National Toy Hall of Fame facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
National Toy Hall of Fame

Entrance to The Strong, location of the Toy Hall of Fame
Established	1998; 27 years ago (1998)
Location	The Strong, Rochester, NY
Type	Hall of Fame
Collections	Toys

The National Toy Hall of Fame is a special place in the United States. It celebrates amazing toys and games that have been popular for a very long time. Think of it like a hall of fame for sports stars, but for toys!

To get into the Hall of Fame, a toy needs to meet a few important rules:

• Icon Status: Is the toy famous and loved by many people?
• Longevity: Has it been popular for many years, not just a quick trend?
• Discovery: Does it help kids learn, be creative, or discover new things?
• Innovation: Did it change how people play or how toys are made?

The Hall of Fame started in 1998. It was first in Salem, Oregon, but it quickly grew too big! So, in 2002, it moved to The Strong museum in Rochester, New York. As of 2023, 85 toys have been added to this awesome collection!

Original Inductees (1998-99)

The very first toys to join the National Toy Hall of Fame were announced in November 1999. Some students even playfully protested because their favorites, Mr. Potato Head and Barbie's friend Ken, weren't chosen that year!

Etch A Sketch

Glass-made marbles

Hula hoops

Barbie dolls and creator Ruth Handler

Crayola No. 500

Lego pieces

Tinkertoy pieces

Monopoly board

Inductees by Year

Class of 2000

Triumph bicycle

Knucklebones

Metal Slinky

Jump rope

The following toys were added in 2000:

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

Class of 2001

Old-style steel toy bottom-dump truck by Tonka

Silly Putty molded into a cube

The following toys were added in 2001:

1. Silly Putty
2. Tonka trucks

Class of 2002

Raggedy Ann doll

A completed Jigsaw puzzle

The following toys were added in 2002:

1. Jigsaw puzzle
2. Raggedy Ann: Fans campaigned for a whole year to get her in!

Class of 2003

Blocks with letters and numbers

English draughts board (aka checkers)

The following toys were added in 2003:

1. Alphabet Blocks
2. Checkers

Class of 2004

A rocking horse

Game of Scrabble in progress

The following toys were added in 2004:

1. G.I. Joe
2. Rocking horse
3. Scrabble

Class of 2005

Jack-in-the-box

Corrugated cardboard box

The following toys were added in 2005:

1. Candy Land
2. Cardboard box
3. Jack-in-the-box

The cardboard box was chosen without even being nominated!

Class of 2006

The first three versions of the Easy-Bake oven

Lionel Corporation products

The following toys were added in 2006:

1. Easy-Bake Oven
2. Lionel Trains

Class of 2007

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:

1. Atari 2600
2. Kite
3. Raggedy Andy

Class of 2008

A dog with a stick

Baby doll

Skateboard

The following toys were added in 2008:

1. The stick: This simple toy was praised for its endless uses and how it sparks creativity.
2. The baby doll
3. The skateboard

The stick was chosen without being nominated!

Class of 2009

Ball

Nintendo Game Boy

Big Wheel

The following toys were added in 2009:

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

Class of 2010

Board from the Game of Life

Playing cards

The following toys were added in 2010:

1. The Game of Life
2. Playing cards

Class of 2011

Hot Wheels car

A three story dollhouse

Blanket fort

The following toys were added in 2011:

1. Hot Wheels
2. Dollhouse
3. Blanket: The blanket was chosen without being nominated!

Class of 2012

Cosplay of the Star Wars characters

A boxed domino set

The following toys were added in 2012:

1. Star Wars action figures
2. Dominoes

Class of 2013

Chessboard

Rubber duck

The following toys were added in 2013:

1. Chess
2. Rubber duck

Class of 2014

Plastic green soldier

A child blowing soap bubbles

Rubik's cube

The following toys were added in 2014:

1. Little green army men
2. Bubbles
3. Rubik's Cube

Class of 2015

German hand puppet

Men playing Twister

Super Soaker water gun

The following toys were added in 2015:

1. Puppet
2. Twister
3. Super Soaker

Class of 2016

Dungeons & Dragons

Swings

The following toys were added in 2016:

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

Class of 2017

Wiffle ball

Paper airplane

The following toys were added in 2017:

1. Clue
2. Wiffle ball
3. Paper airplane

Class of 2018

Magic 8-Ball

Group of pinball games

Deck of Uno cards

The following toys were added in 2018:

1. Magic 8 Ball
2. Pinball
3. Uno

Class of 2019

Cover of a coloring book

People playing Magic: The gathering

Matchbox model cars

The following toys were added in 2019:

1. Coloring book
2. Magic: The Gathering
3. Matchbox model cars

Class of 2020

Sidewalk chalk

Jenga tower

The following toys were added in 2020:

1. Baby Nancy
2. Sidewalk chalk
3. Jenga

Class of 2021

Risk board game

Children in a sandbox

The following toys were added on November 4, 2021:

1. American Girl dolls
2. Risk
3. Sand

Class of 2022

Lite-Brite

Cosplay of Master of the Universe

Spinning top

The following toys were added on November 10, 2022:

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

Class of 2023

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:

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

The Strong museum also let the public vote for a "Forgotten Five" toy to be added. The choices included Corn Popper, My Little Pony dolls, PEZ candy dispensers, pogo sticks, and Transformers action figures.

See also

• Toy Industry Hall of Fame, which celebrates people who make toys.
• List of toys and children's media awards