Homemade Toys

Hog Plum Top

A miniature version of the wooden gig.

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Category
Homemade Toys
Materials
A dried hog plum seed and a small wooden splinter.

How It's Played

A miniature version of the wooden gig. Children harvest the hard, deeply wrinkled, pitted inner stones of the native hog plum (*Spondias mombin*) fruit. They drive a sharp wooden matchstick or toothpick straight through the center of the seed, creating a tiny, perfectly balanced spinning top that can spin for minutes on smooth veranda tiles.

Cultural Roots

A gentle, domestic micro-craft that provided indoor entertainment for younger children using nothing but seasonal organic seeds.

Did You Play Hog Plum Top?

Wherever you grew up — Kingston, Montego Bay, Brooklyn, Toronto, London, Miami — if you remember playing this, we want to hear from you. Send us your story, your photos, or an old video. Every submission helps preserve this game for the next generation.

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