The Rubber Ducky Day

1.

The
Rubber
Ducky
Day

2.

The national Rubber Ducky day is being
th
celebrated on January 13 . The popular toy has seen
a lot of variations in its history. First designed in the 1800s
when rubber manufacturing began, the duck was then made
out of plastic and vinyl during both World Wars, as rubber was
scarce. The ducky toy was first patented in 1928 by Landon
Smart Lawrence, but the toy was a little heavier back then—
he put a weight in it to make sure it would always stay upright.

3.

Fun fact
If you’re ever out in the ocean, you might just run
into a rubber ducky. 28,000 rubber ducks on their
way via boat to Washington went overboard during
a storm in 1992. It’s been said that the ducks floated
north to the Arctic, got trapped in the ice, and were
slowly thawed out into the Atlantic Ocean. There are
thousands still out there, and often happen upon
shores all over the world.

4.

How to celebrate the
Rubber Ducky day
• 1 Visit the Rubber Duck sculpture
What’s better than a tiny bath toy? A huge replica in the
open waters! Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman created a
collection of large ducks which can be seen in Amsterdam,
Sydney, Hong Kong, and various other cities around the
world. Hofman makes the ducks out of PVC, and the
largest creation is 85 feet wide, 65 feet long, and 105 feet
high.

5.

• 2 Attend a rubber duck race
Every year, Nationwide Children’s Hospital in
Columbus hosts a race of the duckies through Big
Walnut Creek. Each duck is purchased by a sponsor to
support research for the hospital. You can buy one for
$5, or a “brood” of 130 for $500. Thousands of the
yellow toys are unleashed into the creek, and
onlookers watch to see which one crosses the finish
line first. The top three ducks (marked with their
sponsor’s name) earn the sponsors big prizes

6.

•3 Take a bath!
Celebrate the ducky in the way it was
intended! Pour some bubbles into your tub,
light some candles, and turn on some
relaxing music. Take some time for yourself
to relax and recharge, and put a couple
rubber ducks in the bath for some added
fun!

7.

Be sure to celebrate it
th
on January 13 !