Play-Doh Fun Factory Celebrates 50 Years of Entertaining Kids

Fifty years after the production of the first Play-Doh Fun Factory, this toy continues to fascinate kids of all ages. It's deceptively simple: Load some Play-Doh into the gadget, turn the dial to select the shape you want, and press down to extrude. Then use the extruded Play-Doh to form shapes and designs. I tested it several times with grandkids aged 5 to 9, and it kept them busy for at least an hour each time. Even parents and grandparents won't be able to resist giving the gadget a whirl.

In the over 60 years that Play-Doh has been in existence, we've been gifted with a seemingly endless train of accessories. The simplest are the best--and the easiest to clean. The simple, classic Fun Factory first appeared 50 years ago. In honor of the 50th birthday, Hasbro has released a new version with an improved design. The lever action is smoother, and the extruder dial is attached so that it doesn't get lost. Thankfully, the fun quotient has been left intact.

The toy is a definite kid-pleaser. My grandkids had all played with some version of the Fun Factory before, but they were still lining up to try out the extruder. The only objection that can really be made about the Fun Factory is that a certain amount of Play-Doh is going to get stuck inside the extruder. Peel it off while it's moist, or let it dry out and shake it out.

Play-Doh itself is not the neatest of toys, although it's no messier than tons of other toys. Fingerpaint, anyone? It is certainly not as messy as the modeling clay that I grew up with. The only other drawbacks are basically kid problems rather than Play-Doh problems. No matter how often you say, "Put it back in the can before it dries out," you will still find little balls and minature sculptures left out of the can, sometimes because the little artists can't bear to smush their creations. Second, no matter how often you say, "Don't mix the colors," eventually you will end up with a big blob of gray. It's just too much fun to mix the colors. That's okay. Generally, Play-Doh and the Fun Factory are just too much fun.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.