The Strong’s National Toy Hall of Fame recognizes toys that have inspired creative play and enjoyed popularity over a sustained period. Each year, the hall inducts new honorees and showcases both new and historic versions of classic toys beloved by generations.
Inducted Toys
To date, 74 toys have been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame.
-
Alphabet Blocks
Inducted 2003
-
Atari 2600 Game System
Inducted 2007
-
Baby Doll
Inducted 2008
-
Baby Nancy
Inducted 2020
-
Ball
Inducted 2009
-
Barbie
Inducted 1998
-
Bicycle
Inducted 2000
-
Bubbles
Inducted 2014
-
Big Wheel
Inducted 2009
-
Blanket
Inducted 2011
-
Candy Land
Inducted 2005
-
Cardboard Box
Inducted 2005
-
Checkers
Inducted 2003
-
Chess
Inducted 2013
-
Clue
Inducted 2017
-
Coloring Book
Inducted 2019
-
Crayola Crayons
Inducted 1998
-
Dollhouse
Inducted 2011
-
Dominoes
Inducted 2012
-
Duncan Yo-Yo
Inducted 1999
-
Dungeons & Dragons
Inducted 2016
-
Easy-Bake Oven
Inducted 2006
-
Erector Set
Inducted 1998
-
Etch A Sketch
Inducted 1998
-
Fisher-Price Little People
Inducted 2016
-
Frisbee
Inducted 1998
-
G.I. Joe
Inducted 2004
-
The Game of Life
Inducted 2010
-
Hot Wheels
Inducted 2011
-
Hula Hoop
Inducted 1999
-
Jack-in-the-Box
Inducted 2005
-
Jacks
Inducted 2000
-
Jenga
Inducted 2020
-
Jigsaw Puzzle
Inducted 2002
-
Jump Rope
Inducted 2000
-
Kite
Inducted 2007
-
LEGO
Inducted 1998
-
Lincoln Logs
Inducted 1999
-
Lionel Trains
Inducted 2006
-
Little Green Army Men
Inducted 2014
-
Magic 8 Ball
Inducted 2018
-
Magic: The Gathering
Inducted 2019
-
Marbles
Inducted 1998
-
Matchbox Cars
Inducted 2019
-
Monopoly
Inducted 1998
-
Mr. Potato Head
Inducted 2000
-
Nintendo Game Boy
Inducted 2009
-
Paper Airplane
Inducted 2017
-
Pinball
Inducted 2018
-
Play-Doh
Inducted 1998
-
Playing Cards
Inducted 2010
-
Puppet
Inducted 2015
-
Radio Flyer Wagon
Inducted 1999
-
Raggedy Ann and Andy
Inducted 2002, 2007
-
Rocking Horse
Inducted 2004
-
Roller Skates
Inducted 1999
-
Rubber Duck
Inducted 2013
-
Rubik's Cube
Inducted 2014
-
Scrabble
Inducted 2004
-
Sidewalk Chalk
Inducted 2020
-
Silly Putty
Inducted 2001
-
Skateboard
Inducted 2008
-
Slinky
Inducted 2000
-
Star Wars Action Figures
Inducted 2012
-
Stick
Inducted 2008
-
Super Soaker
Inducted 2015
-
Swing
Inducted 2016
-
Teddy Bear
Inducted 1998
-
Tinkertoy
Inducted 1998
-
Tonka Trucks
Inducted 2001
-
Twister
Inducted 2015
-
Uno
Inducted 2018
-
View-Master
Inducted 1999
-
Wiffle Ball
Inducted 2017
National Toy Hall of Fame Selection Criteria
- 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. A toy may be inducted on the basis of this criterion without necessarily having met all of the first three.
National Toy Hall of Fame Selection Process
The public can nominate toys online through the National Toy Hall of Fame website, via email, or by U.S. mail. Each year, an internal museum advisory committee comprised of curators, educators, and historians reviews the submitted nominations and pre-qualifies the 12 toys that best meet the criteria for selection. Final selections are made on the advice of a national selection advisory committee comprised of historians, educators, and other individuals who exemplify learning, creativity, and discovery through their lives and careers.