Play-Doh
Play-Doh is a children's modeling compound. It is often referred to as just playdough or play dough and is currently manufactured by Hasbro. Play-Doh is made of flour, water, salt, boric acid, and mineral oil.
Play-Doh History
Play-Doh was first manufactured in Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S., as a wallpaper cleaner in the 1930s by Noah McVicker as part of the soap company called Kutol Products. The cleaner was ideal for schools since it did not contain anything toxic or stain the walls. It came in large cans and was grey in color.
During the 1930s, many homes had wallpaper, so the Kutol cleaner was in high demand, but in the 1950s, wallpaper was not being used very much and the Kutol company was facing bankruptcy. Kay Zufall, who was a nursery school teacher and the sister-in-law of Noah's brother, Joe McVicker, was looking for school craft projects and read that their wallpaper cleaner could be used to make ornaments. She asked the McVicker brothers to ship her some. The kids in her class really enjoyed using it. Other teachers quickly discovered that the grey wallpaper cleaner made an excellent modeling clay for school arts and crafts projects.[1]
Seeing how much teachers loved the new clay that was soft and safe for kids, the McVicker brothers decided to make a special version just for children. They changed the formula a little to have less cleaner in it and added some nice smelling scents along with bright primary colors - red, blue, and yellow.
They packed the product in little cans and called it Rainbow Crafts. However, Kay did not feel the name was very good and suggested calling it Play-Doh instead. That name made marketing much easier.
Play-Doh was introduced at an educational convention in 1956. Important department stores like Macys opened retail accounts. Advertisements on many children's television shows, like Captain Kangaroo brought many more sales. The McVicker brothers went from having a store near collapse to becoming millionaires in a short time with it.
Play-Doh has had many spin-off merchandise products, such as The Fun Factory. In 2003, the Toy Industry Association named Play-Doh in its "Century of Toys List". Over 700 million pounds of Play-Doh have been created and more than 100 million cans are sold annually.[2]
Play-Doh Timeline
- 1930 Noah McVicker invents wallpaper cleaner that is safe for children.
- 1955 McVicker's sister-in-law who was a teacher asked about a safe modeling clay.
- 1955 Joseph McVicker, nephew of Noah McVicker, sends her a sample of his non-toxic compound used to clean wallpaper.
- 1956 The McVicker brothers formed the Rainbow Crafts company to make and sell their new product named "Play-Doh"
- 1960 Fun Factory accessory playsets were added to the product line.
- 1965 Noah and Joseph were awarded a patent for their soft, pliable plastic modeling composition.
- 1965 General Mills purchased the entire Rainbow Crafts Company.
- 1971 Kenner products merged with Rainbow Crafts.
- 1987 The Tonka Corporation purchases Kenner line.
- 1991 Play-Doh's current owner, Hasbro, acquired Tonka.
Science Behind It
Playdough is considered to be a Non-Newtonian fluid which means it acts like both a liquid and solid. If feels more liquid like when you gently mold it, but if you press firmly, it reacts more like a solid and feels dense. This is caused by water molecules which surround the starch sliding when you push slowly, but they react like a solid when pressed firmly. Sime and Silly Putty are also [[Non-Newtonian] fluid toys with similar properties.
Safety
Play-Doh is often used by toddlers who may ingest it. Play-Doh is now made by many different companies. Most of them will list it as being nontoxic, but you should always read the label to be certain. However, even the nontoxic versions can cause health issues for a toddler if too much is eaten, since it contains a lot of salt. A bigger concern is the choking hazard that can happen with it. Play dough is usually labeled as appropriate for children 2 years old and up, but you should always provide constant adult supervision to be safe.[3] The high salt content can also make Play-Doh toxic to pets who should never eat it.
Cleaning Tips
When removing Play-Doh compound never use hot water or cleaning solutions of any kind (including soap and water). Only use cold water. To remove Play-Doh compound from carpet or fabrics, allow it to first dry completely, and then loosen with a stiff brush. It may be necessary to vacuum clean or wash with gentle soap and some cold water. You may need to repeat the process several times to completely remove the Play-Doh compound. One trick to picking up left over pieces is to use a larger piece of Play-Doh to pick up the smaller ones by using gentle pressure. [4]
Always keep a lid on Play-Doh to keep it from drying out. Play-Doh will eventually dry out, no matter how well you try to preserve it. Just take a picture if you want a permanent memory of that masterpiece creation.
Homemade Play Dough
Nontoxic Play dough can be easily made at home using simple ingredients available at any market.
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/4 cups salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cream of tartar
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 1/2 cups flour
Mix all the above ingredients together in a large pot until it is smooth. Cook the dough over a low heat and stir often. The water will slowly cook out and it will start to become more sticky. Keep mixing until you see that the edges of the dough near the side and bottom of the pan look dry. You can test the mixture by taking a pinch of it. It should not feel gooey.
Once cooked, place the dough on a large board that you don't mind coloring (warning: this step can permanently stain a cutting board). Knead the warm dough until it is smooth and divide it up for each color you want. Roll each piece into a ball.
Flatten each ball and add food coloring. Knead the dough ball until the color is uniform. Add more color to make it darker. You can lighten it by adding more play dough. You can make as many colors as you like, or even mix colors together. Classic Play-Doh colors include red, yellow, white, pink, teal, and lavender.
Store the play dough in a sealed plastic bag or container to prevent it from drying out. It should keep for many months.
Peanut Butter Play-Doh
You can make Play-Doh from peanut butter. This may not be as good in terms of texture and color as the classic recipe, but a benefit is that it will not have all the salt in it that can be a problem for infants and dogs if they eat it. Do not use this recipe if a person has any nut allergies. Certain pets, like cats should not eat too much peanut butter.[5]
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup honey (use enough so everything sticks well after mixed)
Just combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. An electric mixer is suggested. Your peanut butter play-doh is now ready for action and can also be eaten as a treat!