In the 1930s, in a lively city called San Francisco, a man named Joseph B. Friedman was spending time with his young daughter, Judith, at a soda parlor. Judith had just ordered a delicious milkshake, but there was a problem. The straw was too straight, and she couldn’t reach it easily to sip her drink.
Joseph had a brilliant idea! He took Judith’s straw and inserted a screw into one end. Then, using dental floss, he made tiny, even bumps in the straw. When he removed the screw, the straw could bend over the edge of the glass. This made it much easier for Judith to enjoy her milkshake without any trouble.
At first, Joseph thought the flexible straw would be helpful for patients in hospitals who needed to drink while lying down. With the help of his sister Betty, who was great at marketing, the bendy straw soon became popular with kids everywhere. It turned into a fun and useful tool that people loved to use at home and in restaurants.
Bendy straws are not just fun to use; they also help people drink more easily. They can be bent in different directions, making them perfect for sipping drinks without having to tilt the glass too much. This simple invention shows how a small change can make a big difference in our everyday lives.
Did you know that bendy straws are also called “flexible straws”? They come in all sorts of colors and sizes, making them a fun addition to any drink!
Straw Experiment: Gather a few different types of straws, including a bendy straw, a straight straw, and a reusable straw. Try drinking from each one without tilting the glass. Discuss which straw was the easiest to use and why. Think about how the bendy straw’s design helps people drink more comfortably.
Create Your Own Bendy Straw: Using a regular straw, a small screw, and some dental floss, try to recreate Joseph B. Friedman’s invention. Carefully make small bumps in the straw with the screw and floss, then test if it bends. Talk about how this simple change can make a big difference in how we use everyday objects.
Observation Challenge: Over the next week, pay attention to how people use straws in different settings, like at home, in restaurants, or at school. Notice if they use bendy straws or straight ones. Think about why they might choose one type over the other and how it helps them enjoy their drinks better.
In a moment of inspiration during the 1930s in San Francisco, Joseph B. Friedman and his young daughter Judith are at a soda parlor. Judith has just ordered a milkshake. When the milkshake arrives, Joseph observes that little Judith is struggling to reach the straw.
In a moment of creativity, Joseph modifies Judith’s straw by inserting a screw into one end and using dental floss to create a series of tiny, equidistant corrugations in the paper. After removing the screw, the straw can bend over the side of the glass, allowing Judith to enjoy her milkshake.
Joseph initially markets the new flexible straw to hospitals to assist patients who are reclining, but with the help of his sister Betty’s marketing skills, the bendy straw eventually becomes a beloved item for children and a common household utensil.
