3856. Playskool Rubber Duckie

A rubber duck is a toy shaped like a stylised Yellow-billed Duck , and is generally yellow with a flat base. It may be made of rubber or rubber-like material such as vinyl plastic (which is more often used). The yellow rubber duck has achieved an iconic status in Western pop culture and is often symbolically linked to bathing.
The rubber duck can be referred to informally as a "rubber duckie" or a "rubber ducky". In German-speaking countries, it is generally known as a 'Squeaky Duckling' ("Quietscheentchen").

Its history is linked to the emergence of rubber manufacturing in the late 19th century. The earliest rubber ducks were made from harder rubber.
Jim Henson popularized rubber ducks in 1970, performing the songs "Rubber Duckie" and "DUCKIE" as Ernie, a popular Muppet from Sesame Street. Ernie frequently spoke to his duck and carried it with him in other segments of the show. On a special occasion, Little Richard performed the song.

Some variations on the standard rubber duck; a miniature duck, a red/purple/green/yellow "devil" duck, a reindeer duck, a duck in sunglasses, and a "dead" rubber duck that floats upside down
Besides the ubiquitous yellow rubber duck with which most people are familiar, there have been numerous variations on the basic theme, including holiday-themed duckies, animal-shaped duckies, religious duckies, dragon duckies, "Devil Duckies" which sport demon-like horns, bride and groom ducks, "dead" ducks, royalty ducks, pirate ducks, Walt Disney themed ducks, historical figure-themed ducks, pink breast cancer awareness ducks, rubber ducks with water activated LED lights, and character ducks representing professions, politicians or licensed individual celebrities. There are also ducks that glow in the dark, change colour, or have a wind-up engine that enables them to "swim". In 2001, The Sun, a British tabloid newspaper reported that Queen Elizabeth II has a rubber duck in her bathroom that wears an inflatable crown. The duck was spotted by a workman who was repainting her bathroom. The story prompted sales of rubber ducks in the United Kingdom to increase by 80% for a short period.


Playskool is an American company that produces educational toys and games for children. It is a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and is headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

The Playskool Institute was established by Lucille King in 1901 as a division of the John Schroeder Lumber Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. King, an employee at the company, developed wooden toys to use as teaching aids for children in the classroom. In 1935, the Playskool Institute became a division of Thorncraft, Inc., and established offices in Chicago, Illinois. In 1938, Playskool was purchased by the Joseph Lumber Company, where Manuel Fink was placed in charge of operations. In 1940, k, along with Robert Meythaler, bought Playskool and established the Playskool Manufacturing Company.
In 1943, Playskool bought the J.L. Wright Company, the manufacturer of Lincoln Logs. In 1958, Playskool merged with Holgate Toys, Inc., a wood product manufacturer, and in 1962, they purchased the Halsam Company, a producer of wooden blocks, checkers, dominoes, and construction sets. In 1968, Playskool became a subsidiary of Milton Bradley; both companies were acquired by Hasbro, Inc. in 1984.
After the acquisition, Playskool began operating out of Pawtucket, Rhode Island as a division of Hasbro. In 1985, Playskool released a line of infant products under the Tommee Tippee brand name, including bibs and bottles. Many Hasbro products targeted at preschoolers were rebranded with the Playskool name, including Play-Doh and Tonka. Playskool also began licensing toys from other designers, creating licensing agreements to manufacture Teddy Ruxpin, Barney, Arthur, Teletubbies, and Nickelodeon branded products. Hasbro also began licensing the Playskool brand name to other vendors, manufacturing a number of products under the Playskool name, including books, baby care supplies, video games, and children's apparel.