Did you know you could vote your favorite toy into the National Toy Hall of Fame?

Every November The Strong Museum holds a vote to see which toys will go down in playtime history and be inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. The selected toys join the ranks of childhood classics including Barbie, Raggedy Ann and Andy and Mr. Potato Head. This is an elite club as only 71 toys have been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame to date.

The 12 finalists for the 2020 inductee class of the National Toy Hall of Fame:

• Lite-Brite (How is this not in already?)
• Baby Nancy
• Bingo
• Breyer Horses
• Masters of the Universe Toys
• My Little Pony
• Risk
• Sidewalk Chalk
• Sorry!
• Tamagotchi
• Yahtzee

“These 12 toys represent the wide scope of playthings — from simple sidewalk chalk that has its roots in ancient times, to Baby Nancy, which proved a turning point in the representation of race in dolls, to the more recent, highly innovative Tamagotchi,” says Christopher Bensch, vice president for collections at The Strong. “Whether old or new, or simple of high-tech, all 12 of these toy finalists greatly influenced the world of play.”

Vote For Your Favorite Toy:

You can vote for your favorite toy from Sept. 9 to 16 at www.toyhalloffame.org. The three toys that receive the most public votes on the Player’s Choice ballot will join the other top-three submissions by members of the National Selection Advisory Committee. 

Criteria For Induction:

• 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;
• Innovation: the toy profoundly changed play or toy design.

The Inductees will be announced at The Strong museum at 10:30am on Thursday, Nov. 5.

About The National Toy Hal of Fame:

The National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong, 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.

The Strong National Museum of Play is located in Rochester, New York. You can follow the Museum via their social channels:  Instagram or Facebook.

You can shop some of the Toy of Nominees via my Amazon affiliate links below at no extra cost to you: