15 Mesmerizing Perpetual Motion Toys that Educate, Fascinate and Amuse (2020)

A motion of a body which can continue indefinitely till the time an outer force is not applied to restrict its momentum is called Perpetual Motion. A perpetual motion system is a hypothetical system which once starts; can go on and on without applying any energy. This kind of system is practically impossible as it would violate the basic principle of physics and the first and third law of thermodynamics. Though the motion of planetary bodies seems to be perpetual, but after trillions of years, they will also slow down or stop their current motion, as their motion is also impacted by factors such as solar winds and gravitational forces etc.


A perfect perpetual motion machine is impossible in our universe, but scientists and technology geeks keep on trying to make something close to a perpetual machine. There are certain important traits of a perpetual motion machine which include;

The momentum toys, also known as Perpetual Motion Toys are a great way to help your children learn about the laws of the universe, few basics of physics, and a glimpse into Newton’s laws; and they would certainly develop an interest in science at a young age. Perpetual motion toys also motivate them towards use of green, clean and renewable energy as these toys can generate energy or electricity from simply a kinetic motion instead of conventional fuels like coal, petrol, diesel, gas or atomic energy. The kids would be interested to know about how an automatic watch (in which the motion of the wearer generates energy to run the watch) works, about new experiments being done by generating electricity from the walking movement of the pedestrians and the way modern trains are using the energy being generated from applying the brakes, back to the source.

Not only for the kids, but even the grown-ups can benefit from the perpetual motion toys as they are a good way of entertainment, concentration, focus, balance and few of them also make for an attractive work desk showpiece. The perpetual motion toys give you a chance to relax and focus back on your task during the short breaks and a few of them even work as fidget toys.

Varieties of perpetual motion toys are available for kids, which are a great way to teach them about the basics of science and engage them in various scientific experiments. These toys are very helpful to enhance creativity and logical thinking in children. We have selected few such perpetual motion toys for kids which will be helpful in their overall personality development.

This simple looking wooden sand pendulum toy can make amazing and beautiful designs and patterns on the sand. The toy works on the concept of pendulum motion and once the pendulum are put into action, the rice flour in the conical bowl falls out of the bowl and the pendulum motion creates different interesting patters on the plastic mat provided in the box. It can be also played in a different manner in which sand is filled on the mat and the wooden pointed pendulum is put into action to make patterns on the sand. You can create different patterns by adjusting the two supporting holders mounted on the top and this toy can be purchased from Firstcry.com for Rs. 1,570.07.

A refined form of a Rube Goldberg kit is called a chaos kit as kids don’t need to a kit to make the structure; instead, the chaos tower gives the flexibility to build almost any structure depending upon your creativity. You can create a maze and then lift the ball to the top with the motorized pulley before you leave it and then the ball takes the path set by you, demonstrating the laws of motion. The pieces lock together easily and can be assembled to make amazing structures and learn the concepts of motion in a fun way. The chaos tower is available at Amazon.in for Rs. 21,638.00.

This structure looks simple and beautiful, but it looks all the more mesmerizing once the disk starts spinning on the smooth concave mirror base and produces amazing designs of light and changing sound. The rotation goes on for a long time as it converts gravitational potential energy into kinetic energy. Using it in a dark room and beaming with a laser light or flashlight would make it look like a magical gig right out of a Harry Potter movie. The Euler’s disk can be purchased from Ubuy.co.in for Rs. 4,434.00.

The magical transformation of Geoflux of a series of rings to a 3 D structure resembling an atom or rather like some other planetary structure looks amazing. As you insert your hands inside the coils, the toy starts spiralling up and down your arms in such a fast motion that the entire thing seems to blur out. You can simultaneously change arms and see the action in perpetual motion or just put it on a baseball bat and watch it twirl along the bat while it looks like a big soap bubble. Made of a single band of strong stainless steel, the Geoflux can be easily folded and stored in the travel pouch included in the pack. The coil should not be tweaked or twisted; else it will deform and not work properly. The Geoflux spring toy can be purchased from Kiron.co.in for Rs. 3,250.00.

