Spinning tops have been around so long that no one knows who spun the first one. It is likely that the first spinning top was a nut or acorn spun by a curious child. It seems likely that natural curiosity began the craft of top spinning in various places around the world. This might have happened because spinning objects are so fascinating. They are fun to play with and easy to experiment with. The Chinese have spun tsa lin (tops) and the ko-en-gen (Diabolo) for centuries. The world's largest top is located in China and it weighs about 280 kg. In Japan, koma asobi (top spinning) has been enjoyed by both adults and children for centuries. The Dreidel is a top used to play a traditional Jewish Hanukkah game that dates back over 2000 years. By the 1700's, Europe was introduced to both the spinning top and the Diabolo. Villages in Shakespear's day sometimes kept a large spinning top in the town square. On cold days villagers could spin the top as exercise and to warm themselves. The spinning top was also one of the earliest toy patents granted by the United States Patent Office. Tops were among the first toys patented in the United States. There are various kinds of spinning tops. A few have already been mentioned.
In the United States, most people are familiar with the large plunger top. The mechanism inside the top causes it to spin when the plunger is pumped up and down. The finger top (usually very inexpensive) begins spinning by twirling it between the thumb and fingers. Flip tops are designed to flip over when they are spun! The whipping top was more popular in Europe. It is spun by hitting it with a lash or whip. Mechanical springs are used in some tops to wind up the top and let it go spinning when the spring is released. The peg top is spun by winding a string or cord around the top and throwing the top to unwind the string and make the top spin.