Classic Toys

Play-Doh

By GToys Published · Updated

Play-Doh

Play-Doh is a modeling compound used by children for art and craft projects at home and in school. Composed of flour, water, salt, boric acid, and silicone oil, the product was first manufactured in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA as a wallpaper cleaner in the 1930s.

From Wallpaper Cleaner to Iconic Toy

When a classroom of children began using the wallpaper cleaner as a modeling compound, the product was reworked and marketed to Cincinnati schools in the mid-1950s. Play-Doh was demonstrated at an educational convention in 1956 and prominent department stores opened retail accounts.

The Television Breakthrough

Advertisements promoting Play-Doh on influential children’s television shows in 1957 furthered the product’s sales. The colorful, non-toxic compound appealed to parents who wanted a safe creative outlet for their children, and kids loved the squishy, moldable texture.

The Invention Story

Play-Doh, first featured in a December 1958 story called “Christmas Toys,” was invented in 1955 by Joseph McVickers at the age of 27. He got the idea when he saw children playing with wallpaper cleaner and realized its potential as a toy. McVickers removed the cleaning compound from the formula, added colors and a pleasant scent, and the rest is toy history.

Play-Doh by the Numbers

Since its launch on the toy market in the mid-1950s, Play-Doh has generated a considerable amount of ancillary merchandise such as The Fun Factory. In 2003, the Toy Industry Association named Play-Doh to its “Century of Toys List.”

The numbers behind Play-Doh are staggering. More than 3 billion cans have been sold since 1956. If you combined all the Play-Doh ever manufactured, you could build a wall that stretches around the world multiple times. The compound is sold in more than 80 countries worldwide.

Why Play-Doh Endures

Play-Doh succeeds because it is fundamentally open-ended. There are no instructions, no right or wrong way to use it. A child can sculpt animals, build cities, make pretend food, or simply enjoy the sensory experience of squishing and shaping the dough. It develops fine motor skills, encourages creativity, and provides hours of mess-free fun.

The distinctive smell of Play-Doh is so iconic that Hasbro trademarked the scent in 2018, describing it as a “sweet, slightly musky, vanilla-like fragrance.”