National Toy Hall of Fame

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.

National Toy Hall of Fame
Entrance to The Strong, location of
the Toy Hall of Fame
Map
Established1998; 26 years ago (1998)
LocationThe Strong, Rochester, NY
TypeHall of Fame
CollectionsToys
Websitemuseumofplay.org/toy-hall-of-fame

As of 2023, eighty-five (85) toys have been enshrined in the National Toy Hall of Fame:

Original inductees (1998-99) edit

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]

Etch A Sketch
Glass-made marbles
Hula hoops
Barbie dolls and creator Ruth Handler
Crayola No. 500
Lego pieces
Tinkertoy pieces
Monopoly board

2000s edit

Class of 2000 edit

Triumph bicycle
Knucklebones
Metal Slinky
Jump rope

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]

  1. Bicycle
  2. Knucklebones
  3. Jump rope
  4. Mr. Potato Head
  5. Slinky

Class of 2001 edit

Old-style steel toy bottom-dump truck by Tonka
Silly Putty molded into a cube

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]

  1. Silly Putty
  2. Tonka trucks[4]

Class of 2002 edit

Raggedy Ann doll
A completed Jigsaw puzzle

There were more than ninety nominees this year.[5]

  1. Jigsaw puzzle
  2. Raggedy Ann: her induction this year came after a full year of campaigning from fans.[5]

Class of 2003 edit

Blocks with letters and numbers
English draughts board (aka checkers)
  1. Alphabet Blocks
  2. Checkers[6]

Class of 2004 edit

G.I. Joe cosplayers
A rocking horse
Game of Scrabble in progress
  1. 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.[7]
  2. Rocking horse
  3. Scrabble

Class of 2005 edit

Jack-in-the-box
Corrugated cardboard box
  1. Candy Land[8]
  2. Cardboard box[9]
  3. Jack-in-the-box

Class of 2006 edit

The first three versions of the Easy-Bake oven
Lionel Corporation products

This year's nominees were: Atari Game System, Big Wheel, Easy-Bake Oven, Lite-Brite, Fisher-Price Little People, Hot Wheels, Lionel Trains, Operation skill game, Pez candy dispenser, rubber duck, skateboard, and Twister.[10] Only two of the twelve nominees took their place in the hall that year.

  1. Easy-Bake Oven[1]
  2. Lionel Trains[1]

Class of 2007 edit

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
  1. Atari 2600[11]
  2. Kite[12]
  3. Raggedy Andy[13]

Class of 2008 edit

A dog with a stick
Baby doll
Skateboard

The following toys were added in 2008:[14]

  1. 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.
  2. The baby doll
  3. The skateboard

Class of 2009 edit

Ball
Nintendo Game Boy
Big Wheel

The following toys were added in 2009:[15]

  1. The ball
  2. Game Boy
  3. Big Wheel tricycle

2010s edit

Class of 2010 edit

Board from the Game of Life
Playing cards

The following toys were added in 2010:[16]

  1. The Game of Life
  2. Playing cards

Class of 2011 edit

Hot Wheels car
A three story dollhouse
Blanket fort

The following toys were added in 2011:[17]

  1. Hot Wheels
  2. Dollhouse
  3. Blanket

Class of 2012 edit

The following toys were added in 2012:[18]

Cosplay of the Star Wars characters
boxed domino set
  1. Star Wars action figures
  2. Dominoes

Class of 2013 edit

Chessboard
Rubber duck

The following toys were added in 2013:[19]

  1. Chess
  2. Rubber duck

Class of 2014 edit

The following toys were added in 2014:[20]

Plastic green soldier
A child blowing soap bubbles
Rubik's cube
  1. Little green army men
  2. Bubbles
  3. Rubik's Cube

Class of 2015 edit

The following toys were added in 2015:[21]

German hand puppet
Men playing Twister
Super Soaker water gun
  1. Puppet
  2. Twister
  3. Super Soaker

Class of 2016 edit

The following toys were added in 2016:[22]

Dungeons & Dragons
Swings
  1. Dungeons and Dragons
  2. Little People
  3. Swing

Class of 2017 edit

Cluedo board
Wiffle ball
Paper airplane

The following toys were added in 2017:[23]

  1. Clue
  2. Wiffle ball
  3. Paper airplane

Class of 2018 edit

Magic 8-Ball
Group of pinball games
Deck of Uno cards

The following toys were added in 2018:[24]

  1. Magic 8 Ball
  2. Pinball
  3. Uno

Class of 2019 edit

The following toys were added in 2019:[25]

Cover of a coloring book
People playing Magic: The gathering
Matchbox model cars
  1. Coloring book
  2. Magic: The Gathering
  3. Matchbox model cars

2020s edit

Class of 2020 edit

Sidewalk chalk
Jenga tower

The following toys were added in 2020:[26]

  1. Baby Nancy
  2. Sidewalk chalk
  3. Jenga

Class of 2021 edit

Risk board game
Children in a sandbox

The following toys were added on November 4, 2021:[27]

  1. American Girl dolls
  2. Risk
  3. Sand

Class of 2022 edit

Lite-Brite
Cosplay of Master of the Universe
Spinning top

The following toys were added on November 10, 2022:[28]

