National Rubber Duckie Day

13 January is National Rubber Duckie Day. This day was created to help us remember to appreciate this part of our childhood cleansing ritual.

Rubber Duckies have a long and respected history in the world of children and most of us remember having at least one of these as part of our bath-time toy collection. No one knows exactly where they came from, but whether it was our own bath time or the song from Ernie from The Muppets, we all knew them and wanted one!

The origins of the rubber duckie are lost in the mists of time, but what is known is that they first appeared prior to World War I had the shapes of a broad variety of animals. The duck was the most popular among them. During the World Wars, rubber was too valuable a commodity to use on simple toys, so manufacturers started using plastic and vinyl.

Landon Smart Lawrence was the first person to patent a design for these toys, specifically the variety that was weighted so that, while still buoyant, they would always stand up the right way when in the water. Rubber duckies also have the distinction of being one of only 53 toys in the Toy Hall of Fame, which was established in 2013.

To celebrate National Rubber Duckie Day take a bath with your favourite duckie toy! There are hundreds of varieties out there, ranging from pirate ducks to devil duckies, and everything in between. You can even watch a few episodes of Sesame Street to help you remember the age-old song.

Use #NationalRubberDuckieDay to post on social media.

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