Play-Doh

You can make art with Play-Doh.

It is soft and colorful. You can squish it with your hands.

Long ago, it was not a toy. It was used to clean walls. It helped clean soot from paper.

A teacher saw kids using it. She thought it would be a fun toy. She helped name it Play-Doh.

It is made of flour and salt. It also has water. It has a sweet smell.

You can use tools to make shapes. Some tools make hair. You can make many things with it!

Play-Doh is a soft material used for art.

Children use it to make many shapes. It is safe to touch. It does not stain. It is also reusable.

This toy has a surprising history. In the 1930s, it was a cleaner. It cleaned soot from wallpaper. People used coal to heat homes back then. This left dark marks on walls. Later, people used natural gas instead. They also used vinyl wallpaper. The cleaning putty was no longer needed.

A teacher named Kay Zufall saw a news story. She saw kids using the putty for art. She told the makers to sell it as a toy. She and her husband named it Play-Doh.

Play-Doh has a special smell. It smells like sweet vanilla and cherry. It also smells like salty dough. It is made from flour, water, and salt. You can use tools like the Fun Factory to make shapes. Some tools even make fake hair for dolls. Today, Play-Doh is in a Hall of Fame for toys. It is one of the most famous toys ever made.

Play-Doh is a famous modeling compound used for arts and crafts.

It is a soft, pliable substance that children love to shape. This material is non-toxic and does not stain. It is also reusable, so you can make many things. People use it to create all sorts of colorful projects. It has become a very important tool for creativity.

Making things with Play-Doh is a fun and tactile experience. The compound is made from a mixture of flour, water, and salt. It also contains a starch-based binder and a fragrance. A petroleum additive helps it feel smooth in your hands. Borax is added to help prevent mold from growing. Some tools, like the Fun Factory, can extrude the dough into shapes.

You can even use tools to make hair for figurines.

The history of Play-Doh is quite surprising. In the 1930s, it was actually a cleaner for wallpaper. It was made by Noah McVicker in Cincinnati, Ohio. People used it to clean soot from coal-fired homes. Later, people switched to natural gas and vinyl wallpaper. This meant the cleaning putty was no longer needed. Joe McVicker worked to save the company from bankruptcy.

A nursery school teacher named Kay Zufall changed everything. She saw students using the putty for art projects. She and her husband came up with the name Play-Doh. In 1956, the Rainbow Crafts Company was formed to sell it. By 1957, ads appeared on shows like Captain Kangaroo. Sales grew very fast during this time. In 1958, sales reached nearly $3 million.

Play-Doh is now a part of toy history. It was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1998. The Toy Industry Association even put it on a list of the most creative toys. Since 1991, the brand has been owned by Hasbro. Between 1955 and 2005, over two billion cans were sold. It is now sold in many different countries. Even its unique scent is officially registered.

Play-Doh is a famous modeling compound used for arts and crafts.

It is a non-toxic, non-staining, and reusable substance. Children use it to create many different shapes and projects. This pliable, putty-like material has become a global icon of creativity. It is highly valued for its ability to be molded easily. The brand has grown into a massive part of toy history.

The composition of Play-Doh involves several specific ingredients to ensure its texture. It is primarily a mixture of water, salt, and flour. A starch-based binder helps hold the material together. A retrogradation inhibitor is included in the formula. A lubricant and a surfactant also help with its consistency. A petroleum additive provides a smooth feel to the touch. Borax is added to prevent mold from developing. It also contains a fragrance and various colors.

Making Play-Doh is a precise chemical process. A chemist named Dr. Tien Liu improved the formula in 1957. He reduced the salt content of the compound. This change allowed models to dry without losing their color. The compound is also designed to be soft and pliable. Some versions, like Play-Doh Plus, are even lighter and softer. Users can also use tools like the Fun Factory. This device extrudes the dough into many different shapes.

The history of Play-Doh began with an unexpected purpose. In the 1930s, Noah McVicker manufactured it in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was originally a wallpaper cleaner for coal-fired homes. People used the putty to remove coal residue from walls. However, demand for the cleaner shrank after World War II. Families began using natural gas for heating instead of coal. This change resulted in much less soot buildup in homes. Additionally, washable vinyl-based wallpaper became very popular.

Joe McVicker helped save his company from bankruptcy through a new idea. His brother-in-law, Kay Zufall, was a nursery school teacher. She noticed her students enjoyed using the putty for art. She and her husband created the name Play-Doh. This was different from the original name, Rainbow Modeling Compound. In 1956, the Rainbow Crafts Company was formed. The company began selling three-pack cans of 7-ounce containers. By 1958, sales reached nearly $3 million.

Play-Doh has achieved incredible commercial success over many decades. Between 1955 and 2005, more than two billion cans were sold. By 2005, the product was sold in 75 different countries. At that time, it sold 95 million cans every year. In the United States, more than 6,000 stores carry the product. It was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1998. The Toy Industry Association also named it a "Century of Toys" winner. This list honors the 100 most creative toys of the twentieth century.

The brand has also evolved through various owners and mascots. General Mills bought Rainbow Crafts for $3 million in 1965. Later, the Tonka Corporation bought the brand in 1987. Hasbro became the owner in 1991 under the Playskool brand. The packaging has changed from cardboard cans to plastic containers. The mascots have also changed over the years. Play-Doh Pete served as the mascot for 42 years. Currently, the Doh-Dohs serve as the brand's mascots.