Silly Putty: A Happy Accident

By JESSICA AVERY
Programs Coordinator

​Silly Putty may be a classic childhood toy, but did you know that its creation was a happy accident? During World War II, a chemical engineer named James Wright was working for the U.S. War Production Board. Wright was attempting to create an inexpensive substitute for synthetic rubber at the General Electric Lab. In 1943, while working on an experiment, he accidentally dropped boric acid into silicone oil, and the result was a stretchy substance that was bouncier than rubber.

Making Silly Putty in the chore house here at the Museum.

While the government wasn’t interested in his “nutty putty” creation, someone else was. Peter Hodgson, a businessman, saw the putty and instantly knew it could be a hit. He re-named the creation “Silly Putty” and marketed it as a toy in 1950. Since his putty was debuting near Easter time, he decided to use colorful plastic eggs as his packaging. Silly Putty would go on to be one of the most popular toys of the 20th century. In 1968, Apollo astronauts even took Silly Putty with them into orbit and used it to secure their tools in zero gravity. From an accident to a hit -- today more than 300 million eggs of Silly Putty have been sold since 1950.

Supplies

• Water
• Borax
• Glue
• Food Coloring  
• Plastic Bowl
• Plastic Spoon
• Plastic Cup
• Plastic Easter Egg

1951 ad for Silly Putty.

Directions

1. Fill a large container with water.
2. Pour a cup of borax powder into the water.    
3. Stir the solution for about 30 seconds. There will be borax left at the bottom of the bowl.
4. In a small plastic cup, add equal amounts of regular water and glue; mix well.  The more glue and water you add, the bigger the silly putty will be.
5. Add food coloring; mix well.
6. Next, add the borax water solution to your glue mixture one teaspoon at a time.  Stir well in between each spoonful of the borax solution. Be careful because a little of the borax solution can go a long way!
7. Once all the liquid has been removed from the cup and the silly putty is forming a clump around your spoon, it is ready. Pull the putty off of the spoon. (It will still be slightly wet and sticky, but that is okay.)
8. Start kneading and folding the silly putty in your hand like bread dough. (Press it flat, fold over, press it flat and fold it over.) This will help remove some of the excess liquid. It takes a little time and elbow grease, but the more you knead it, the better it will be!
9. When you aren’t playing with your silly putty, place it in your egg to keep it from drying out.