Another popular perpetual motion toy which is fun to play with and kids will enjoy this toy for the non-stop spinning motion. As the name suggests, the whirly wheel is a handheld device which runs on three 1.5 V batteries. Once the wheel starts spinning up and down the metal frame along with the sparkling lights, it can go on and on for a long period. The product works on the concept of centrifugal force and this toy can be purchased from Desertcart.in for Rs. 2,159.00.

One more spinning toy which works on the concept of centrifugal force is the Gyro wheel which is available in assorted colours. The innovative toy has a spinning wheel with magnetic hub, resting on a metal wireframe. You have to move the frame vertically and then tilt a bit till the time the wheel gains its full momentum and will start shining with bright colours of the LED lights. Once the wheel starts rotating fast enough, it will jump off the frame and start spinning on the ground. An engrossing toy for kids, the Gyro Wheel is available on Shopclues.com for Rs. 299.00.

A wonderful gift for your kids, the Stirling engine motor model is a science experiment, toy which would be loved by science students. The air inside the tube is heated by the alcohol lamp and once the hot air inside it reaches a certain temperature, the piston starts working and the wheels outside the toy begin to rotate along with the glow of LED light. This action will continue for hours and is immensely satisfying to watch. The package contains a Stirling engine model, alcohol lamp, a glass tube, LED light and a lamp holder and is available on Eassycart.com for Rs. 5,287.00.

One more non-stop rotating toy which looks like a set of a metal egg and base, but once it starts spinning; you will be spellbound by the beauty and balance displayed by this wonderful toy. Give it a spin to enjoy the beautiful sight and the soothing sound of the rotating movement and let the stress-relieving combination help your child soothe and relax. The Physics Egg for Science Geeks can be purchased from Desertcart.in for Rs. 2,869.00.

You have seen it in the movie ‘Inception’, now it’s the time to own one! This perfectly crafted and balanced stainless steel spinning top is useful in increasing concentration, focus and a good stress buster. Also makes for a nice keychain and can spin continuously for 3-4 minutes in a single spin. The precision stainless steel spinning top with keychain can be purchased from Ubuy.co.in for Rs. 1,192.00.

The battery-operated toy makes for a great showpiece and can go on for hours with a single pair of batteries. Once the power is switched on, the space shuttle is set in motion and will thrill your kids and they would be interested to know more about the space shuttles and related science. The Westminster Space Shuttle is available for Rs. 1,780.00 at Amazon.in.

Moving on from perpetual motion toys for kids to perpetual motion toys for work desk, which can be called ‘toys for adults’. Let’s check out a few items from this category.

Based on the concept of conservation of momentum and energy, this device has a series of steel balls suspended close to each other through strings. When the ball at one end is pulled and released, the force travels through the balls and the ball at the last end is pushed upward. The last ball to then come back and hit the closest ball and the first ball will be pushed then. This process continues for a long time and is a delight to watch. The Newton balancing ball pendulum is available on Eassycart.com for Rs. 1,502.00.

This USB powered perpetual motion toy is perfect as table décor and can also be placed in the living room or bedroom etc. The device is made of high-quality plastic and metal and once powered, the rings start rotating and the attached balls move around the circle in planetary motion. The magnet-based toy is a good stress buster and is available on Amazon.in.

The kinetic weightlifter does the balancing act magically and this perpetual motion toy is a great conversation starter. Anyone who comes across this gadget would like to fidget along and try the perpetual motion balancing. The weightlifter can be tweaked left and right and also in forward and backward motion and it would not fall and keep on balancing itself. The Kinetic Weightlifter Gadget Perpetual Motion Desk Art is available for Rs. 874.00 on Order2india.com.

Have you ever noticed them these lucky birds sitting on someone’s desk or in someone’s living room! Well the pair of birds keeps on drinking continued till the time their stomach is full and then they would start pouring out the same water through their beaks and this process continues for hours. The birds are made of transparent glass and the water inside them is coloured. You can order this beautiful perpetual motion desk toy from Order2india.com for Rs. 1,290.00.

This Gyroscope toy has an integrated moulding with no welding point, which makes it easy to be rotated along the base or solely on your finger. The rotating toy can be placed on the base provided along with, can be balanced on your finger and also on any smooth surface like a table. It has different variations playing and is helpful to relieve stress, boosts your creativity and develops patience because it’s not easy to control the rotating toy. This wonderful metal gyroscope toy by Leegoal can be purchased from Amazon.in.