Turning toy pinwheel is oneof the physical training games enjoyed by Korean children from olden times.

Thepinwheel varied in form.Typically, there were the one to turn by running while holding it in a hand, the one to turn by attaching it at the end of a pole and the one to send flying inthe air.

The one to turn by holding in hand was made by cuttingand folding paper or sticking square paper to a flatly shaved piece of wood.

To make the former, obtain aregular quadrangular sheet of paper whose oneside is about a span in length. Lightly fold the four angles of the paper halfway toleave folded marks. Then cut the paper at thethree-fifths lines between the angletips and the folded lines towards the central point. Then there come eightangles. Put together the four tips of every other angle at the central point ofthe paper and fix them with an axle. At that time, fold the paper at each angle loosely so that thefolded parts can catch wind as much as possible and the pinwheel can turn well.

To make a pinwheel by stickingpaper to a shaved piece of wood, first make a hole at the centre of the top of a stick 10cm longand 5mm thick to connect an axle to it. Then, attach a piece of stiff paper 5×6cm in size symmetrically to each side of the shaved wood with onefacing upwards and the other facing downwards. Thefixing of this blade to the centralaxis of the stick makes a nice pinwheel.

Theair-borne pinwheel is made to fly bythe force of an axle connected to a handle with an ovalwooden bladeon it. Theblade is thick in the middle sothat it can have much wind and it tapers towardsboth ends. It is not straight but oblique to each other. And two holes are madeto fit pins of the axle. Around the axle, about 2×2cm in size, thread is wound andtwo pins are driven into the holes to hold the blade.

To fly the pinwheel, pull theend of the thread wound round the axle that is connected to the handle. Thenthe pinwheel spins and by this force the pinsare removed and the pinwheel flies up to the air.

Children make pinwheels withthree or four blades as they improve in skills. They also make a pinwheel blade inthe shape of a folded note.

A hand-held pinwheel is usuallyplayed by children at the age around 10. It turns well in the wind, but if there is no wind, theyhave to run to make it turn.

Childrenplay games with pinwheels, like a relay race and a contest to see whose pinwheel turns longerin one place.

Theairborne pinwheel is played mainly by those at the age around 15 to see whose pinwheel flies higher and farther.

Thisgame requires skills of making pinwheel and flying it.

In the course of making andturning pinwheels, children develop intellectualfaculties andmanual dexterity, widen their horizonsrelated to thedirection of wind and the movement of objectsand increase their physical strength while running competitively.