National Play-Doh Day 🎨

Overview

National Play-Doh Day, celebrated annually on September 16th, is a vibrant occasion dedicated to honoring the iconic modeling compound that has inspired creativity and imaginative play for generations. This day encourages people of all ages to rediscover the simple joy of sculpting, molding, and creating with Play-Doh, fostering artistic expression, fine motor skills, and nostalgic fun.

Origin and story

Play-Doh was originally sold as a wallpaper cleaner in the 1930s before being rebranded as a toy in the mid-1950s.

The first Play-Doh color available to the public was off-white.

Quick facts

• DateSeptember 16
• TypeCultural / community observance
• Great forFriends, Families, Classrooms, Teams

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Ways to celebrate

Play-Doh started life scrubbing soot off wallpaper, not sitting in a kid's toy box — a cleaning product saved from obsolescence by a nursery school teacher.

Know its original job

Kutol Products manufactured the compound in Cincinnati starting in the 1930s as a wallpaper cleaner, meant to scrub coal-soot residue off walls — a business that started collapsing in the 1950s as homes switched to cleaner oil, gas, and electric heating.

Meet the teacher who saved the product

As struggling company owner Joseph McVicker looked for a way to save the business, his sister-in-law Kay Zufall, a nursery school teacher, read about using wallpaper cleaner for classroom modeling projects, tested the nontoxic compound with her students, and suggested the new name: Play-Doh.

Read the fuller history

Helpful resources:

• The Accidental Invention of Play-Doh (Smithsonian Magazine)

Did you know?

McVicker filed for a Play-Doh patent in 1956 and was finally granted it on January 26, 1965 — the very same year his company, Rainbow Crafts, was sold to General Mills.

Fun facts

• Play-Doh was originally sold as a wallpaper cleaner in the 1930s before being rebranded as a toy in the mid-1950s.
• The first Play-Doh color available to the public was off-white.
• The distinct scent of Play-Doh was officially copyrighted by Hasbro in 2018.

Sources and attribution

The Accidental Invention of Play-Doh (Smithsonian Magazine)

External links may lead to third-party websites.

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FAQ

When is National Play-Doh Day?

It is observed on September 16 each year.

What is National Play-Doh Day?

National Play-Doh Day, celebrated annually on September 16th, is a vibrant occasion dedicated to honoring the iconic modeling compound that has inspired creativity and imaginative play for generations. This day encourages people of all ages to rediscover the simple joy of sculpting, molding, and creating with Play-Doh, fostering artistic expression, fine motor skills, and nostalgic fun.

How do people celebrate National Play-Doh Day?

Sculpt with Play-Doh and consider its origin as a 1930s wallpaper cleaner, saved from obsolescence when nursery school teacher Kay Zufall suggested repurposing it as a children's modeling compound.

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