Slinky

Slinky has got to be one of the most iconic playthings ever. There's even one on display at the Smithsonian Institute. Not bad going for a coiled spring that 'walks' down stairs. But there's more to this wobbly, springy thingy than its compelling fluid motion because it can, erm, well...hold on a second, Slinkys don't do much at all. And maybe that's the key to this incredibly addictive toy's enduring popularity.

If you've never fiddled with a Slinky (weirdo) or you've forgotten quite how therapeutic passing one from hand to hand can be, the 60th anniversary Retro Slinky is here to remind you.

Finished in no-nonsense black and packaged in its original no-frills box, this wiry doodah is an exact replica of the Slinky Richard James touted to toy companies over half a century ago. Richard who? Ah yes, he was the marine engineer who invented Slinky after dropping a big tension spring down some stairs. The rest, as they say, is history.

Ideal as a desktop plaything, Slinky is as mesmerising as ever - watching the coils stretch and reform as gravity moves them down each step with incredibly fluidity is far more compelling that gawping at many modern toys. You can even buy two and race them down the office staircase - although you might want to wait until the boss is out.

We've yet to meet anyone who can resist fiddling with a Slinky - they're just so incredibly tactile and, well, springy. Whether you're gawping at one tumbling down the stairs, holding one as it wobbles between your hands or using one to demonstrate the properties of wave motion (well, you never know), Slinky is the greatest springy thingy ever created.