Velcro

Hello there. I'm Velcro. Some people call me the super sticker. I have two sides that love to hug each other. One side is fuzzy and soft, like a little lamb. The other side is a little bit scratchy, with tiny little ticklers. When my two sides meet, they hold on tight. And when you pull them apart, I make a super fun sound. RRRIP. Can you make that sound with me? RRRIP. I love helping to keep your shoes on your feet and your jacket zipped up tight. It's my favorite job to stick together.

My story started a long, long time ago, way back in 1941. A very smart man named George de Mestral went for a walk in the woods with his furry dog. They had so much fun running and playing. When they got home, they were covered in something prickly. Little green plant balls called burrs were stuck all over George’s pants and his dog’s fur. They were so sticky. George didn't get mad. He got curious. He wanted to know why they stuck so well. He took one of the little burrs and looked at it with a special looking glass called a microscope. He saw something amazing. The burr had hundreds of tiny little hooks that grabbed onto things like his pants and his dog's fur. That gave him a wonderful idea.

George thought, "I can make something just like that.". So he worked and worked to make two special strips. He made one strip with lots of soft, fuzzy loops. He made the other strip with lots of tiny, scratchy hooks, just like the burrs he found in the woods. And that's how I was born. Now I get to help everyone. I help you put on your own shoes without tying any laces. I even help astronauts in space keep their tools from floating away. I love making things easier for everyone, one happy RRRIP. at a time.