Known as the toy with one moving part, uses for Silly Putty are almost as numerous as the more than 20,000 eggs snapped together each day at the Silly Putty factory in Bethlehem, Pa. To commemorate Silly Putty's 50th anniversary this year, the maker of the silly stuff gave Silly Putty fans the opportunity to enter their inventive uses into the "Silliest Uses for Silly Putty Contest."

An internal panel of Silly Putty experts evaluated more than 3,000 entries and selected the following ideas as the silliest, most original and yes, practical, too.

1. Form Silly Putty into a ball, throw it at the stock market listings and invest in the stock it lifts off the page.
   -- Peter H., Collinsville, Conn.
2. End an unbearable date by making a swollen gland with Silly Putty and excusing yourself because you're not feeling well.
   -- Judith D., Norwich, Conn.
3. Use Silly Putty as an alternative to cement handprints at Mann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood for flash-in-the-pan actors.
   -- Charles G., Dallas, Texas
4. Stick yucky vegetables under the dining room table with Silly Putty.
   -- Pam Straub, North H., N.H.
5. Roll a long piece of Silly Putty across your dorm room floor to clean it without a vacuum.
   -- Justin K., Urbana, Ohio
6. I used Silly Putty to take a fingerprint off my truck that was broken into. They caught the culprit and a few weeks later, I got all my stuff and a reward.
   -- Ron F., Library, Pa.
7. Use Silly Putty to give hairdos to Pez dispensers.
   -- Stephanie H., Costa Mesa, Calif.
8. Make a golden chicken with Gold Silly Putty, thereby solving the age-old question, "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?"
   -- John H., Pembroke, Ontario
9. Use color changeable Silly Putty instead of a mood ring to bring back that 70's feel.
   -- Barbara J., Clifton, N.J.
10. Use Glow in the Dark Silly Putty to find the snooze bar on your alarm clock.
    -- Josh H., Lima, Ohio