Toy Concept #2

Algebraic Slinky

This idea came from the simple toy, the slinky. Everyone loves a Slinky®! The slinky is a toy that many children play with, exploring the idea of gravity as they watch the links fall from a higher position to a lowe position. The ideas of potential and kinetic energy are also at play in a slinky. My idea of the algebraic slinky takes this idea a step further, by having a handheld device that gives you information about the slinky at any given point in time. It can tell you things about the energy and the effects of gravity. It can also give you the equation of the parabola formed by the slinky. This will help school aged children in their understanding of different shapes and sizes of parabolas. The toy is interactive, allowing children to tangibly play with an age old toy. In addition it is intellectually stimulating, causing the child to think about what the slinky is doing and why. A slinky is generally very inexpensive to manufacture, becuase it is a simple process that has been around for quite some time. The creation of the handheld device, however, may cost about what a palm pilot would cost to create.

Ages: The actual slinky is for 'children of all ages' because there is no potential harm. The toy concept I've presented is for school-aged children who are learning about parabolas and things of that nature.

Jen Singelyn, Carnegie Mellon University