By Rachel Coyne on December 12, 2011 in
Play-Doh, the goop that can be shaped and reshaped in a variety of ways, is flexible enough to elicit unique memories from different folk. Some will recall the distinctive scent of opening a fresh canister of the pliable substance. Others will reminisce about the hours they spent as a kid molding it into an endless series of shapes. Some parents will even remember it as being the first solid food their curious toddler tried to sample.
It has been a staple in classrooms and playrooms since the 1950s, and Play-Doh's staying power is thanks to its simplicity. The possibilities for the soft, non-toxic modeling compound are only limited by its user's imagination. A single canister of Play-Doh can be transformed into a zoo in the morning, take a trip through any number of modeling toys in the afternoon, and molded into a faux feast at dinnertime. Then by smashing it back into a ball and sealing it into its container, Play-Doh will wait to be reshaped another day, as seen in this nostalgic commercial from the 1970s embedded below.
From humble beginnings
What we now know as Play-Doh was first conceived in the 1930s as... wallpaper cleaner. Noah McVicker first developed the putty-like compound for a small soap company in Cincinnati, OH, using flour, water, salt, boric acid, and mineral oil as his recipe. He eventually learned from his nephew, Joseph McVicker, that the product was being used in local classrooms where the young children found regular modeling clay too stiff to handle.
Knowing a good idea when they heard one, in 1956 Joseph McVicker brought the compound to an educational school supplies convention, and it was soon being sold at the Woodward & Lothrop Department Store in Washington, DC. In that same year, the Noah McVicker formed the Rainbow Crafts Company to start manufacturing and selling Play-Doh as a toy, and after successful in-store demonstrations at Macy's and Marshall Field's, they began opening retail accounts. The first televised commercials for Play-Doh appeared during popular children's shows like "Captain Kangaroo" and "Romper Room," and by 1958, sales had reached almost $3 million.
In 1965, General Mills purchased the Rainbow Crafts Company and all rights to Play-Doh, and in 1971, the Tonka Corporation became its new owner. Hasbro purchased the rights to Play-Doh in 1991 and remains owner today, manufacturing and distributing the product through its Playskool division.
The molding toy evolves
Over the years, there have been many changes and updates to Play-Doh. While initially only produced in an unimaginative off-white color, in 1957 red, yellow, and blue became available in a newly offered three-pack. Many more colors were created over the next 50 years, and Play-Doh is now available in every color of the rainbow, as well as in glitter and glow-in-the-dark options.
In 1960, the Play-Doh Fun Factory (shown in the embedded video below) made its first appearance and allowed kids to use fun toys and gizmos to squeeze and mold the goo into unique shapes. This launched an ever-evolving line of Play-Doh accessory toys, like the Fuzzy Pumper Barber & Beauty Shop and the Play-Doh Creativity Center. In addition to these classics, you can now find Play-Doh toys that incorporate beloved children's characters like Mr. Potato Head, Dora the Explorer, and the whole Sesame Street gang.
As Play-Doh has grown and changed, so has its packaging. When first manufactured, it was available in cardboard cans, but in 1986 the easy-to-seal plastic containers we have today were introduced, giving Play-Doh a much longer shelf life. The cartoon boy who appears on all Play-Doh canisters has also done some growing up over the years. In the 1950s, the packaging featured illustrated children; these where then replaced by an elf-like character, who in 1960 succeeded by the classic mascot we still have today: a smock and beret-wearing boy named Play-Doh Pete, who in 2002 traded in his beret for the more modern baseball cap.
Play-Doh goes... digital?
Believe it or not, a product as tactile as Play-Doh has digital options. To celebrate its 40th birthday in 1996, an educational CD-ROM game called Play-Doh Creations was introduced. There's even an iPhone app available called Play-Doh Play-Dates, where parents can get creative ideas on how to organize Play-Doh themed play dates for their children. It's not quite the same as molding actual Play-Doh, but it's nice to know that a product over 50 years old can still change with the times.