Aluminum Foil for Kids Ages 6-8

Aluminum Foil

I am Aluminum Foil, the shiny sheet from your kitchen. I was invented on October 2nd, 1910, in Switzerland when a special machine rolled a block of aluminum until it was super thin. My older cousin, Tin Foil, wasn't as good at wrapping food because he was stiff and made food taste funny. My first big job was wrapping Toblerone chocolate bars. Now, I help families all over the world by keeping their sandwiches fresh, helping bake potatoes, and even being used in art projects.

First Industrial Production c. 1903

First Major Commercial Use 1910

Introduced for Household Use 1947

The Shiny Story of Aluminum Foil

Hello. I’m the shiny, crinkly sheet you find in your kitchen. That’s right, I’m Aluminum Foil. You’ve probably seen me helping out, keeping your yummy leftovers fresh and tasty. I love hearing the crinkle-crinkle sound I make when you unroll me. Before I came along, my older cousin, Tin Foil, had the job of wrapping food. He tried his best, but he was a bit stiff and not very flexible. Sometimes, he even made yummy snacks taste a little bit like metal. People needed something better, something that could bend and fold perfectly around any sandwich or cookie without changing how it tasted. They needed someone strong but gentle, and that’s when my story began. I knew I could be the helper everyone was looking for, so I couldn’t wait to be invented and get to work.

My journey started a long time ago, far away in a country called Switzerland. I am made from a special, light metal called aluminum. Back then, aluminum was very fancy and not easy to find. But some very clever people at a company called Dr. Lauber, Neher & Cie. had a brilliant idea. On October 2nd, 1910, they created a very special rolling machine. It was my birthday. They took a big, heavy block of aluminum and put it into the machine. The machine had big rollers that went whirr, whirr, whirr. It gently squished and stretched the block, over and over again. It was just like rolling out cookie dough to make it very, very thin. With each pass, I got longer, thinner, and shinier. It was a little scary, but also exciting. When they were all done, I wasn't a heavy block anymore. I was a brand new, super-thin, strong, and sparkly sheet, ready to help the world.

My first big job came in 1911, and I was so proud. I was chosen to wrap delicious Toblerone chocolate bars. My shiny coat protected the chocolate and kept it from melting, making sure every bite was fresh and perfect. This job showed everyone how useful I could be. After that, my adventures really began. I traveled out of the factory and into kitchens all over the world. I got to wrap peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for school lunches, keeping them safe in backpacks. I helped bake fluffy potatoes in the oven, making them warm and soft on the inside. I even got to be part of sparkly art projects for school. I still love my job today, helping families everywhere keep their food fresh and making life a little easier and shinier every single day.