Cue the childhood nostalgia: in this article, we are opening the canister on Play-Doh. It’s been around for 75 years, and the modeling compound still graces nearly every craft tub and school shelf today.
Play-Doh was invented in the 1950s in Cincinnati but wasn’t meant to be a children’s toy. In fact, it was formulated to become a wallpaper cleaner. The putty’s non-toxic and removable qualities prompted some to use it in art projects. The formulators got the idea to rebrand it as a children’s art compound from this inspiration.
Following the re-launch, Play-Doh was marketed to big retailers, school supply manufacturers, and even ran ads during kid’s television shows. Just two years after its debut, Play-Doh was raking in $3 million in sales.
Today, Play-Doh is owned by Hasbro Inc. as of 1991. Hasbro also owns Furby, Nerf, My Little Pony, Power Rangers, and more. They are headquartered out of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The brand produces over 500 million containers of Play-Doh every year. It’s clearly an American classic, but is it made here? Read on to find out.
Verdict: Is Play-Doh Made in the USA?
No, most Play-Doh is not made in the USA. Play-Doh is primarily made in China and Turkey, with some production still in the United States.
Before Hasbro acquired Play-Doh in the 90s, the putty was manufactured in Ohio, where it was invented. But after Hasbro, Play-Doh production took a long break from domestic manufacturing. It was primarily made in the US from its launch in the 1950s to the early 2000s. However, 2004 marked the final year for American manufacturing of the clay. After that, production was moved overseas to China and Turkey, where it largely remains today.
Domestic manufacturing was reintroduced in 2018 at a factory in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts. This move back stateside was influenced by federal support and tax incentives for domestic production. The Massachusetts factory employs around 500 people and builds Hasbro board games as well as Play-Doh.
As far as what specifically the US factory makes, it’s difficult to tell. Our research shows that it is likely just the modeling compound itself and not any plastic accessories or toys. And with that, it’s a small percentage of their annual modeling compound production.
Although this step back into the US is good, the company isn’t planning on replacing its foreign production with US-made products. Instead, the American factory was intended to simply add volume on top of their current scale.
Now, how to find out if your Play-Doh was manufactured in the US or not comes down to one thing: what’s on the label. Play-Doh and Hasbro do absolutely zero marketing for American-made products. The majority of their goods are still made in China and Turkey.
So, if you want to purchase an American made item from Play-Doh, don’t expect to find it online. You’ll have to turn over every tub to check the label in stores.
Popular American Made Play-Doh Products
- It exists, but isn’t identifiable by specific product
Popular Play-Doh Products Not Made in the USA
- Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Ultimate Ice Cream Truck Playset
- Play-Doh Frog’n Colors Starter Set
- Play-Doh Fun Factory Set
American Made Alternatives
- American made kids’ toys
- American made stuffed animals
- American made jigsaw puzzles (and other types of puzzles)
