Which toys will make it into the National Toy Hall of Fame this November? Can My Little Pony outrun the stick horse? Will Hess Toy Trucks cross the finish line before remote-controlled vehicles? Can Phase 10 play a better hand than Sequence?
The Strong’s National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester on Wednesday announced the 12 finalists for induction into the hall: Apples to Apples, balloons, Choose Your Own Adventure gamebooks, Hess Toy Trucks, My Little Pony, Phase 10, Pokémon Trading Card Game, remote-controlled (R/C) vehicles, Sequence, stick horse, trampoline, and Transformers.
“It’s great to see some returning contenders such as My Little Pony and Transformers among this year’s class of 12 finalists, but they’re up against some worthy first-time finalists, including party game Apples to Apples, the trampoline, and balloons,” says Christopher Bensch, vice president for collections and chief curator. “These 12 toys represent the wide range of play—from strategic to whimsical to physical—and present many playful matchups. The selection judges and public will have some tough decisions this year!”
The National Toy Hall of Fame receives thousands of nominations annually, and fans may vote for their favorite finalists from September 18 to 25 as part of a “Player’s Choice” ballot at toyhalloffame.org. The three toys that receive the most public votes will be submitted and will join the other top-three submissions by members of the National Selection Advisory Committee. (The public will collectively act as one member of the 23-member committee.) The final 2024 toy inductees, chosen based on the ballots, will be announced by The Strong National Museum of Play in November.
The Strong’s National Toy Hall of Fame recognizes toys that have engaged and delighted multiple generations. Criteria for induction include: Icon-status (the toy is widely recognized, respected, and remembered); Longevity (the toy is more than a passing fad and has enjoyed popularity over multiple generations); Discovery (the toy fosters learning, creativity, or discovery through play); and Innovation (the toy profoundly changed play or toy design).
To date, the following 84 toys have been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame: alphabet blocks, American Girl Doll, Atari 2600 Game System, baby doll, Baby Nancy, ball, Barbie, baseball cards, bicycle, Big Wheel, blanket, bubbles, Cabbage Patch Kids, Candy Land, cardboard box, checkers, chess, Clue, coloring book, Crayola Crayons, dollhouse, dominoes, Duncan Yo-Yo, Dungeons & Dragons, Easy-Bake Oven, Erector Set, Etch A Sketch, Fisher-Price Corn Popper, Fisher-Price Little People, Frisbee, G.I. Joe, The Game of Life, Hot Wheels, Hula Hoop, jack-in-the-box, jacks, Jenga, jigsaw puzzle, jump rope, kite, LEGO, Lincoln Logs, Lionel Trains, Lite-Brite, little green army men, Magic 8 Ball, Magic: The Gathering, marbles, Masters of the Universe, Matchbox Cars, Monopoly, Mr. Potato Head, Nerf, Nintendo Game Boy, paper airplane, pinball, Play-Doh, playing cards, puppet, Radio Flyer Wagon, Raggedy Ann and Andy, Risk, rocking horse, roller skates, rubber duck, Rubik’s Cube, sand, Scrabble, sidewalk chalk, Silly Putty, skateboard, Slinky, Star Wars action figures, stick, Super Soaker, swing, teddy bear, Tinkertoy, Tonka Trucks, top, Twister, Uno, View-Master, and Wiffle Ball.
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