From Early Stories to Today · Drawing 32
The spinning top
In the 19th century
Children long ago also played with spinning tops. A well-spun top turned on its point before slowing down and falling over.
Look together
What will the top do when it slows down?
An idea to try
Use a finger to trace the movement of a top spinning, leaning and stopping. Make up a little sound for each stage.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
Québec’s cultural heritage catalogue describes a 19th-century wooden top found at Montréal’s Petit séminaire. It explains how this toy is set spinning to balance on its point. The date refers to a documented object, not the origin of all spinning tops.
Look at the point and the movement lines in the illustration. Invite the child to imagine what happens before and after the moment shown. They can answer with words, a sound or a gesture; the aim is to describe movement, without needing a scientific explanation.
Sources and context
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. Source titles appear in their original language; some linked pages are in French.
Source review: 2026-09-14. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.