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(2016 Inductees to be Announced November 10)
ROCHESTER, New York—Which toys will make it into the hallowed halls of the National Toy Hall of Fame this November? Will Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots knock out the competition? Will Nerf sail across the finish line? Can pinball bounce its way into contention?
The Strong’s National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York, today announced the 12 finalists for induction into the hall: bubble wrap, Care Bears, Clue, coloring books, Dungeons & Dragons, Fisher-Price Little People, Nerf, pinball, Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, swing, Transformers, and Uno. Only two or three of these finalists will join other iconic toys in the hall and sit alongside past inductees such as Barbie, Monopoly, Star Wars action figures, and Mr. Potato Head.
The National Toy Hall of Fame receives thousands of nominations via mail and email annually. The final 2016 toy inductees, chosen on the advice of a national selection advisory committee, will be announced at The Strong museum on Thursday, November 10, at 10:30 a.m. A weekend of public celebration will commence on Saturday, November 12 and Sunday, November 13.
The Strong’s National Toy Hall of Fame recognizes toys that have engaged and delighted multiple generations, inspiring them to learn, create, and discover through play. 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 59 toys have been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame: alphabet blocks, Atari 2600 Game System, baby doll, ball, Barbie, bicycle, Big Wheel, blanket, bubbles, Candy Land, cardboard box, checkers, chess, Crayola Crayons, dollhouse, dominoes, Duncan Yo-Yo, Easy-Bake Oven, Erector Set, Etch A Sketch, Frisbee, G.I. Joe, The Game of Life, Hot Wheels, hula hoop, jack-in-the-box, jacks, jigsaw puzzle, jump rope, kite, LEGO, Lincoln Logs, Lionel Trains, little green army men, marbles, Monopoly, Mr. Potato Head, Nintendo Game Boy, Play-Doh, playing cards, puppet, Radio Flyer Wagon, Raggedy Ann and Andy, rocking horse, roller skates, rubber duck, Rubik’s Cube, Scrabble, Silly Putty, skateboard, Slinky, Star Wars action figures, stick, Super Soaker, teddy bear, Tinkertoy, Tonka Trucks, Twister, and View-Master.
The following 12 toys are finalists for 2016 induction into The Strong’s National Toy Hall of Fame. Only two or three will take their honored places in the hall this year when they are announced at a ceremony at The Strong on Thursday, November 10, at 10:30 a.m.
Bubble Wrap
Two engineers created bubble wrap by accident in 1957 while attempting to make a new type of wallpaper. They soon discovered that the clear plastic sheets made great packing material for fragile items, and consumers also quickly saw the entertainment value in repeatedly popping the bubbles. This amusement factor even spurred an industry of virtual bubble popping—including key chain games and computer games.
Care Bears
Care Bears began as a line of greeting cards for the American Greetings Corporation in the early 1980s but evolved from 1983 to 1988 into a brand featuring mini-dolls and plush teddy bears. The soft, pastel-colored bears—intended to teach children compassion, kindness, and consideration—became pop icons and the stars of storybooks, television shows, movies, games, and more.
Clue
A retired solicitor’s clerk developed Clue during World War II and originally patented it in 1947 under the name “Cluedo.” The game invites players to deduce a solution to the murder of the luckless Mr. Boddy, which occurs under different circumstances in each game. Clue remains one of the best-selling branded board games of all time.
Coloring Book
Coloring books appeared in America as an outgrowth of European educational reforms, but McLoughlin Brothers, a New York printing company, is credited as the coloring book’s inventor. Educators now use coloring books to teach such essential and diverse subjects as history, geography, and even geometry. Though often thought of as a children’s activity, more complex coloring books aimed at adults became increasingly popular in the 2000s.
Dungeons & Dragons
Developed in the 1970s, Dungeons & Dragons plunged participants into imaginary worlds of magic and monsters. It required players to role-play without a board or other defined game space, asking them to rely on their imaginations. Dungeons & Dragons heavily influenced the computer video game industry, inspiring the earliest text-based role-playing games to the more modern massively multiplayer online role-playing games.
Fisher-Price Little People
Fisher-Price first offered its wooden Little People in the 1959 Safety School Bus. Made of brightly painted wood and fashioned for little hands, the figures help small children imagine big adventures at the Little People school, airport, service station, amusement park, zoo, and farm. During the 1990s, Fisher-Price added arms and legs to the figures.
Nerf
From its initial production in the 1960s as a foam ball safe enough to throw indoors, Nerf toys quickly multiplied into balls for every possible sport. With the 1989 debut of Blast a Ball, Nerf continued its evolution, resulting in a hugely successful line of blasters that shoot harmless foam darts for outdoor fun that encourages physical exertion, social interactions, and strategic thinking.
Pinball
With their roots tracing back to the 18th-century French parlor table game bagatelle, modern mechanical-action pinball machines are fast-paced games that challenge players to use flippers to aim, control, and fire steel balls across a playfield filled with a maze of ramps and obstacles. Over the last century, pinball became common in bars, amusement parks, arcades, restaurants, family fun centers, and other public places.
Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots
Introduced in 1965, Louis Marx & Company’s Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots features two fighting robots in a boxing ring. Players manipulate levers that control the robots’ arms, punching the opponent to knock its block off and win the round. The pugilistic robots have inspired movies and been adapted into video games and other toys.
Swing
Ancient cave drawings in Europe, carved figures from Crete, and ceramic vases from Greece depict humans on swings. Once intended for wealthy Europeans in the 18th century, the swing became a playground staple for children by the early 1900s because it rewards physical coordination, sensory perception, and risk tasking. The suburban movement in America in the mid-20th century brought the swing into many backyards.
Transformers
Hasbro, Inc. introduced Transformers, a toy line of action figures that change their shapes, in the mid-1980s. They marketed Transformers with an elaborate back story supported by a Marvel comic book series, a cartoon television series, animated movies, electronic games, consumer goods, and even its own cereal. A continuing series of blockbuster films (with the next installment due in June 2017) has kept Transformers in the public eye.
Uno
Created in 1971, Uno (Spanish and Italian for “one”) belongs to the shedding family of card games in which players seek to dispose of the cards in their hands. Its fixed rule system makes it easy to learn and quick to play. Creative branding and themed variations—such as Elvis Uno, Disney Princess Uno, and Dr. Who Uno—has helped the game to sell steadily for more than four decades.
About the National Toy Hall of Fame
The Strong’s National Toy Hall of Fame, established in 1998, recognizes toys that have inspired creative play and enjoyed popularity over a sustained period. Each year, the prestigious hall inducts new honorees and showcases both new and historic versions of classic toys beloved by generations. Anyone can nominate a toy to the National Toy Hall of Fame. Final selections are made on the advice of historians, educators, and other individuals who exemplify learning, creativity, and discovery through their lives and careers.
The classic toys of the National Toy Hall of Fame sit alongside and complement The Strong museum collection, the world’s largest and most comprehensive assemblage of toys, dolls, board games, video games, other electronic games, books, photographs, documents, and other historical materials related to play. www.toyhalloffame.org
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