Fun Facts about Rubber Ducks with Rubber Duck Craft Round-Up

Did you know January 13 is National Rubber Ducky Day? In honor of it I thought I would share some fun facts about rubber ducks. (Did you know there are some people who spell them rubber ducky or rubber duckie?) There are rubber duck races around the world raising money for charities and it is considered a classic toy. Here are some interesting facts I found out about these little guys.

Fun Facts about Rubber Ducks

1. Rubber duck made an appearance in the mid-1800s.
2. Rubber ducks were originally chew toys and did not float. They were made using Charles Goodyear’s process of rendering rubber into malleable material.
3. Yellow rubber ducks as we know them were created by a sculptor, believed to be Peter Ganine, in the 1940s. Ganine sold over 50 million of them.
4. The rubber duck was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2013.
5. The largest rubber duck was made by an American in 2014. It is six stories high.



Rubber Duck in Toronto Canada Supreme Dragon [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons



6. The largest collection of rubber ducks is owned by American Charlotte Lee. She has 5,631 rubber ducks.
7. In 1992 a cargo ship carrying over 29,000 vinyl playthings tipped over. Yellow rubber ducks took weeks, months, and years to wash ashore in Hawaii, Seattle and Maine as well as more faraway places. These ducks have helped oceanographers better understand the waves, currents and seasonal changes of the oceans. Some are still washing up today and some have sold for $1,000.
8.  In the first season of Sesame Street, Ernie appeared in the bath and sang a song to his Rubber Duckie on February 25, 1970. The song sold over 1 million copies as a single and on 20 compilation albums. It rose to number 16 on the Billboard’s chart of hit tunes.



9. According to The Sun in 2001, Queen Elizabeth II has a rubber duck in her bathroom.
10. Water play with a rubber duck which develops muscle strength and coordination. They help sharpen toddlers’ senses and for some help with fears of water and the tub.

Sources:

• CBC Kids. “9 Unsinkable Rubber Duckie Facts” https://www.cbc.ca/kidscbc2/the-feed/9-unsinkable-rubber-duckie-facts
• O’Shea, Siobhan. Interesly. “8 Quackerjack Facts about Rubber Duckie.” (Jan 2018) https://www.interesly.com/8-quackerjack-facts-rubber-duckie/
• Rossen, Jake. Mental Floss. “Wise Quacks: A History of the Rubber Duck” (13 Jan 2018) http://mentalfloss.com/article/79740/wise-quacks-history-rubber-duck
• Toys Hall of Fame. “Rubber Duck” (Inducted 2013) http://www.toyhalloffame.org/toys/rubber-duck

Rubber Duck Crafts and Activities

Now we have a fondness for ducks due to Hazel's lovey being a duck. I asked some fellow bloggers to share their rubber duck crafts and activities and here is what I have for you.

1) Rubber Ducky Valentines

2) Toddler Sensory Play with 10 Rubber Ducks from Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

3) Blue Baby Shower Punch with Ducks from Baking Beauty

4) Paper Pom Pom Duck

5) Duck Cake

6) Duck Balloon

7) Rubber Duck Paper Plate Craft

8) Duck Peg Doll

9) Felt Ducky

10) Ducky Bag

11) Five Little Ducks Went Swimming One Day Rhyme Props from Rainy Day Mum

12) Rubber Duck Grid Game from Kinetic Kids (formerly In Our Pond)

Enjoy National Rubber Duck Day!! Let me know if you make any of these crafts or try the activities!!