What Is the Toy Called?
Name: Klackers (commonly spelled Clackers)
Other common nicknames: Clankers, “clacker balls,” and various regional names
What you see in the image:
Two hard plastic/acrylic balls attached to strings
A top loop/ring used as the handle
The balls are designed to strike each other repeatedly, making the signature clacking sound
When Did Klackers First Appear?
Origin period: Late 1960s
Peak popularity: Early 1970s (especially as a loud, competitive playground skill-toy)
Materials over time: early versions sometimes used harder, more brittle materials; later versions leaned toward safer plastics to reduce shattering risk
Who Created Klackers? (Inventor / Early Development)
Patent-level origin: A key early patent for a “clicker/clacker” style toy was filed in 1968 by Willard S. Smith (often referenced as a foundational design tied to the mass-market clacker concept).
