ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Slinky

A slinky is a special toy that looks like a spring. When you hold it up and let it go, it can walk down the stairs all by itself!

A spring is a long, thin, stretchy coil made out of metal. But unlike most springs, a slinky is made of a special type of metal that can easily stretch out and bounce back into its original shape.

When you hold a slinky at the top and move it up and down, it stretches out and collapses back in on itself. This creates a wave that travels all the way down the slinky, making it look like it's alive!

When you let a slinky go at the top of a staircase, gravity pulls it down one step at a time. Each time the slinky hits a step, the impact causes the wave to bounce back towards the top, making the slinky move forward on its own.

So that's how a slinky works! It's a fun toy that can walk down the stairs all by itself thanks to its special springy properties.
Related topics others have asked about: