National and World Play-Doh Day
About World Play-Doh Day
When is World Play-Doh Day Celebrated? This special day is a September 16 holiday.
Now here’s a holiday that just can’t be limited to being “national” in scope. Play-Doh is a popular child’s toy around the world. Originally, it was named National Play-Doh Day. However, in 2015, Hasbro Toys, the creator of this special day, wisely changed the title of this holiday to World Play-Doh Day. They believe emphatically that this childhood toy belongs to the whole world. This holiday is celebrated annually on September 16.
Both World Play-Doh Day and National Play-Doh Day celebrate a great childhood play toy. Play-Doh was invented in the mid-1950s. It has entertained millions of children, allowing them to express their creativity, both at home and in the classroom.
The invention was simple. A schoolteacher wanted a safe modeling clay for her pre-schoolers. She asked her brother-in-law Joseph McVicker, who worked at a chemical company, to come up with something. The result was simple….flour, water, and food coloring.
Did You Know? In 1998, Play-Doh was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, NY.
How to Celebrate World Play-Doh Day
It’s fun and easy to celebrate World Play-Doh Day and National Play-Doh Day. Simply pull out the Play-Doh and ……Play! There are other brands of play clay on the market. However, having raised three children, this author has never seen a better brand.
Also, another way to celebrate is to give this modeling clay out to children you know.
Today's Quote
“Sometimes the most brilliant and intelligent minds do not shine in standardized tests because they do not have standardized minds.” – – Diane Ravitch
History and Origin of Play-Doh Day
Joseph McVicker of Kutol Chemicals in Cincinnati, Ohio created Play-Doh in 1955. Originally, Play-Doh was used as a wallpaper cleaning product. It hit the market in 1956 and has been a popular play toy ever since. Then, McVicker’s sister-in-law Kay Zufall, a nursery school teacher, asked McVicker to repackage it and market it as a child’s toy. She wanted a safe, clay-like product for her nursery school children to use. Noah and Joseph McVicker received U.S. Patent No. 3,167,440 for Play-Doh.
Hasbro Toys, the current makers, say it a little differently. On their website, they state: “The story of Play-Doh modeling compound begins in 1956 when scientists at Rainbow Crafts, a Cincinnati soap and cleaning compound company, stumbled upon a new use for the unique dough-like cleaning product. The company realized this product’s potential as a child’s modeling compound; and thus, the original, reusable compound was born.”
Also, in 2006, Hasbro changed the title to World Play-Doh Day to recognize the toy’s popularity around the world.
In the years that it was titled a national day, we found no congressional or presidential proclamation making it a true national day.
Definition of “National” Days – and why it is so important to distinguish true national days. Particularly, we feel it is important to acknowledge and recognize those who went through the effort to make this an official “national” day.
This Day in History
Here are some other events that happened on this day:
- The Mayflower sets sail from Plymouth, England. It carried pilgrims headed to the New World, to escape religious persecution. (1620)
- The Great Seal of the United States of America was impressed on an official document for the first time. (1782)
- Magician David Copperfield was born on this day in 1956.
More September 16 Holidays
Without a doubt, there’s certainly no shortage of September 16 holidays. In addition to World Play-Doh Day, here are some of them:
More About Today
Recipe of the Day: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie
Also See: Fall Recipes and Holiday Recipes and Garden Recipes
Flower of the Day: Tulips
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Did You Know? In addition to World Play-Doh Day, there are literally thousands of daily holidays, special events, and observances, more than one for every day of the year. Certainly, there is no shortage of daily holidays in September. Many of these holidays are new. People and organizations are creating new holidays regularly. Consequently, at Holiday Insights, we take great efforts to thoroughly research and document the details of each one, as completely and accurately as possible.