Tim Leans In

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An electronic 'battle of the thumbs' toy from Japan.

'Wave' from Hungary - a topological toy, with conical wooden pieces hold together with flexible joints.

A football made from hexagons and pentagons. Another topological toy. Tim loves anything topological - it is his version of the beautiful game!

A small plastic toy with a clear dome. Inside is an underwater scene. Pull the string to wind up the motor, and a small crab scuttles around, sometimes hiding under the large rock!

Some wooden thaumatropes. Spin the wooden piece and you see a picture that combines the image on the front of the piece and the one on the back. What we did before cinema!

From Germany, the leaning tower of Pisa. Eight pieces, each one has a small amount of 'lean' built into it. Not so obvious when the pieces are separated, but once you start stacking them, the tower starts to lean! The challenge is how high can you build the tower before it collapses. Steady hands are needed!

Finally another balancing toy. Two waiters hold the bottle of wine, waiting for you to decide it is time for a drink. It looks an impossible balancing act, but it is actually fairly stable.