Play-Doh facts for kids
 
Play-Doh Retro Canister
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| Type | Modelling clay |
|---|---|
| Inventor(s) | Kay Zufall Brian Joseph McVicker Bill Rhodenbaugh |
| Company | Kutol (1955) Rainbow Crafts (1956–1971) Kenner (1971–1991) Hasbro (1991–present) |
| Country | United States |
| Availability | 1956–present |
| Slogan | Fun to play with, not to eat |
Play-Doh is a fun modeling compound that young children use for arts and crafts. It was first made in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, in the 1930s. Back then, it was used to clean wallpaper.
In the mid-1950s, Play-Doh was changed and sold to schools in Cincinnati. It was shown at a big education event in 1956. Soon, major department stores started selling it. Ads for Play-Doh on popular children's TV shows in 1957 helped its sales grow a lot. Since it became a toy in the mid-1950s, Play-Doh has led to many other related products, like the Fun Factory.
Contents
The Story of Play-Doh
How Play-Doh Began
Play-Doh started as a soft, reusable putty. It was made by Noah McVicker, who worked for a soap company called Kutol Products in Cincinnati. The company created it because Kroger Grocery stores wanted a product to clean coal soot from wallpaper.
After World War II, people started heating their homes with natural gas instead of coal. This meant less soot inside homes. Also, new washable vinyl wallpaper became popular. Because of these changes, fewer people needed wallpaper cleaning putty.
Noah's nephew, Joe McVicker, joined Kutol to help save the company. Joe's sister-in-law, Kay Zufall, was a nursery school teacher. She saw a newspaper article about using the wallpaper putty for art projects. Her students loved it! She convinced Noah and Joe McVicker to make it as a toy for kids. Kay and her husband came up with the name "Play-Doh." Joe and Noah had wanted to call it "Rainbow Modeling Compound."
The Big Launch
Joe McVicker took Play-Doh to a convention for school supply makers. A department store in Washington, DC, called Woodward & Lothrop, was the first to sell it. In 1956, the McVickers started the Rainbow Crafts Company just to make and sell Play-Doh. That same year, they added a three-pack of 7-ounce cans to their products. After showing how it worked in stores, Macy's in New York and Marshall Field's in Chicago also started selling Play-Doh.
In 1957, a chemist named Dr. Tien Liu made Play-Doh's salt content lower. This meant models could dry without losing their color. Play-Doh ads also started appearing on popular TV shows like Captain Kangaroo, Ding Dong School, and Romper Room. By 1958, Play-Doh sales reached almost $3 million!
Later Developments
In 1964, Play-Doh began to be sold in Britain, France, and Italy. By 1965, Rainbow Crafts got a patent for Play-Doh. Also in 1965, General Mills bought Rainbow Crafts for $3 million. In 1967, General Mills bought another company called Kenner Products. In 1971, Rainbow Crafts and Kenner joined together. Later, in 1987, the Tonka Corporation bought both companies.
In the 1980s, Play-Doh's cardboard cans, which had metal bottoms that could rust, were replaced with plastic containers. This made them cheaper to make. In 1991, Hasbro became the owner of Play-Doh. They put it under their Playskool brand, and Hasbro still makes Play-Doh today. In 1996, gold and silver colors were added to Play-Doh to celebrate its 40th birthday.
Between 1955 and 2005, more than two billion cans of Play-Doh were sold. In 2005, Play-Doh was sold in 75 countries, with 95 million cans sold each year. In the United States, over 6,000 stores sell Play-Doh.
Play-Doh was added to the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong museum in Rochester, New York, in 1998. In 2003, the Toy Industry Association put Play-Doh on its "Century of Toys List." This list names the 100 most memorable and creative toys of the 20th century.
Play-Doh's Special Scent
For Play-Doh's 50th anniversary, a company called Demeter Fragrance Library made a special perfume. It was inspired by Play-Doh's unique smell. It was for "highly-creative people" who wanted a fun scent that reminded them of their childhood.
In 2018, Hasbro officially registered Play-Doh's special smell with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The scent is described as a mix of "a sweet, slightly musky, vanilla-like fragrance, with slight overtones of cherry, and the natural smell of a salted, wheat-based dough."
Play-Doh Mascots
In the mid-1950s, Play-Doh packaging briefly showed pictures of children. Then came the Play-Doh Pixie, a small elf mascot. In 1960, the Pixie was replaced by Play-Doh Pete. He was a cartoon boy wearing a smock and a beret. By 1992, Play-Doh Pete's beret was blue, and his eyes looked more human. In 2000, his beret was replaced with a baseball cap. Play-Doh Pete retired in 2003 after 42 years. Since 2012, the Doh-Dohs have been the mascots.
What Play-Doh is Made Of
Hasbro, the company that makes Play-Doh today, says it's mostly a mix of water, salt, and flour. A United States patent from 2004 shows that it also contains other things. These include a binder (something that holds it together), a lubricant (to make it smooth), a surfactant (to help it mix), a preservative (to keep it fresh), a hardener, a humectant (to keep it moist), fragrance, and color.
A special oil-based additive makes Play-Doh feel smooth. Also, borax is added to stop mold from growing. Play-Doh contains some wheat, so it might cause allergic reactions in people who are allergic to wheat gluten. It is not meant to be eaten.
Other Play-Doh Toys
In 1960, the Play-Doh Fun Factory was invented by Bob Boggild and Bill Dale. This toy press pushes Play-Doh out in different shapes. Later, the Play-Doh Fuzzy Pumper Barber & Beauty Shop (1977) and Mop Top Hair Shop (1986) came out. These toys had a figure whose "hair" could be made from Play-Doh and then styled.
In 1995, a computer game called Play-Doh Creations was released. In 2003, the Play-Doh Creativity Table was sold. For Play-Doh's anniversary in 2007, new items were introduced. These included the Play-Doh Birthday Bucket, the Play-Doh Fifty Colors Pack, and the Fuzzy Pumper Crazy Cuts (a new version of the Barber & Beauty Shop). The Play-Doh Creativity Center also came out. In 2012, "Play-Doh Plus" was introduced. It is lighter, softer, and easier to shape than regular Play-Doh.
Play-Doh in Movies and TV
Movies
On April 2, 2015, 20th Century Fox announced they were working on a Play-Doh movie. It was going to be made with Hasbro Studios and Chernin Entertainment. Jason Micallef was writing the script, and Paul Feig was going to direct it. However, this movie was later cancelled.
On March 17, 2022, it was announced that a new animated Play-Doh movie is being developed. It's being made by Entertainment One and Hasbro. Emily V. Gordon is writing the story, and Jon M. Chu is producing and might direct it.
TV Series
A game show based on Play-Doh started streaming on Amazon Freevee (which was then called IMDb TV). It began as a special holiday episode on December 10, 2021. Then, it became a full series on November 11, 2022. The show is hosted by Sarah Hyland.
See also
In Spanish: Play-Doh para niños
- Milliput
- Plastilina
- Plasticine
- Sculpey
- Play-Doh, sculpture by Jeff Koons
Images for kids
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Objects made out of Play-Doh.
