The Koosh ball is a toy ball made of rubber filaments (strings) attached to a soft rubber core. It was developed in 1986 by Scott Stillinger to be easy for his 5-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son to hold and throw, and was named after the sound it made when it landed. The following year, he started OddzOn Products Inc. with his brother-in-law, Mark Button, who had previously been a marketing manager for Mattel. The Koosh ball was one of 1988’s hot Christmas toys.
The company later expanded their product line to include keyrings, baseball sets, yo-yos, and currently, foam disc guns. The number of Koosh balls sold is estimated to be in the millions. The ball consists of about 2,000 natural rubber filaments, and has been released in a variety of color combinations. Koosh balls are often used with tennis exercises to help children develop motor skills. They are currently manufactured by Hasbro.
The Daily Omnivore 