A great toy from the 90s: how Slinky became a reflection of our childhood

Almost all of us at least once came across a toy called “Slinky” or “andamania”. The people called it more simply – “rainbow” or walking spring. You may see this toy under completely different circumstances. Someone bought it for their children, someone just saw it on the shelves, and someone twisted it in their hands as a stress reliever. And some may be already adult lucky children who were happy to play with a moving spiral.

This toy appeared quite by accident through the efforts of a military engineer in the 40s of the last century, but then it was metal and monophonic. In our country, the real dawn of the “springs” came in the 90s, and most of them were supplied by China. Instead of metal, plastic was used and there was a huge variety of colors, but rainbow colors were still considered a classic option. It was interesting for the children to watch how andamania “rolls” from hand to hand or “walks” up the stairs. True, the spiral often got twisted, but even this could turn into a whole lesson, because to unravel it you had to try. Sometimes I even had to call my parents to help fix the “spring”.

Slinky can be safely called one of the main children’s toys of that time. There was probably not a child in the 90s who would not have a “rainbow”. But this toy is especially popular with girls. After all, it could also be used for beauty – put it in your hand and now you already have a stylish and beautiful bracelet.

In fact, the functionality of andamania does not end with the entertainment of children. In military structures, its metal counterparts are used as antennas, in medicine – for the development of coordination of movements. With the help of the “rainbow” some physics teachers in schools explain the oscillations of waves, and in Cambridge, using his example, they even explain the theory of motion in time! In the end, the Slinky is a good office object, because it can be used both as a pen holder and as a stress reliever. And these are not all ways to use a seemingly simple toy.

The popularity of “spring” also came out on TV screens. In 1995, the premiere of the cult cartoon “Toy Story” took place, where one of the characters is a spring dachshund named Slinky. And Slinky is the only toy that has become an exhibit in one of the New York museums. Yes, she even went into space! There, a NASA expedition used it to study gravity. For all these remarkable merits, andamania is officially included in the top ten toys of the last century.

And now the Slinky has not been forgotten – its production has been established in the small town of Hollidaysburg in the state of Pennsylvania. The manufacturing technique has not changed since the 20th century, only slightly improved. For example, manufacturers have changed the edges of the product so that andamania is safe for children to play with. And in many houses of our country, somewhere on the shelf, our plastic “rainbow” still lies, which brought joy to many children.