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National Toy Hall of Fame
Explore some of the best and most important toys of all time!
About
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 National Toy Hall of Fame is housed at The Strong museum in Rochester, NY.
Alphabet Blocks
Inducted Year: 2003 For centuries, parents understanding the connection between play and development have made alphabet blocks standard equipment of the well-stocked toy box. Alphabet blocks appeared as early as 1693, when philosopher John […]
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Atari 2600 Game System
Inducted Year: 2007 When people play today, chances are very good they’re playing a video game. No company did more to make that true than Atari. Atari did not make the first home video game […]
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Baby Doll
Inducted Year: 2008 Crying, cooing, sleeping, eating, drinking, and wetting. What aspiring mom (or dad) doesn’t want a lifelike baby doll with all those features? But before the first baby doll appeared in the […]
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Baby Nancy
Inducted Year: 2020 In response to the Watts Riot, Louis S. Smith, II and Robert Hall worked with civil rights activists and community members to form Operation Bootstrap with the goal of empowerment and […]
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Nominate Your Favorite Toy
Is your favorite toy or game missing from the National Toy Hall of Fame? Nominate it now!
The following 12 toys are finalists for 2021 induction into The Strong’s National Toy Hall of Fame. Only three will take their honored places in the hall this year when they are announced by The Strong on Thursday, November 4 at 10:30 a.m.
American Girl Dolls
2021 Finalist Created in 1986 by educator and newscaster Pleasant Rowland, the 18-inch American Girl dolls (and their accompanying books) explore America’s social and cultural history. Each doll comes with a unique narrative that […]
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Battleship
Originally a pencil-and-paper game, Battleship’s inspiration began with similar two-person strategy games in the late 19th century. Various manufacturers printed paper versions beginning in the 1930s and Milton Bradley’s 1967 plastic adaptation became […]
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Billiards
Billiards is a blanket term for many different cue sports, but pool—or pocket billiards—is the most common term in the United States. The game evolved from earlier European outdoor games, like croquet in […]
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Cabbage Patch Kids
When Cabbage Patch Kids launched in 1979, they offered American children a soft, cuddly playmate in a world of hard toys and cold electronics. Consumers could not get enough of the dolls, each […]
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