Colorforms facts for kids
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| Inventor(s) | Harry and Patricia Kislevitz |
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| Company | Colorforms Brand, LLC (9 Story Media Group) |
| Country | United States |
| Availability | 1951–present |
| Materials | Vinyl sheet, glossy paperboard |
| Slogan | It's more fun to play the Colorforms way |
Colorforms are fun, creative toys. They are made of simple shapes cut from colorful vinyl sheets. These shapes stick to a smooth background without glue. You can use them to make pictures, designs, and play scenes. The best part is you can change them over and over! Just move the pieces around.
The name "Colorforms" also refers to the brand itself. It's a well-known company that makes these toys. Colorforms sets first had basic shapes and bright colors. They came with black or white backgrounds. Over time, the company added more exciting sets. These included full-color scenes, games, and puzzles. They even made interactive books and activity sets for all ages. Colorforms became very popular by using characters from movies and TV shows. More than a billion Colorforms playsets have been sold!
Contents
How Colorforms Work
Colorforms are thin pieces of vinyl. They are cut into colorful shapes. Some shapes are simple, like squares or circles. Others look like people or objects. Often, these pieces have pictures printed on them. You stick them onto a smooth, plastic-coated background board. It's a bit like putting paper dolls on a paper scene.
The pieces stick without any glue or static electricity. They create a tiny vacuum between the two smooth surfaces. This holds the piece in place. You can move the Colorforms pieces around many times. This lets you create new designs and stories. Playing with Colorforms helps kids be creative. It also helps them focus and understand shapes. It even improves their hand skills.
The Story of Colorforms
The idea for Colorforms came from Harry and Patricia Kislevitz in 1951. They were art students. They loved modern art and abstract styles.
The basic idea was to stick and move colorful shapes on surfaces to make art. The couple found this out by accident. They had rolls of thin, flexible vinyl. This material was used to make plastic handbags. They noticed it stuck to the glossy paint in their bathroom. They could move it around without damaging the wall or the vinyl.
They started cutting shapes from the vinyl. Sticking them to the wall was so much fun! They even left extra vinyl and scissors for guests. Everyone loved adding to their art. This made Harry think it could be a popular toy.
The first Colorforms sets were spiral-bound books. Harry and Patricia put them together by hand. They sold the first 1,000 sets to the famous FAO Schwarz toy store. Soon after, they started making boxed sets. These had screen-printed pieces and colorful backgrounds. The company used the slogan "It's More Fun To Play The Colorforms Way!" They put this in ads and TV commercials. A famous designer named Paul Rand created the Colorforms logo. It's still used today! He also helped design a special playset.
Colorforms Over the Years
- 1951 – Harry and Patricia Kislevitz discover the Colorforms idea. They realize vinyl sheets can stick to smooth surfaces.
- 1957 – Popeye becomes the first licensed character for Colorforms products.
- 1959 – Famous graphic designer Paul Rand creates the Colorforms logo.
- 1962 – Miss Weather, a Colorforms character, makes her first appearance. Her clothes change with the weather.
- 1968 – The Outer Space Men action figures are released.
- 1981 – Colorforms gets the rights to make Shrinky Dinks kits. They create over 50 different Shrinky Dinks sets.
- 1997 – Toy Biz buys Colorforms.
- 1998 – University Games buys Toy Biz.
- 2000 – Colorforms is named one of the Top 10 Toys of the Century. This was by the Toy Industry of America.
- 2011 – Time magazine names Colorforms one of the Top 100 Toys of All Time.
- 2014 – Out of the Blue Enterprises buys Colorforms.
- 2018 – 9 Story Media Group buys Out of the Blue Enterprises.
Popular Colorforms Products
Early Colorforms sets featured original characters. These included Miss Weather, who had different outfits for different weather. Another was Miss Cookie's Kitchen, with various kitchen tools. Later, Colorforms started using popular cartoon characters. These included Mickey Mouse and Gumby.
Colorforms products have grown a lot. They are no longer just "paper doll" style sets. Today, there are more than 75 different Colorforms toys. New ones are added every year.
Characters You Know
The first Colorforms product with a licensed character was Popeye. It came out in 1957. Since then, using licensed characters has been a big part of Colorforms' success. Hundreds of brands have worked with Colorforms.
Colorforms has licensed many popular characters. They made sets for cartoons, TV shows, and movies. They even made sets for music artists like The Beatles. Some popular licensed sets included Peanuts, Gumby, Tarzan, The Three Stooges, Doctor Dolittle, Star Trek, Batman, Superman, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. They also made sets for Michael Jackson, The Smurfs, and Steve Urkel.
Colorforms even created their own character, Sugar & Spice. This was to compete with Strawberry Shortcake. Another popular series Colorforms wanted to make was Star Wars. However, they couldn't get the rights for toys.
Other Cool Products
In 1968, Colorforms tried something different. They released the Outer Space Men. These were bendy action figures. They were aliens from different planets. They fit well with Mattel's popular Major Matt Mason astronaut toys. Mattel didn't have many alien bad guys, so Colorforms helped fill that gap.
Colorforms also made their own versions of Silly Putty. These were called Moon Putty and Monster Print Putty. Moon Putty came in a hard plastic moon container. Monster Print Putty came in a small plastic skull. These were fun, squishy materials that could pick up newspaper ink.
From 1979 to at least 1984, Colorforms was the main company selling Plasticine modeling clay in the United States. Plasticine is a soft, non-drying clay. It's made from chalk and petroleum jelly. This gave Colorforms a good competitor to Kenner's Play-Doh.
Colorforms also had the rights to sell Shrinky Dinks from 1981 to 1988. They made and sold many Shrinky Dinks kits. The company has also sold many children's board games and jigsaw puzzles.
Who Owns Colorforms Now?
Colorforms has changed owners a few times. In 1997, Toy Biz bought Colorforms. A year later, University Games Corporation bought Colorforms. In 2014, Colorforms became a new part of Out of the Blue Enterprises. Then, in 2018, 9 Story Media Group bought Out of the Blue. This meant they also got Colorforms. In 2019, these companies worked together with DHX Media. They created the Netflix show Charlie's Colorforms City.
