September 16 is National Play-Doh Day #NationalPlayDohDay which should be celebrated playing with kids and #play-doh making fun and unique creations from animals, to food. Because when playing with Play-Doh the Sky’s the limit isn’t it? Don’t forget if your #Homeschooling Play-Doh can be used in Art Class.
If your #Homeschooling your children you could do a lesson on Play-Doh which could include when Play-Doh was discovered and who created Play-Doh. You could research to see if there is books on Play-Doh, songs or even movies that mention Play-Doh or have Play-Doh in the show. For me Toy Story comes to mind. What about you?
Below is more information on Play-Doh that will help enhance your lessons. Don’t forget the Holidays is right around the corner. If you have the opportunity today make Ornaments for your Christmas Tree using the information below.
Here is a question for you. Dif you know Play-Doh is one of the most popular and widely used children’s playthings in the world. However, Play-Doh wasn’t originally meant to be for children. Play-Doh was supposed to be a wallpaper cleaner!
Play-Doh all started back in 1933 when Cleo McVicker and his brother Noah developed a non-toxic, malleable formula for wallpaper cleaner for Kutol Products in Cincinnati, Ohio. After World War II, many houses converted to oil and gas-based furnaces, eliminating the need for wallpaper cleaners. When Cleo McVicker passed away, his son Joseph took over and struggled to keep the business afloat as the demand kept plummeting.
It was in 1955 that Kay Zufall, a school teacher, and McVicker’s sister-in-law, suggested marketing and selling the product as arts and crafts and playthings. She showed him the art created by her students by molding this clay and convinced him to sell the product through a new lens. McVicker began selling Play-Doh to elementary kids under the name of Rainbow Crafts Company Inc., a subsidiary of Kutol Products.
What made Play-Doh an overnight sensation, though, was the fact that Bob Keeshan also known as Captain Kangaroo, showcased the product on the most popular children’s television show once a week. Sales skyrocketed for Play-Doh making it a household name and the rest is history! What started as a simple wallpaper cleaner now came in multiple colors with its own accessories and was soon acquired by Hasbro, which sells Play-Doh to this day.
How to Celebrate National Play-Doh Day
- Whether you’re an adult or a child, it doesn’t matter consider National Play-Doh Day the excuse we’ve been waiting for to bring out that jar of happiness and unleash our inner artists.
- Remember if you can’t get your hands on an OG yellow Play-Doh can, don’t worry. There are plenty of recipes online to gather simple kitchen ingredients and create DIY Play-Doh.
- If you have the opportunity today take the day off and gather a group of friends and kiddos and have a Play-Doh party! Nothing is more fun than a clean, colorful, and friendly battle of the artists.
Facts About Play-Doh
- Did you know on its 50th anniversary, Hasbro collaborated with Demeter Fragrance Library and created a Play-Doh fragrance?
- Back in the day when technology wasn’t as advanced, a Play-Doh replica of a human finger could fool 90% of fingerprint scanners into considering it an accurate print. Isn’t that crazy?
- Hasbro launched an app in 2016 that enables kids to turn their Play-Doh creatures into animated characters.
- While this formula’s calling was in the crafts and play world, Play-Doh had a successful run of 20 years even as a wallpaper cleaner. I wonder if it still would clean wallpaper but I don’t have any to try it out on. Do you?
- In 1998, Play-Doh was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at the Strong National Museum of Play in New York.
Why People Love National Play-Doh Day
- The mere thought of Play-Doh is enough to bring back innumerable childhood memories of wholeheartedly creating Play-Doh masterpieces at home or in the classroom with all our friends.
- While the plummeting of wallpaper cleaner sales was a struggle, it paved the way for something much bigger than the product was destined for.
- National Play-Doh Day is a day of celebration and a day for everyone, despite their age groups, to come together and let their inner clay artists run wild.
How to Make Homemade Play Dough Ornaments
Supplies
- green store bought Play Doh and assorted colors for baubles
- Bakers twine
- Cookie Cutters in the shapes you want to create we used Christmas Cookie Cutters for our ornaments but have used Animals in the past
- Something to poke a hole in the dough. (I used the end of a paintbrush.)
- A baking dish
- A rolling pin
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Roll a can of green Play Doh out on a flat surface.
- You can make 2 large trees from one can.
- Use a large tree-shaped cookie cutter to shape the ornaments, just like you would cut out cookies.
- Using a pencil, skewer or something similar, poke a hole through the top of the ornament.
- You will only need a small pinch of several other colors.
- Aim for a dime-sized pinch of each other color you would like to use.
- From each color, form 5 smaller balls of Play Doh.
- Place these around the tree ornament.
- Gently smash them into the tree.
- Place the ornament in a baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes in a 400-degree oven.
- Allow the ornament to cool completely. The colors get so vibrant while it bakes!
- Thread bakers twine through the ornament to display.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
