Remember Cyndi Lauper’s song, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun?” Well, this summer? Teachers and TCEA want to have fun, too.
Apparently, one of the internet’s latest AI trends is turning yourself into a PEZ dispenser. And honestly, I fully support this level of wonderfully unnecessary summer creativity. I tested it out in ChatGPT with myself and several of my colleagues at TCEA, and the results were hilarious, surprisingly accurate, and oddly collectible-looking. See if you can guess the TCEA staffers in the images below!
A Little PEZ History
PEZ candy was invented in 1927 in Vienna, Austria by Eduard Haas III. Believe it or not, it was originally marketed to adults as a peppermint candy and smoking alternative, not a toy for kids. The name “PEZ” comes from the German word for peppermint: PfeffErminZ.
The first PEZ dispensers did not have character heads at all. They were designed to look like cigarette lighters. It wasn’t until the 1950s, after PEZ arrived in the United States, that the company added fun character toppers to appeal to children. And the rest is collectible history.
Fun PEZ Facts
- PEZ collectors are called “PEZheads.”
- Some rare vintage PEZ dispensers are worth thousands of dollars.
- Santa Claus, the Witch, and Robot were the first character-head PEZ dispensers introduced in 1957.
- Popeye was the first licensed character introduced in 1958.
- PEZ dispensers have featured everything from Star Wars characters to superheroes, animals, and holiday themes.
- PEZ Candy, Inc. still makes PEZ today.
- The official PEZ Visitor Center in Orange, Connecticut houses more than 4,000 unique dispensers and a 14-foot glowing PEZ dispenser.
- PEZ even had a pop culture moment in the 1986 film Stand by Me when Vern Tessio declared cherry PEZ as the only food he would eat for the rest of his life.
Fun PEZ Math Facts
- A PEZ candy is 15 mm long, 8 mm wide, and 5 mm high.
- A standard PEZ refill pack usually contains 12 candies.
- Most PEZ dispensers hold about two packs of candy at one time.
- PEZ dispensers are usually about 4–5 inches tall.
- Each candy piece weighs less than a gram.
- The PEZ Candy, Inc. factory in Orange, Connecticut produces all PEZ candy sold in the United States and Canada, churning out about 12 million PEZ candy tablets every single day.
- The factory has been operating since 1973 and runs three shifts a day, five days a week.
Ready to Become a PEZ Dispenser?
Upload a clear photo of yourself (head and shoulders works best) and use the following AI prompt in ChatGPT image generation or another AI image tool.
AI Prompt
Create a PEZ-style candy dispenser using the person in the reference photo as inspiration. Make the head cartoon-like, stylized, and collectible-looking, not realistic. Keep recognizable features like hairstyle, glasses, smile, and overall vibe. Don’t include features if they are not in the photo. The dispenser should have an oversized toy-like head attached to a classic PEZ dispenser body. Use bright colors and smooth plastic textures. Show the full dispenser standing upright on a clean background. The lighting should look like a studio product photo. The final image should feel playful, fun, and slightly exaggerated like a real novelty PEZ dispenser.
Because summer creativity should be shared, add your PEZ creation to PEZ Central, our TCEA StickyBoard collaborative space vibe-coded by Miguel Guhlin. Then check out this TCEA blog for even more fun.
Historical PEZ Possibilities
While this is mostly just silly summer fun, I could absolutely see teachers using historical PEZ prompts as a creative extension activity. Imagine students turning an Egyptian pharaoh, Roman centurion, Viking explorer, or Space Race astronaut into a collectible-style dispenser while discussing symbols, clothing, inventions, and important historical details from that time period. It could make for a fun bellringer, choice board activity, or end-of-unit creative project. Check out these historical PEZ prompt possibilities for inspiration.
Now go forth and become the PEZ dispenser version of yourself the world never knew it needed.
Staff PEZ Answers
- Miguel, Director of Professional Development
- Erin, Membership and Database Coordinator
- Diana, Director of Professional Development
- Robert, Member Engagement Director
- Katie, Operations and Projects Manager
- Peggy, Director of Professional Development