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Carve a wooden yo-yo

Carve your own wooden yo-yo while learning how to use a knife safely.

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You’ll need

  • Straight wooden stick about 5cm in diameter
  • Straight wooden twig about 7cm long
  • Swiss army knife
  • String 100cm in length
Wooden Yo Yo
PDF – 357.3KB
Download Wooden Yo Yo

Before you begin 

  • Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Take a look at our guidance to help you carry out your risk assessment, including examples.  
  • Make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
  • Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help. 

Planning and setting up this activity 

  • You must be aware of UK knife law before buying, using, or carrying a knife.
  • Take the time to read and understand the Scout knife safety guidance.
  • Knives are an important tool for a survival situation and can be versatile if you know how to use them safely and properly.
  • A small folding knife that has a blade fewer than three inches long is suitable for a lot of different survival uses. You may need to use a knife with a larger (or fixed) blade for some activities. You should follow the law, only use them when needed, never carry them in a public place, and always store them securely and out of view.
  • Young people must be closely supervised by adults when knives are used. 

Top tips 

  • Don’t feel pressured to jump straight into making a yo-yo. You could get some clear pine from a timber merchant and make shavings for fuel to get people practising for the first time.
  • If you want to make a yo-yo, you’ll need a soft wood, such as green hazel, ash, or willow.
  • It’s best to practise before you show young people to make sure you understand.
  • People should only do what they’re confident and comfortable with – some people may want to just try a few techniques, while others will be ready to take on a project. 

Keep safe

It’s important to keep the people around you safe when you’re using a knife. You’ll need to create a ‘safe zone’ around the person using the knife. A safe zone is free from people and obstacles. The person leading the activity should remind everyone of the basics of using a knife safely:

  • Learn how to safely remove a knife from a sheath without cutting yourself.
  • You should hold a knife firmly but not too tightly.
  • Your hand shouldn’t be too far back or too far forward.
  • You should grip the knife, so that you can see some of the handle where it meets the blade.
  • If you’re making small cuts or carvings, you can place your thumb on the back of the blade to give you more control.
  • It’s best to cut down towards the ground, with a wooden block or base to make it more stable.
  • Make sure you’re always cutting away from your body and keeping clear of your hands.

Running this activity 

  1. These steps are a helpful reminder. However, the full guide with pictures should be downloaded from the top of this activity page.
  2. Make sure you have everything you need and enough space.
  3. Unfold the saw.
  4. Find a straight stick about 5 cm in diameter.
  5. Use the saw on your Swiss Army Knife™ to cut two discs, each 2–3 cm thick.
  6. Remove the bark and smooth the flat surfaces using the blade – they should be as even as possible.
  7. Use the reamer to bore a hole in the centre of each disc, twisting gently until the hole is deep enough.
  8. Snap a straight twig about 7 cm long – this will be your axle.
  9. Take a 10 min break to give your hand some rest.
  10. Cut a piece of string about 100 cm long.
  11. Insert one end of the string and the twig into the first disc. It should be a snug fit.
  12. Attach the second disc by gently twisting it onto the other end of the twig – leaving a small gap for the string to wind.
  13. Trim any excess axle with the saw.
  14. Tie a loop at the end of the string, slip it over your finger, wind it up – and let it spin. 

To watch in full screen, double click the video

Reflection

Carving a wooden yo-yo with a Swiss Army knife helped everyone develop patience, focus, and practical skills. We all learned how to use tools safely, shape wood carefully, and solve problems when the yo-yo did not work properly at first. Finishing the yo-yo gave them a sense of pride and achievement and fun.

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

You must run your activities in line with the Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults (Yellow Card) and report any concerns to the UK HQ Safeguarding Team.

Sharp objects

Teach young people how to use sharp objects safely. Supervise them appropriately throughout. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people.

Make it accessible

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.

Scouts Survival Skills Activity Badge

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