The History of Play-Doh

It’s found in nearly every playroom in America, but did you know that this popular children’s toy was actually created as desperate attempt to save a business? A company called Kutol manufactured a sticky dough that was used to clean soot off of wallpaper, but as households moved away from heating with coal, the company’s fortunes began to change. By 1956, the company was in deep trouble – until Kay Zufall, a nursery school teacher and sister-in-law to one of the company’s principals, tested the nontoxic material with children and suggested a new name for Kutol’s product: Play-Doh. Now owned by Hasbro, this beloved children’s toy has grown into a cultural phenomenon – and to think that it originally began its life as a cleaning product!