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September 16 – Play-Doh Day

September 16, 2016

nPostednon September 16, 2016

Didnyou know that Play-Doh was first sold as a substance that can helpnclean wallpaper? Of course, it wasn’t sold with the name Play-Doh –nand it wasn’t sold in a variety of colors, either! Instead, thencompound was a boring off white.

nThatnwas back in the 1930s, before there was vinyl wallpaper, and beforenpeople were heating their homes with clean natural gas. (Heating anhome with coal left a layer of soot on wallpaper, and you couldn’tnget wallpaper wet, so it was pretty difficult to clean it.)

nInnthe 1950s, though, wallpaper cleaner wasn’t such a necessary product. Gas-burning furnaces provided cleaner heat, and the new vinyl wallpaper could be cleanednwith simple soap and water.

nWhat would happen to Kutol, the wallpaperncleaner company?

Enternsomeone brilliant: a woman named Kay Zufall. She ran a nurserynschool, and she’d read that wallpaper cleaner could be used as a kindnof modeling clay. She bought a bunch of Kutol wallpaper cleaner,nbecause Kutol was run by her brother-in-law. The stuff worked SO well that she called up her brother-in-law and told him he shouldnsell his outdated product in a whole new way.

nHer brother-in-law was a man named Joe McVicker. He knew a great idea when he heard one, and he experimented with addedncoloring and fragrance to his compound to make it perfect for ansort of modeling clay. Then he sat down to think up a name. This isnwhat he came up with: n

nKutol’snRainbow Modeling Compound.

nZufallnsaid something like, “Yeah—no! Bad name! That name sucks!” Onlynnot those words; she used 1950s words to mean the same thing. But KaynZufall put her own thinking cap on and came up with the name Play-Doh.

nIndon’t know if she ever earned any money for her great idea and/ornname! n

nPlay-Dohnwas originally sold in red, blue, yellow, and white. Of course, kidsncould mix these colors to create orange, green, and purple – and,nall too commonly, a sort of muddy brown. Nowadays, Play-Doh isnmarketed in 14 colors ranging from a nice, chocolaty brown to Rose Red, PurplenParadise, Green Garden, and Blue Lagoon.

Accordingnto the official Play-Doh website,nif you made a giant ball of all the Play-Doh ever created, it wouldnweigh almost a hundred million pounds! More than 2 billion cans havenbeen sold in the 60 years since the compound was first sold, and 7nmillion Fun Factory playsets have been sold since 1999.

nWhat’s Play-Doh made of? Of course, the specific list of ingredients is a tradensecret, but it’s mostly flour, salt, and water, with some coloringnand fragrance added. There is also a petroleum additive, to give thencompound a smooth feel, and there is boron to prevent the mixturenfrom getting moldy.

nWenare reminded that Play-Doh is not meant to be eaten!! It is, however,nnon-toxic and non-allergenic except possibly to people with a wheatnallergy.

nDidnyou know…?

nBacknin the Stone Ages of TV, a huge children’s star was Captain Kangaroo.nHe was shown Play-Doh and asked to feature the product once a week,nbut Captain Kangaroo loved the stuff and started using it three timesna week! Sales took off, and other old-time kids’ shows startednfeaturing Play-Doh as well.

nTherenare so many Play-Doh sets – Dr. Drill ‘n’ Fill, Burger Builder,nSpaghetti Factory, Ice Cream Shoppe, Pizza Party, and many, many,nmany more!

nTherenis a mascot called Play-Doh Pete. He used to be an elf. Then henbecame a cute kid in an artist’s beret. Finally, he traded in hisnberet for a baseball cap – at least, that’s what I read; I haven’tnspotted a picture of Pete with a baseball cap!