the phat phat boats of india: ingenious steam-powered toy boats

This short video demonstrates the iconic Indian “Phat Phat Boat,” a cheap kids’ toy sold at festivals. It has a tiny steam boiler powered by a bottlecap filled with paraffin with a little wick, and when powered, it poots around in adorable circles.

It’s part of Arvind Gupta’s lovely Toys from Trash series, which has dozens of great projects you can make at home.