Family breaks World Record with a slinky

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A five-year-old boy’s big idea has turned into an official Guinness World Record, after his family sent a Slinky down 53 stairs at a sports stadium in the United States.

Axel Luchsinger came up with the plan after discovering Slinkys and finding out that a world record existed for the most stairs one could descend. When he and his parents, Joe and Christelle, looked up the existing record, they found it stood at just 30 stairs. That seemed beatable.

“Our son Axel is at the age where everything needs to be the biggest, fastest, or most extreme version of itself,” said Joe Luchsinger.

The family headed to Otterbein Stadium in Westerville, Ohio, armed with a six-inch rainbow Slinky. They chose the stadium because of its long, open staircase, which gave the Slinky plenty of room to do its thing.

The attempt took place on 14 May 2025, and the colourful spring made it all the way down 53 stairs, well past the previous record of 30. Guinness World Records has now officially confirmed the result, meaning the Luchsinger family has taken the title from Marty Jopson and Hugh Hunt.

If you have ever played with a Slinky, you will know how satisfying it is to watch one flip and tumble downstairs. Now imagine doing that 53 times in a row, all in one go.

How did this story make you feel?

SMART Prep | Quick Question 211174

Welcome to the school library. Please return borrowed books on time so other students can use them. Keep noise levels low, especially near the reading corner. If you need help finding a book, ask the librarian rather than moving books from the shelves yourself. Food and drink are not permitted in the library, and devices must be on silent. Students who wish to study after school may use the back tables until 4.30 p.m.

Which option best summarises the purpose of this notice?

  

Did You Know?

How many stairs did the Luchsinger family’s Slinky go down?
The Luchsinger family’s Slinky went down 53 stairs, breaking the record!

Vocabulary

Click on the words in the article. See if you can find them all.
  • Slinky A toy that can stretch and bounce down stairs. I love watching my Slinky flip down the stairs!
  • record The best or highest achievement in a specific activity. They set a new record for the most stairs a Slinky can go down.
  • stadium A large building where sports events happen. The football game was held at the big stadium downtown.
  • Thinking Question

    What other fun challenges could families try to break records together?

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