Who Invented Silly String?

History

• Silly String was created by two men, Leonard A. Fish and Robert P. Cox. They officially applied for the patent in 1972 and Silly String grew from there. The product was sold and produced through the "Wham-O" company that also creates the Slip N' Slide, Hula Hoop and Frisbees.

Types

• Silly String has been adapted into many different forms and styles. The basic form is simply known as Silly String and is packaged in a 3.5-oz. can. There are other companies that have copied the idea with products like "Goofy String" and "Party String." Other toys use a version of Silly String as well, such as Spiderman Web Blasters, which takes a basic Silly String formula and use a wrist connector to imitate Spiderman's web blasting action.

Function

• Silly String was made just to be silly. It is popular with children especially, as they don't mind getting messy and like chasing each other to spray the material. Silly String is also great for parties and celebrations. Silly String comes in a wide variety of colors, including a rainbow variation that sprays multiple colors.

Considerations

• When Silly String was first invented by Fish and Cox, the cans that were created emitted the ozone depleting chemical known as freon-12. This was banned by the United States and the formula was changed to use another form of freon. Canada bans all forms of freon, so Silly String is banned in the whole country. Silly String can damage certain materials when sprayed, so keep it to an outdoors setting with no cars around when using it.

Potential

• While the main purpose for Silly String is for entertainment purposes, soldiers in war actually use it to detect bombs. Silly String is so light that when it is sprayed, it can land on trip wires and prevent soldiers from setting off bombs. This makes it an essential product for war.