I remember creepy crawlers from my elementary school years. I was a bit of a bug lover, so I enjoyed making these more than the average girl in my class. There is just something about the anticipation of seeing how the creatures are going to come out that makes this toy so intriguing.
History: Mattel originally created this activity toy or “thingmaker” in 1964. The set included a set of die-cast metal molds into which you would pour various colors of Plasti-Goop. The mold is then heated above an open-face electric hot plate oven and, when cooled, the Plasti-Goop creation would fall from the mold in the shape of a rubbery bug replica.
Mattel created many variations of Thingmakers, including Giant Creepy Crawlers, Fun Flowers, and Mini-Dragons. In 1978 Mattel released an updated (and safer) model of their “Creepy Crawlers” toy. Called the “Thingmaker II”, this version used a very different “Goop” formula, and utilized plastic trays as molds, which were placed into a low-powered heating unit. The late ’70s sets did not work as well as their predecessors, and the attempted revival was a short-lived one.
In 1992 ToyMax brought “Creepy Crawlers” back to life. The new version re-introduced the metal molds and original Plasti-Goop formula, but used a new, light bulb-powered “Magic Maker” heater.
“Creepy Crawlers” toys continue to be issued, even in a diminished capacity, which seems to indicate that they remain popular, even more than forty years after their first release.
Do you remember creating Creepy Crawlers? Share your experiences and thoughts here!
