Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York
The National Toy Hall of Fame is a U.S.
hall of fame that recognizes the contributions of
toys and
games that have sustained their popularity for many years. Criteria for induction include: icon status (the toy is widely recognized, respected, and remembered); longevity (more than a passing fad); discovery (fosters learning, creativity, or discovery); and innovation (profoundly changed play or toy design).
[1] Established in 1998 under the direction of Ed Sobey, it was originally housed at
A. C. Gilbert's Discovery Village in
Salem, Oregon ,
United States , but was moved to the
Strong National Museum of Play (now
The Strong ) in
Rochester, New York , in 2002 after it outgrew its original home.
As of 2023, eighty-five (85) toys have been enshrined in the National Toy Hall of Fame:
Original inductees (1998-99)
The original inductees to the National Toy Hall of Fame were announced in November 1999. Students from nearby
Willamette University protested (good-naturedly) when they learned that
Mr. Potato Head and
Barbie's friend Ken were not included.
[2]
Barbie dolls and creator Ruth Handler
2000s
Class of 2000
The following toys were added in 2000:
Bicycle
Knucklebones
Jump rope
Mr. Potato Head
Slinky
This year's selections were chosen from a field of 34 nominations by a panel of educators and civic leaders that included Sharon Kitzhaber, wife of Oregon Governor
John Kitzhaber .
[3] Nominees rejected for the honor this year included G.I. Joe, the Nintendo Entertainment System,
the soccer ball ,
Beanie Babies ,
the baseball glove and
the cap gun .
[3]
Class of 2001
Old-style steel toy bottom-dump truck by Tonka
Silly Putty molded into a cube
The following toys were added in 2001:
Silly Putty
Tonka trucks
[4]
Both children and adults created a list of 82 nominees over the past year. A national panel of distinguished educators and civic leaders choose two toys for induction this year.
[4]
Class of 2002
A completed Jigsaw puzzle
The following toys were added in 2002:
Jigsaw puzzle
Raggedy Ann : her induction this year came after a full year of campaigning from fans.
[5]
There were more than ninety nominees this year.
[5]
Class of 2003
Blocks with letters and numbers
English draughts board (aka checkers)
The following toys were added in 2003:
Alphabet Blocks
Checkers
[6]
Finalists included: Big Wheel tricycle, Candy Land , Clue , Easy-Bake Oven, jack-in-the-box, Lionel trains, Little People, Magic 8 Ball, Matchbox model cars, and Scrabble .
[7]
Class of 2004
Game of Scrabble in progress
The following toys were added in 2004:
G.I. Joe : the G.I. Joe brand overwhelmed the competition in a
Playthings Magazine poll asking which nominated toy most deserved to be honored.
[8]
Rocking horse
Scrabble
Finalists included: Big Wheel tricycle, Cabbage Patch Kids, Candy Land , Easy-Bake Oven, Hot Wheels, Lionel Trains, Little People, Rubik's Cube, and Wiffle ball.
[9]
Class of 2005
The following toys were added in 2005:
Candy Land
[10]
Cardboard box
[11]
Jack-in-the-box
Finalists included: Atari 2600, Big Wheel tricycle, Cabbage Patch Kids, Clue , Easy-Bake Oven, Hot Wheels, Lionel trains, Little People, Magic 8 Ball, and Wiffle ball. The cardboard box was inducted without nomination.
[12]
Class of 2006
The first three versions of the Easy-Bake oven
Lionel Corporation products
The following toys were added in 2006:
Easy-Bake Oven
[1]
Lionel Trains
[1]
Finalists included: Atari Game System, Big Wheel tricycle, Lite-Brite, Little People, Hot Wheels,
Operation skill game ,
Pez candy dispenser , the rubber duck, the skateboard, and Twister.
[13]
Class of 2007
Atari 2600 four-switch "wood veneer" version; the original 2600 had six switches
Raggedy Ann meets Raggedy Andy for the first time; illustrated by
Johnny Gruelle A chinese "single line“ kite in flight
The following toys were added in 2007:
Atari 2600
[14]
Kite
[15]
Raggedy Andy
[16]
Finalists included: The baby doll, Big Wheel tricycle, The Game of Life , Hot Wheels,
My Little Pony dolls, the
pogo stick ,
Spirograph , and
Yahtzee .
[17]
Class of 2008
The following toys were added in 2008:
[18]
The
stick : Curators praised the stick for its all-purpose, no-cost, recreational qualities, noting its ability to serve either as raw material or an appendage transformed in myriad ways by a child's creativity.
The
baby doll
The
skateboard
Finalists included: Clue, the dollhouse,
Flexible flyer sleds , The Game of Life , Hot Wheels, Magic 8 Ball, Rubik's Cube,
Thomas the Tank Engine , Wiffle ball, and Yahzee . The stick was inducted without nomination.
[19]
Class of 2009
The following toys were added in 2009:
[20]
The
ball
Game Boy
Big Wheel tricycle
Finalists included: Cabbage Patch Kids, The Game of Life, Hot Wheels, the paper airplane, playing cards, Rubik's Cube, sidewalk chalk, the
toy tea set , and
Transformers action figures.
