again, repeating this performance, on an average, once a minute over a long period of time. It not only makes a very good toy for a boy but can be used also for advertising purposes. Placed in a glass tank and displayed in a show window, its actions will attract the attention and interest of passers-by, who will stop to wonder how it operates.

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Child’s Scooter Folds Compactly for Storage

Coasters and scooters often take up more space than the average apartment dweller is willing to sacrifice. Here is one that can be reduced to a small bulk in a jiffy so that it can be stored from one season to the next or squeezed into a small corner when not in use. The small hinge on the base is mounted so that it will fold back on itself, while the one on the upright should have the pin knocked out and a long slender bolt with a thumb screw substituted for easy dismantling. If the half of the large hinge which is screwed to the base is bent up slightly, the upright board will lie flat when the brace board is removed.

Spring Tricycle Frame Gives Smoother Ride
BUILT into a new velocipede for children, a resilient backbone of spring steel replaces the conventional rigid frame. The shock-absorbing member is said to minimize jolts and jars, giving a more comfortable and healthful ride.

Miniature Racer Zips Track at 124 Miles an Hour

Flashing around a miniature track, a tiny racing car recently set a world speed record of 123.98 miles an hour. The car is a new model, manufactured and sold complete except for the engine. The bottom pan is a one-piece aluminum casting and the racer has an over-all length of almost 16 inches, a wheelbase of 10-1/2 inches and a tread of 6-1/8 inches. The top, which is detachable to expose the engine, is made of plastic.

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Child-Size Bulldozer Looks and Works Like the Real Thing

Scaled down to child-size, a pedal-operated bulldozer is a realistic model of a Caterpillar diesel tractor, complete with everything except the engine noise. The endless track rolls over four rubber-tired wheels and the tractor is steered by clutch levers just like the real thing. When one of the steering levers is pulled, the track on that side is raised, allowing the other track to swing the toy around. Another lever raises and lowers the blade. Energetic youngsters will use it to clear snow off sidewalks this winter.