  1. Lite-Brite
  2. Masters of the Universe
  3. Top

Class of 2023 edit

Two boys show off their baseball cards
A Cabbage Patch Kid doll
A Nerf dart and two Nerf balls

The following toys were added on November 10, 2023:[29]

  1. Baseball cards
  2. Cabbage Patch Kids
  3. Corn Popper
  4. Nerf

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c staff (2006-11-09). "Hall of Famers: Easy-Bake, Lionel". Playthings. Archived from the original on 2007-06-19. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
  2. ^ Vader, J.E. (1999-11-01). "Where the Toys Are". VIA Magazine. Archived from the original on 2007-12-30. Retrieved 2008-02-14. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ a b "New inductees to Toy Hall of Fame". Cable News Network. Associated Press. 2000-03-23. Archived from the original on March 19, 2007. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
  4. ^ a b "Tonka to be Inducted Into National Toy Hall of Fame; Hasbro Brand Honored for its Rich Tradition of Creating Durable and Fun Vehicles". Business Wire. CNET. 2001-03-28. Archived from the original on 2010-03-10. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
  5. ^ a b "Raggedy Ann Inducted in National Toy Hall of Fame". Raving Toy Maniac. 2002-03-27. Archived from the original on 2008-07-20. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
  6. ^ "View-Master Inducted into National Toy Hall of Fame". 3-D Review Online Magazine. Archived from the original on 2008-05-10. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
  7. ^ "GI JOE and SCRABBLE Honored with Induction into National Toy Hall of Fame". Business Wire. 2004-11-12. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
  8. ^ Elliot, Debbie (2005-11-19). "An Underdog Favorite Makes Toy Hall of Fame". All Things Considered. National Public Radio. Archived from the original on 2008-02-08. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
  9. ^ "Cardboard box added to Toy Hall of Fame". USA Today. Associated Press. 2005-11-12. Archived from the original on 2012-02-04. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
  10. ^ "National Toy Hall of Fame Final Nominees Announced" (Press release). Strong National Museum of Play. 2006-09-15. Archived from the original on 2007-12-11. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
  11. ^ Dobbin, Ben (2007-11-08). "Atari 2600, Raggedy Andy, Kite Enshrined". ABC News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 10, 2007. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
  12. ^ "Toy Hall of Fame Welcomes Atari 2600, the Kite and Raggedy Andy". Fox News. Associated Press. 2007-11-08. Archived from the original on 2008-01-12. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
  13. ^ "Raggedy Andy Reunited with Raggedy Ann in the National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York". Raggedy Land. Playthings. 2007-11-08. Archived from the original on 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
  14. ^ "Stick, skateboard, Baby Doll enter Toy Hall of Fame". CNN.com. Archived from the original on 2008-11-08. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
  15. ^ "Ball, Game Boy, Big Wheel enter toy hall of fame, retrieved 5 Nov 2009". Rbj.net. Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
  16. ^ "Playing cards, the Game of Life join Toy Hall of Fame". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. Gannett Company. November 4, 2010. Archived from the original on November 5, 2010. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  17. ^ "Three toys inducted into Hall of Fame". Rochester Business Journal. Rochester, New York. November 10, 2011. Archived from the original on April 3, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  18. ^ "Toy Hall of Fame avoids the Dark Side, inducts 'Star Wars' action figures". MercuryNews.com. November 15, 2011. Archived from the original on January 9, 2015. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
  19. ^ "Chess, rubber duck join Toy Hall of Fame - Rochester Business Journal New York business news and information". Archived from the original on 2015-01-09. Retrieved 2013-11-07.
  20. ^ "2014 National Toy Hall of Fame Inductees Announced". 5 November 2014. Archived from the original on 9 November 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  21. ^ "Three toys are new inductees to National Toy Hall of Fame - Rochester Business Journal New York business news and information". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-11-05.
  22. ^ Waxman, Olivia B. "These Toys Were Just Inducted Into the National Toy Hall of Fame". Time. Archived from the original on 2017-03-29. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  23. ^ "Clue, Wiffle Ball, Paper Airplane Enter Toy Hall of Fame".
  24. ^ "Magic 8 Ball, Uno, pinball inducted into Toy Hall of Fame". Associated Press. 8 November 2018. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  25. ^ Williams, David (8 November 2019). "Matchbox Cars, coloring books and Magic: The Gathering just made it into the National Toy Hall of Fame". CNN. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  26. ^ "Pioneering Black doll Baby Nancy enters Toy Hall of Fame". Associated Press. November 5, 2020. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  27. ^ "Inducted Toys". Archived from the original on 2022-04-04. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
  28. ^ "Top, Lite-Brite, Masters of the Universe in toy hall of fame". Associated Press. 10 November 2022. Archived from the original on 10 November 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  29. ^ "Fans push Fisher-Price Corn Popper into toy HOF, with NERF, Cabbage Patch Kids, baseball cards". Associated Press. 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.

External links edit

43°09′09″N 77°36′06″W / 43.1526°N 77.601543°W / 43.1526; -77.601543