[1] 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.

[3] The non-toxic, non-staining, reusable modeling compound that came to be known as "Play-Doh" was a pliable, putty-like substance concocted by Noah McVicker of Cincinnati-based soap manufacturer Kutol Products.

Joe McVicker was the brother-in-law of nursery school teacher Kay Zufall, who had seen a newspaper article about making art projects with the wallpaper cleaning putty.

[5] Zufall and her husband came up with the name Play-Doh; Joe McVicker and his uncle Noah had wanted to call it "Rainbow Modeling Compound".

[5] Joe McVicker took Play-Doh to an educational convention for manufacturers of school supplies,[1] and Woodward & Lothrop, a department store in Washington, DC began selling the compound.

[7] Also in 1956, a three-pack of 7-ounce cans was added to the product line, and, after in-store demonstrations, Macy's of New York and Marshall Field's of Chicago opened retail accounts.

[9] In 1991, Hasbro became the owner of Play-Doh, putting the compound under its Playskool brand, and continues to manufacture the product today.

[18] Play-Doh's current manufacturer, Hasbro, says the compound is primarily a mixture of water, salt, and flour,[2] while its 2004 United States patent indicates it is composed of water, a starch-based binder, a retrogradation inhibitor, salt, lubricant, surfactant, preservative, hardener, humectant, fragrance, and color.

[20] In 1960, the Play-Doh Fun Factory (a toy press that extrudes the compound in various shapes) was invented by Bob Boggild and Bill Dale.

[citation needed] On March 17, 2022, it was announced that a new animated film adaptation is in development at Entertainment One and its parent company Hasbro, Emily V. Gordon writing and Jon M. Chu producing and possibly directing.

[22][23] A game show adaptation started streaming on Amazon Freevee (then known as IMDb TV) initially as a one-off holiday special on December 10, 2021 and later as a full-length series on November 11, 2022.