Individual Research Topic
Toy Animals
Animal toys were always popular
- dating back to
- the small figures of animals and human beings made of baked clay, wood, bone, and ivory
- nowadays toy animals are generally made of wood, metal, plastic or rubber
In India, clay animal-figures on wheels and other animal toys date to about 2500 BCE. Later, brass and bronze horses and elephants were common playthings among Indian children from wealthy families.
Bath Toy: Rubber Duck
Target Users & the Benefits of Play
- categorized as infant toys
- Target Users: age 0-4
- Inspire water play that develops muscle strength and coordination
- Their bright color, smooth texture, and squeaky or quacky sounds sharpen toddlers’ senses
- Their presence in the bathtub soothes youngsters’ fears of water and water immersion and makes good clean fun of the routine hygiene they’re learning
Characteristics
- cheaply made, cheaply acquired
- Inducted into the Toys Hall of Fame in 2013
- For many decades, most duck figures have been made of vinyl, but we still call them rubber ducks
- According to a 1973 Sesame Street calendar, Rubber Duckie’s Birthday is January 13th so around the country it’s National Rubber Ducky Day
History
- Rubber toys first appeared in the late 1800s, after Charles Goodyear’s invention of “vulcanized rubber.”
- In 1844, Charles Goodyear mixed rubber with chemicals and polymers, making rubber into a durable and malleable material.
- Manufacturers made use of Charles Goodyear’s process and the commercial use of rubber skyrocketed, so did the production of rubber toys.
Origins
The origin of the rubber duck is murky. According to my research, there are two versions:
Both versions indicate that the first rubber duck
- was created around the late 19th century (the 1840s)
- made of hard rubber
- didn’t float
- not intended as a bath toy
- In the ’40s, the Rempel company of Akron, Ohio made the first iteration. It was a hollow, walking rubber duck with a sick mohawk
- In the ’40s, the first rubber duck was cast solid and intended as a chew toy
Rubber ducks were originally based on characters from Disney. In 1933, the Seiberling Latex Products Company licensed a series of Disney characters to make “bath floaters”. The most popular of these characters were Donald and Daisy Duck.
Motivated by Donald and Daisy’s dominance, other companies took interest in floating animal toys. Not bothering with buying copyrights and maintaining licenses, they went for a more generic duck design, which developed into the iconic floating yellow figure we recognized today.
According to the Toy Hall of Fame, sculptor Peter Ganine created a sculpture of a duck in 1949. He patented it and reproduced it as a floating toy in a traditional rubber duck design for 14 years. He went on and sold more than 50 million of his creation, making the rubber duck one of the most popular toys of all time.
Rubber Duck’s Golden Era
By the early 1960s, after the patent filed by Peter Ganine had been lifted, this low-cost toy reached its golden era. Now free from restriction, rubber ducks were everywhere.
On February 25, 1970, rubber ducks got their biggest break. In the first season of Sesame Street, Ernie made the toy famous by showing off his own rubber duck. He played with this prized and loyal friend in a bathtub full of bubbles while singing the catchy tune:
Rubber Duckie, you’re the one
You make bath time lots of fun
Rubber Duckie, I’m awfully fond of you
Rubber Duckie, joy of joys
When I squeeze you, you make noise
Rubber Duckie, you’re my very best friend, it’s true
Original Video:
Chinese Version:
The song, written by Jeff Moss further endeared the ducks to child-occupied households
- Sold more than 1 million copies
- The song rose to number 16 on Billboard’s chart of hit tunes
- The song has been featured on 21 different Sesame Street compilation albums
- There are recordings of it in Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Spanish, and Dutch
- In 1996, a German version of the song sold 1.8 million copies
- The image of Ernie playing with the duck was licensed for T-shirts, storybooks, and other merchandise
New versions of Rubber Duck
The duck has since undergone some minor advancements. Some, molded to resemble celebrities or athletes, are a popular gift or marketing tool; others are sculpted to giant-sized proportions to bob in lakes during summer festivals. Adults collectors also appreciate rubber ducks. They collect rubber ducks in various versions. some even decorate their house in rubber ducks–themed shower curtains, towels, bathrobes, nightlights, and wallpaper. Some Bluetooth-enabled versions of rubber of duck now come in $25.
Munchkin White Hot® Ducky
- White Hot Safety Disc reveals the word HOT in white when bath water is too hot for baby (38℃ and above)
- Fun, easy-to-grasp size and shape
- Water-tight to prevent sinking, squirting, and mildew
References
Rubber Duck: The Wet And Wild History Of Your Kid’s Favorite Bath Toy
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/79740/wise-quacks-history-rubber-duck
https://www.toyhalloffame.org/toys/rubber-duck