Play-Doh: The popular play pal discovered accidentally by a nursery school teacher
We all remember playing with Play-Doh, right? This moldable dough is basically nostalgia bottled in a bright yellow container. Through decades, Play-Doh has given wings to the imaginations of countless kids with an endless array of colours and opportunities that it offers. But do you know that Play-Doh was actually a chance discovery? Let us find out how it came into being.
How was Play-Doh discovered?
Noah McVicker, a businessman, worked for his family's soap manufacturing unit, Kutol Products, in the 1930s. The company was based out of Cincinnati, USA. McVicker invented a new type of wallpaper cleaning soap at his factory on request from Kroger Grocery, an American retail company. Kroger wanted a product that would clear coal residues from wallpapers. The cleanser was made of flour, water, salt, and a variety of other components and looked like putty. Kroger was happy as it did its job.
Years later, after World War II, transition occurred from coal-based home heating systems to natural gas. As a result, the soot in homes decreased, and with the introduction of washable wallpaper, the market for Noah’s wallpaper cleaning putty decreased substantially. McVicker's nephew, Joseph McVicker, joined the business and attempted to turn its fortunes around. Joseph was the brother-in-law of Kay Zufall, a nursery school teacher. She had read an article on using wallpaper cleaner for modelling tasks at the time. She put the non-toxic material to test with kids, who enjoyed moulding it into various shapes. She persuaded the McVickers to relaunch the putty as a children’s toy and even suggested a new name for it: Play-Doh! Incredible, isn't it? The rest, as they say, is history!
Play-Doh, as we know it today
In 1956, Noah and Joseph McVicker formed the Rainbow Crafts Company to produce and sell Play-Doh. Well, it soon started being sold at upmarket shops and is a household name today. After multiple changes of ownership, it was owned by Hasbro Inc. since 1991. It’s an American multinational company having toys, board games, and other media assets, with its headquarters in Rhode Island, USA. You might be surprised to know that the original company Kutol Products is said to have sold over three billion cans of Play-Doh since its debut as a children’s toy company in 1956! Well, as you might have guessed, the figure outnumbered its original sales for wallpaper cleaners.
Evolution of Play-Doh
In 1956, Play-Doh was only available in white colour, but it quickly grew to include all the primary colours: Red, blue, and yellow. Rose Red, Purple Paradise, Garden Green, and Blue Lagoon are just a few of the colours available currently. It’s amazing how much the company has evolved the product to keep up with the times and tastes of today’s children! Metallic and glittering hues were added to commemorate its 40th anniversary in 1996. In fact, over time, the formula too has undergone modest changes. The amount of salt was reduced at one point so that the product would not dry up too quickly. However, the majority of the ingredients have remained the same.