[21]
2010s
Class of 2010
Board from the Game of Life
The following toys were added in 2010:
[22]
The Game of Life
Playing cards
Finalists included: Cabbage Patch Kids, chess, the dollhouse, dominoes, Dungeons & Dragons , Hot Wheels, Lite-Brite, Magic 8 Ball, the pogo stick, and Rubik's Cube.
[23]
Class of 2011
The following toys were added in 2011:
[24]
Hot Wheels
Dollhouse
Blanket
Finalists included: Dungeons & Dragons , Jenga , pogo sticks, puppets,
radio-controlled cars , Rubik's Cube,
Simon , Star Wars action figures, Transformers action figures, and Twister . The blanket was inducted without nomination.
[25]
Class of 2012
The following toys were added in 2012:
[26]
Cosplay of the Star Wars characters
Star Wars action figures
Dominoes
Finalists included: Corn Popper, Clue , Lite-Brite, little green army men, Magic 8 Ball, the pogo stick, sidewalk chalk, Simon , the toy tea set, and Twister .
[27]
Class of 2013
The following toys were added in 2013:
[28]
Chess
Rubber duck
Finalists included: bubbles, Clue, little green army men, Little People, Magic 8 Ball, My Little Pony dolls, Nerf,
Pac-Man ,
scooters , and
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures .
[29]
Class of 2014
The following toys were added in 2014:
[30]
A child blowing soap bubbles
Little green
army men
Bubbles
Rubik's Cube
Finalists included: American girl dolls,
Hess toy trucks , Little People, My Little Pony dolls, Operation skill game, the paper airplane,
pots and pans ,
Slip 'n' Slide , and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures.
[31]
Class of 2015
The following toys were added in 2015:
[32]
Puppet
Twister
Super Soaker
Finalists included: American girl dolls,
Battleship , coloring books, Jenga,
Playmobil , scooters, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures, tops, and Wiffle ball.
[33]
Class of 2016
The following toys were added in 2016:
[34]
Dungeons & Dragons
Little People
Swing
Finalists included:
bubble wrap ,
Care Bears , coloring books, Clue , Nerf, pinball,
Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots , Transformers action figures, and Uno .
[35]
Class of 2017
The following toys were added in 2017:
[36]
Clue
Wiffle ball
Paper airplane
Finalists included: Magic 8 Ball, Matchbox model cars, My Little Pony dolls, PEZ candy dispensers, play food, Risk, sand, Transformers action figures, and Uno .
[37]
Class of 2018
The following toys were added in 2018:
[38]
Magic 8 Ball
Pinball
Uno
Finalists included: American Girl dolls, chalk,
Chutes and Ladders , Corn Popper, Flexible Flyer sleds, Masters of the Universe ,
tic-tac-toe ,
Tickle Me Elmo , and Tudor
Electric Football .
[39]
Class of 2019
The following toys were added in 2019:
[40]
People playing Magic: The gathering
Coloring book
Magic: The Gathering
Matchbox
model cars
Finalists included: Care Bears , Corn Popper, Jenga , Masters of the Universe , My Little Pony dolls,
Nerf Blaster , Risk ,
smartphones , and tops.
[41]
2020s
Class of 2020
The following toys were added in 2020:
[42]
Baby Nancy
Sidewalk chalk
Jenga
Finalists included:
Bingo ,
Breyer horses , Lite-Brite, Masters of the Universe , My Little Pony dolls, Risk ,
Sorry! ,
Tamogatchi , and Yahtzee .
[43]
Class of 2021
The following toys were added on November 4, 2021:
[44]
American Girl dolls
Risk
Sand
Finalists included: Battleship ,
billiards , Cabbage Patch Kids, Corn Popper,
mahjong , Masters of the Universe ,
piñata ,
The Settlers of Catan , and the toy fire engine.
[45]
Class of 2022
Cosplay of Master of the Universe
The following toys were added on November 10, 2022:
[46]
Lite-Brite
Masters of the Universe
Top
Finalists included: Bingo, Breyer horses, Catan , Nerf,
Phase 10 , piñata,
Pound Puppies ,
Rack-O , and Spirograph.
[47]
Class of 2023
Two boys show off their baseball cards
A Nerf dart and two Nerf balls
The following toys were added on November 10, 2023:
[48]
Baseball cards
Cabbage Patch Kids
Corn Popper
Nerf
Finalists included: Battleship , Bingo,
Bop-It ,
Choose Your Own Adventure books,
Connect Four ,
Ken ,
Little Tikes Cozy Coupe ,
slime , and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures.
[49]
In addition, the Strong highlighted several frequent past finalists as part of a public-driven Forgotten Five vote to induct a fourth toy. Nominees included: Corn Popper, My Little Pony dolls, PEZ candy dispensers, pogo sticks, and Transformers action figures.
[50]
See also
References
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