National Slinky Day

National Slinky Day is on August 30th. It is dedicated to the famous and world-renowned toy – a multi-colored spring that can “walk.” Discovery recognized it as one of the most characteristic children’s amusements of the 20th century. It was played by children not only in its homeland – America – but also in European and Asian countries.

History

The Slinky was invented by a mechanical engineer in the US Navy named Richard James. Around 1943-44, he was experimenting with different springs and accidentally dropped one of them while following it with his eyes. The spring somersaulted on the floor, as if “walking.” Richard found its “behavior” amusing and showed its “tricks” to his wife Betty. It is not known which of the spouses saw the potential of a children’s toy in the spring, but they began to work on it. Betty found its name in the Swedish dictionary – the word meant something like “mysterious.” For the release of the first batch of Slinkys, released in 1945, its creator took a loan. He wanted to present his creation on the eve of Christmas. It was not sold in small toy stores – perhaps people simply did not understand the meaning of the toy. Success awaited it when Richard personally demonstrated its abilities in a large supermarket. The entire batch sold out in 1.5 hours! National Slinky Day was reputedly founded by Alex Brands, an employee at a toy company in Fairfield.

Interesting Facts

Learn more about the Slinky on National Slinky Day:

1. More than 250 million copies have been sold since its launch.
2. Initially, the toy was black and blue, later lighter metal began to be used for its manufacture. Rainbow coloring is the latest design.
3. The Slinky has been used to study zero gravity in space research.
4. The toy managed to get on a 1990 collectible postage stamp, in the National Toy Hall of Fame alongside Lego and Barbie, and in several famous movies.
5. Adults also use the Slinky – it is great for relieving stress and holding pencils in place.

How to Take Part

Celebrate National Slinky Day by buying a Slinky for your kids! Or for yourself – this wonderful little thing really cheers you up! Come up with new tricks with it.

When is National Slinky Day in 2024?

National Slinky Day is observed on August 30 each year.

Observations