The Antique Milton Bradley game of Spin It includes simple rules to incorporate the fun of spinning tops. From a recorded recommendation made by Cato (234 BC – 149BC), who was a Roman Statesman, it is known the playing with tops has been a children’s pastime for over 2000 years. Cato told parents that he preferred tops, over the playing of dice, as an activity for children to enjoy.
Interestingly, the early 1900’s Milton Bradley game of Spin It is similar to the old Roman game called Turbo. Just like the Roman game, players spin tops, and score points according to holes in which the tops stop in.
The Milton Bradley game box cover shows two young children playing Spin It. The object for players is to be the first player to reach a score of five hundred points. The board, which rests just inside the box, consists of eighteen holes of different values.
The layout of the board is five columns (offset), with 3,4,4,4,and 3 holes. Point values of the Spin It columns are as follows:
1) 5,25,5
2) 5,25,30,5
3) 10,100,10,50
4) 5,25,30,5
5) 5,25,5
Players each pick a top and spin the top at the same time onto the board. The points of the hole in which each player’s top stops spinning are the points a player receives.
Although easy to play, Spin It offered an amusing game for children (and adults). Learning how to spin a top in just the right way for a smooth, continuous twirl was, and still is, a lot of fun.
Tops remain one of the timeless gadgets to play with. It has for over thousands of years and will thousands more!
Play a game today!