#TeachThroughPlay ~ The Fun Story of the Frisbee

Each TOY or GAME has a STORY to share with kids.

Today, it’s the Frisbee’s turn to tell its story ~

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WHAT is the Frisbee: The Frisbee is concave plastic disk designed for gripping in one hand and sending it soaring through the air.

WHO invented the Frisbee: The “model” for the Frisbee concept was a metal pie plate.

But the pie plates were loud and wobbly and got beat up pretty badly when they hit the ground, trees, and the like.

In 1948, two Los Angeles bottled gas business partners, Walter Frederick Morrison Warren Franscioni, invented a plastic model of the soaring metal pie plate. They called it the Flyin’ Saucer. When the partnership split and the men parted ways, Morrison continued manufacturing the saucer design, calling it the Pluto Platter.

In 1955, Richard Knerr and Arthur “Spud” Melin, owners of the toy company called WHAM-O, thought the Pluto Platter was an awesome design and bought the rights from Morrison.

WHEN was the name “Frisbee” trademarked: The name “Frisbee” came into being from the Frisbie Baking Company in Bridgeport, CT. As the story goes, college students at Yale yelled the word FRISBIE to warn passers-by that a Frisbie Baking Company metal pie plate was coming their way.

Richard Knerr and Spud Melin liked the name Frisbie better than Pluto Platter… and with the misspelled word FRISBEE when it was trademarked, a toy icon was born.

WHERE was the Frisbee invented: Let’s just say at the Frisbie Baking Company in Bridgeport, CT!

WHY was the Frisbee invented: Frisbie-ing with pie plates was FUN. Frisbee-ing with Frisbees is still FUN.

HOW do you play with the Frisbee: 1) Grip it with the thumb on top and the index finger under the rim; 2) throw in a relaxed manner. If tossed correctly, the Frisbee remains aloft long after gravity would normally have pulled it back to the ground. The path of the Frisbee is so extraordinary that people once thought it was attached to an invisible wire.

Grab a Frisbee and head outside with your kids and grandkids. Tell them about the Frisbie Baking Company and the metal pie plates. Ouch.

Kids love hearing “stories” about things, especially a story as interesting as the Frisbee’s!

About Audrey

Audrey McClelland has been a digital influencer since 2005. She’s a mom of 5 and shares tips on her three favorite things: parenting, fashion and beauty. She’s also a Contemporary Romance Author.

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