Slinky: Original

Slinky: Original Walking Spring Toy is recommended for ages 5 and up. Invented in Pennsylvania and Inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2000, this classic metal toy moves without motors, and has entertained generations of children. To walk Slinky down stairs place it on top stair, grip coil at top and flip it over with a wrist snap action toward middle of next lower step, and release your hold. Now, it takes over and walks down the stairs all by itself!

Some of the greatest toys of all time have been created completely by accident. Slinky, was born out of a mishap in 1943 when mechanical engineer Richard T. James was experimenting with tension coils in an effort to stabilize naval instruments. James dropped a coil and watched in amazement as it began to "walk."

Two years later, James and his wife Betty used a $500 investment to start what later became James Industries. Slinky, named from a Swedish word that Betty discovered in a dictionary, was formally launched in 1945. The incredible "walking" spring was produced using a machine that James invented to flatten 80 feet of steel wire into the 2.5-inch coil that generations of kids and families have known and loved for the past 75 years.