August 7 2017: The Fidget spinner, currently a rage,  is the latest in a  long list of  handy toys that wowed earlier generations of school-goers (and yes, adults). (See our detailed story here)

Topping times: The 1950s saw kids play with  wooden top and rope.  Later models in plastic could be spun on the palm of one's hand. And parents too lazy to manage a rope  could buy the metallic version with a plunger  screw that you pumped up to entertain baby.
 Go Yo-yo! In the early 1960s,  the Yo-Yo was the in-thing for kids. Toy shops came out with dozens of colourful variants  -- all below Rs 10. But Indians were playing with Yo-Yos even 200 years ago. The Brooklyn Museum ( US) holds a  Rajasthani-style painting, dating to 1770, showing an royal lady playing in the palace.
Hula Hooping: Another  sixties craze that   found lakhs of Indians twisting their hips to keep a rubber  tube   spinning around their waists.  It was embraced in Hawaii as a national  pastime an remains a  recommended tool  for weight loss.
Rubik's Cube: Invented in 1974,  the  3-D puzzle with 6 faces and 9 coloured sections on each face,  remains the world's best-selling  toy  and is the subject of an annual world tournament.
Squishy ball: Post 2000,  a yellow sponge  ball has been a favourite give-away  at  tech events and expos. The theory is  that all those brainy  engineers need an outlet for their pent up stress  -- and squeezing a  ball is the way to go.