Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York
TheNational Toy Hall of Fame is a U.S.hall of fame that recognizes the contributions oftoys andgames 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 atA. C. Gilbert's Discovery Village inSalem, Oregon ,United States ,[ 2] but was moved to theStrong National Museum of Play (nowThe Strong ) inRochester, New York , in 2002 after it outgrew its original home.
As of 2025, ninety-one (91) 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 nearbyWillamette University protested (good-naturedly) when they learned thatMr. Potato Head andBarbie's friend Ken were not included.[ 3]
Barbie dolls and creator Ruth Handler
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 GovernorJohn Kitzhaber .[ 4] Nominees rejected for the honor this year includedG.I. Joe , theNintendo Entertainment System ,the soccer ball ,Beanie Babies ,the baseball glove andthe cap gun .[ 4]
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 [ 5] 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.[ 5]
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.[ 6] There were more than ninety nominees this year.[ 6]
Blocks with letters and numbers
English draughts board (aka checkers)
The following toys were added in 2003:
Alphabet blocks Checkers [ 7]
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 , andScrabble .[ 8]
Game of Scrabble in progress
The following toys were added in 2004:
G.I. Joe : the G.I. Joe brand overwhelmed the competition in aPlaythings Magazine poll asking which nominated toy most deserved to be honored.[ 9] 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 , andWiffle ball .[ 10]
The cardboard box was inducted into the U.S. National Toy Hall of Fame in 2005, described as "very open-ended, all-natural, the perfect price".
The following toys were added in 2005:
Cardboard box , inducted without nomination, described as "a great play experience" that "you don't have to spend a lot" to offer.[ 11] [ 12] [ 13] Candy Land [ 14] Jack-in-the-box "It’s that empty box full of possibilities that kids can sense and the adults don’t always see", said Christopher Bensch, chief curator at the Strong Museum.[ 11]
Finalists included:Atari 2600 ,Big Wheel tricycle ,Cabbage Patch Kids ,Clue ,Easy-Bake Oven ,Hot Wheels ,Lionel trains ,Little People ,Magic 8 Ball , andWiffle ball .[ 13]
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 , therubber duck , theskateboard , andTwister .[ 15]
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:[ 16]
Atari 2600 [ 17] Kite [ 18] Raggedy Andy : he was inducted as an extension of Raggedy Ann.[ 19] Finalists included: Thebaby doll ,Big Wheel tricycle ,The Game of Life ,Hot Wheels ,My Little Pony dolls, thepogo stick , theskateboard ,Spirograph , andYahtzee .[ 20]
The following toys were added in 2008:[ 21]
Thestick , praised by curators for its all-purpose, no-cost, recreational qualities: possibly the world's oldest toy and "possibly the best!"[ 22] Thebaby doll Theskateboard Finalists included:Clue , thedollhouse ,Flexible flyer sleds ,The Game of Life ,Hot Wheels ,Magic 8 Ball ,Rubik's Cube ,Thomas the Tank Engine ,Wiffle ball , andYahtzee . The stick was inducted without nomination.[ 23]
The following toys were added in 2009:[ 24]
Ball Game Boy Big Wheel tricycle Finalists included:Cabbage Patch Kids ,The Game of Life ,Hot Wheels , thepaper airplane ,playing cards ,Rubik's Cube ,sidewalk chalk , thetoy tea set , andTransformers action figures.[ 25]
Board from the Game of Life
The following toys were added in 2010:[ 26]
The Game of Life Playing cards Finalists included:Cabbage Patch Kids ,chess , thedollhouse ,dominoes ,Dungeons & Dragons ,Hot Wheels ,Lite-Brite ,Magic 8 Ball , thepogo stick , andRubik's Cube .[ 27]
The following toys were added in 2011:[ 28]
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, andTwister . The blanket was inducted without nomination.[ 29]
The following toys were added in 2012:[ 30]
Cosplay of theStar Wars characters
Star Wars action figuresDominoes Finalists included:Corn Popper ,Clue ,Lite-Brite ,little green army men ,Magic 8 Ball , thepogo stick ,sidewalk chalk ,Simon , thetoy tea set , andTwister .[ 31]
The following toys were added in 2013:[ 32]
Chess Rubber duck Finalists included:bubbles ,Clue , little greenarmy men ,Little People ,Magic 8 Ball ,My Little Pony dolls,Nerf ,Pac-Man ,scooters , andTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures .[ 33]
The following toys were added in 2014:[ 34]
A child blowing soap bubbles
Little greenarmy men Bubbles Rubik's Cube Finalists included:American Girl dolls,Hess toy trucks ,Little People ,My Little Pony dolls,Operation skill game, thepaper airplane ,pots and pans ,Slip 'n' Slide , andTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures.[ 35]
The following toys were added in 2015:[ 36]
Puppet Twister Super Soaker Finalists included:American girl dolls,Battleship ,coloring books ,Jenga ,Playmobil ,scooters ,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures,tops , andWiffle ball .[ 37]
The following toys were added in 2016:[ 38]
Dungeons & Dragons Little People Swing Finalists included:bubble wrap ,Care Bears ,coloring books ,Clue ,Nerf ,pinball ,Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots ,Transformers action figures, andUno .[ 39]
The following toys were added in 2017:[ 40]
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, andUno .[ 41]
The following toys were added in 2018:[ 42]
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 TudorElectric Football .[ 43]
The following toys were added in 2019:[ 44]
People playingMagic: 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 , andtops .[ 45]
The following toys were added in 2020:[ 46]
Baby Nancy Sidewalk chalk Jenga Finalists included:Bingo ,Breyer horses ,Lite-Brite ,Masters of the Universe ,My Little Pony dolls,Risk ,Sorry! ,Tamagotchi , andYahtzee .[ 47]
The following toys were added on November 4, 2021:[ 48]
American Girl dollsRisk Sand Finalists included:Battleship ,billiards ,Cabbage Patch Kids ,Corn Popper ,mahjong ,Masters of the Universe ,piñata ,The Settlers of Catan , and thetoy fire engine .[ 49]
Cosplay ofMaster of the Universe
The following toys were added on November 10, 2022:[ 50]
Lite-Brite Masters of the Universe Top Finalists included:Bingo ,Breyer horses,Catan ,Nerf ,Phase 10 ,piñata ,Pound Puppies ,Rack-O , andSpirograph .[ 51]
Two boys show off their baseball cards
A Nerf dart and two Nerf balls
The following toys were added on November 10, 2023:[ 52]
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 , andTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures.[ 53]
TheFisher-Price Corn Popper was not on the original list of nominees. For the 2023 induction, the Strong highlighted several frequent past finalists as part of a public-driven "Forgotten Five" vote to induct a fourth toy. In addition to the Corn Popper, the other "Forgotten Five" wereMy Little Pony dolls,PEZ candy dispensers,pogo sticks , andTransformers action figures.[ 54] Transformers and My Little Pony became finalists in 2024 and were both inducted.
The following were added on November 12, 2024:[ 55]
Other finalists, announced on September 18, 2024, includedApples to Apples ,balloons ,Choose Your Own Adventure books,Hess toy trucks , thePokémon Trading Card Game ,remote control vehicles ,Sequence , thestick horse , andtrampolines .[ 56]
Homemade green slime The following were added on November 6, 2025:[ 57]
The other finalists wereCatan ,Connect 4 ,cornhole ,Furby ,scooter ,snow ,Spirograph ,Star Wars lightsaber , andTickle Me Elmo .[ 58]
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