Beloved by anyone who enjoys the Christmas season, you would find it difficult to meet anyone who doesn’t know who the Grinch is. Scrooge is possibly the only other character in fiction who rivals his distaste for this holiday.
Within the story, you of course have the polar opposite within the community of Whoville. No one seems to find more excitement in Christmas day than these residents. I remember watching this TV show and reading the book and being infatuated with the imagination of Dr. Seuss and all of his creations.
Quick answer: the Whoville instruments and toys are jingtinglers, floofloovers, tartinkas, whohoopers, gardinkas (gardookas in the book), trumtookas, slooslunkas, blumbloopas, whowonkas, the zoozittacarzay and the electro whocarnio flook. Each one is described below.
This author really knew how to draw the most whimsical and outrageous toys that made you want to join in the fun.
The funny thing is when you watch the show, we can all relate to the unbridled hysteria unleashed from the children. We have all at one time or another witnessed this type of exuberance on Christmas day.
Without taking sides, as one gets older it can almost be hard to argue with the complaints of the Grinch regarding all of the NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!
But it is Christmas after all, a day of celebration, so….
Though, if you really consider all of the toys the kids play with most are, in fact, loud musical instruments.
Being a very musical community, it seems their culture likes to incorporate musical instruments into their toys and this makes for some of the most memorable scenes in the story. For the list below, DR. Seuss calls these specific ones out by name.
Who doesn’t love the Whoville instruments?
Jingtinglers
First, there are the jingtinglers which appear to be over sized jingle bells of a sort that are connected to the child’s shoes.
Floofloover and Tartinkas
If you have someone who can multitask, then we have the floofloover and tartinkas all in one on wheels. This tuba and symbols combination would be a hit in any home I am sure.
Whohoopers
Here we have someone playing their brand new whohoopers. This is a combination of many horns all in one.
Gardinka
Not sure if this was meant to be a high chair on wheels, but the drum is definitly a nice addition. This gardinka will provide years of enjoyment.
Now the book appears to name them gardookas, but for the sake of making a more interesting rhyme, I believe they may have changed the script slightly.
Trumtooka
If you and a sibling are going to play with the trumtooka, you had better have some teamwork and balancing skills.
Slooslunka
These children appear to be playing a bell called the slooslunka.
One carries the musical instrument while one pings it with a straw and projectile.
Blumbloopa
We have all seen one man bands so a blumbloopa is a perfect way to get your start.
Two drums, a horn and a small bell as an added touch all on wheels.
Whowonka
Buy your kids not just a skateboard, but a whowonka and they will stay active all day.
Zoozittacarzay
If you want to step up your game, then let them play a roller skate, crochet lacrosse/croquet combo called zoozittacarzay.
Electro Whocarnio Flook
And what home would be complete without a mobile full orchestra? One person to conduct and 5 people to play. This massive tuba on wheels is just not complete without a few bells, a triangle and one drum operated by a foot pedal.
Want to bring a little Whoville home? See our Grinch Christmas tree ideas, with whimsical lime green trees, Grinch toppers and ornaments.
Whoville toy names at a glance
| Name | What it is |
|---|---|
| Jingtinglers | Oversized jingle bells worn on the shoes |
| Floofloover and tartinkas | A tuba-style horn and cymbals on wheels |
| Whohoopers | Many horns combined into one |
| Gardinka (gardooka) | A drum on a high-chair-like cart |
| Trumtooka | A two-child horn that takes teamwork and balance |
| Slooslunka | A bell carried by one child and struck by another |
| Blumbloopa | A one-man band: two drums, a horn and a bell on wheels |
| Whowonka | A Who version of a skateboard |
| Zoozittacarzay | A roller skate, lacrosse and croquet game |
| Electro whocarnio flook | A rolling orchestra: a huge tuba plus bells, a triangle and a pedal drum, for six players |
Whoville character names
In the original book and the 1966 cartoon, the only Whos with names are Cindy-Lou Who, "who was not more than two," along with the Grinch and his dog Max. The movies added more: the 2000 live-action film introduced Cindy Lou’s parents Lou Lou Who and Betty Lou Who, Mayor Augustus MayWho and Martha May Whovier, and the 2018 animated movie added Cindy-Lou’s mom Donna Who and the Grinch’s cheerful neighbor Mr. Bricklebaum.
Bring the Whoville band home
The best way to meet all of these toys is still the original. The classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas! book by Dr. Seuss is the one to read aloud on Christmas Eve.
For the cartoon where these instruments really come to life (and get loud), the How the Grinch Stole Christmas 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Blu-ray has the original 1966 special.
And if your kids want to be Whos themselves, a wooden percussion instrument set for kids is as close as you can get to a real blumbloopa. Just don’t tell the Grinch.
Whoville instruments FAQ
What are the names of the Whoville instruments?
Jingtinglers, floofloovers, tartinkas, whohoopers, gardinkas (called gardookas in the book), trumtookas, slooslunkas, blumbloopas and the electro whocarnio flook. Whowonkas and the zoozittacarzay are toys rather than instruments.
Why does the Grinch hate the Whos’ instruments?
Noise. On Christmas morning every Who child plays a new, very loud instrument at once, and the Grinch can’t stand the "NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!" That noise is one of the reasons he decides to steal Christmas.
What is a floofloover?
A floofloover is a big tuba-like horn on wheels. In the cartoon it’s paired with tartinkas, a set of cymbals, so one child can play both at once.
What instrument does the Grinch play?
The original book and the 1966 cartoon don’t give the Grinch an instrument. In the 2018 animated movie The Grinch, he plays a giant pipe organ in his cave on Mount Crumpit.
Are the Whoville toys real?
No. They were invented by Dr. Seuss and brought to life in the 1966 cartoon, so you can’t buy a real floofloover. A kids’ percussion set is the closest thing to starting your own Whoville band.