The youngest grandson, age four, loves Play Dough. And his mother actually allows it in her home. It may be because she was deprived as a child. This Grandma hated the crumbles, sticky mess, the difficulty cleaning up. Maybe improved since it beginnings. The New York Times, September 16, 2015 gave us the Back Story behind play dough, which actually got its own day that date! Hard to believe it is 60 years old. I guess I was also deprived. I never remember playing with Play Dough as a child.
Now you can be so smart and tell your grandchildren the history of Play Dough:
BACK STORY
“The invention of vinyl wallpaper, oddly enough, led to the creation of a toy 60 years ago that is an enduring favorite. That toy is celebrated today, National Play-Doh Day [September 16]. The popular pseudo-clay comes from the goop that was used long ago as wallpaper cleaner.”
“In the first half of the 20th century, most American homes got their heat from coal, so wallpaper had to be frequently cleaned of soot. Then came vinyl wallpaper, which could be washed with soap and water, and furnaces powered by oil and gas. The need for wallpaper cleaner plummeted.”
“ The outlook for one manufacturer – Kutol Products Company of Cincinnati – looked bleak. That is, until a family member of the manager read that you could make Christmas ornaments using wallpaper cleaner, which was nontoxic. They knew they had a hit after they gave the substance to children, who found it even more fun than modeling clay. The company, which still sells cleaning goods, tinkered with the formula for their wallpaper cleaner, added color and – voilà! – Play-Doh was born.”
“Its current owner, Hasbro, says that over 950 million pounds of Play-Doh have been
squeezed, squished and squashed. You can try making it at home, but you’ll also have to clean up the mess.”
This Grandma searched for how to make play dough at home and stumbled upon a great website that tells us how to make just about anything. Take a look.
The basic ingredients are easy and available, but the kind you do not have to cook appealed to this Grandma:
Enjoy!
Joy,
Mema
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