Open 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Fri. 10 a.m.–8 p.m.ROCHESTER, NY—Can libraries save free play? In the past decades, academic pressures have increased, parent anxieties and surveillance have grown, and legal constraints on free-roaming children have tightened, all leading to a well-documented decline in free play opportunities for today’s youth. As children have become more homebound and opportunities for play with friends outside of school have plummeted, public libraries have come to hold an increasingly important role as emerging centers for play, according to an article by Peter Gray, […]
National Toy Hall of Fame Reveals 12 Finalists
ROCHESTER, New York—Which toys will make it into the National Toy Hall of Fame this November? Can Breyer Horses gallop across the finish line? Is this Lite-Brite’s year to shine? Will the Masters of the Universe muscle their way to glory? Can Spirograph draw up a victory? Or will Phase 10 play the winning hand?
The Strong’s National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York, today announced the 12 finalists for induction into the hall: bingo, Breyer Horses, Catan, Lite-Brite, […]
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Meet the 2022 National Toy Hall of Fame Finalists
The following 12 toys are finalists for 2022 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 10, at 10:30 a.m.
Bingo
American bingo is descended from a lottery game first played in Italy around 1530. The game came to be known as lotto and was played in France and in Germany as a teaching tool. A marketer copied the […]
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The Strong Partners with Jordan Health to Promote Wellness
ROCHESTER, NY—The Strong National Museum of Play and Jordan Health are pleased to announce the launch of the Passport to Healthy Play program to encourage medical screenings and wellness. Through the Passport to Healthy Play program, pediatric patients with Jordan Health who complete their physical and dental screenings will be provided passes and meal vouchers to enjoy a day of play at The Strong on specified days. This partnership is a win/win not only for Jordan Health and The Strong […]
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Toy Hall Nominations for 2022 Due by July 31
ROCHESTER, New York—Do you have a favorite toy that deserves to join the likes of Tonka Trucks, Monopoly, Slinky, Rubik’s Cube, and other classic playthings enshrined in The Strong’s National Toy Hall of Fame? The deadline for nominations is soon approaching and toy lovers everywhere are urged to voice their choices for induction this coming November. To nominate a favorite classic toy, visit toyhalloffame.org/nominate or mail your selection to: The Strong, One Manhattan Square, Rochester, NY 14607. Submissions for nominations must be received by Sunday, […]
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Generation Two to Merge with The Strong
ROCHESTER, NY—Generation Two (G2), a not-for-profit that delivers child-directed play into area classrooms, will merge with The Strong National Museum of Play. G2, which was founded in 2002 by psychologist Dr. Bruce Gilberg, provides one-on-one play experiences to kindergarten students in eight classrooms at select Greece, East Rochester, and Rochester schools. (Prior to the pandemic, G2 delivered programs in 24 classrooms for kindergarten through second grade.)
“G2 has long been a local leader in the field of play experiences and in […]
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The Strong Offers Free Admission for Juneteenth Celebration on June 18
ROCHESTER, NY—In partnership with the Rochester Area Community Foundation and Greater Rochester Martin Luther King Jr. Commission, The Strong is pleased to offer free general admission and parking on Saturday, June 18, in celebration of Juneteenth. The event is part of a larger, community celebration beginning at the nearby Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park. (Learn more about the full day’s festivities and history of Juneteenth: ROC Juneteenth Celebration Returns to MLK Park.)
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the […]
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Play is Crucial in Teletherapy According to American Journal of Play
ROCHESTER, NY—The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted children’s routines, diminished their opportunities to play, added to their emotional burdens, and increased their stress dramatically, according to Lynn Borenstein, an instructor at—and supervisor of—the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis Psychoanalytic Education Program (PEP) and an emeritus member of faculty at the Institute for Clinical Social Work in Chicago. To complicate matters further, the pandemic pushed the therapy that so many children rely upon into teletherapy, removing the safe and comfortable environment of an office. […]
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World Video Game Hall of Fame Inductees for 2022 Announced
ROCHESTER, New York—It’s official! Ms. Pac-Man gobbled up the competition. Dance Dance Revolution hit the beat. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time completed the adventure. And Sid Meier’s Civilization made history. These four iconic games—which have influenced popular culture and the video game industry—today joined the World Video Game Hall of Fame at The Strong National Museum of Play. They emerged from a field of finalists that also included Assassin’s Creed, Candy Crush Saga, Minesweeper, NBA Jam, PaRappa the […]
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PAW Patrol: Adventure Play Opens May 14 at The Strong
NOTE: Member early opening at 9 a.m. May 14 & 15!
ROCHESTER, NY—Kids and families can now play and save the day with the heroic PAW Patrol pups at the brand-new PAW Patrol: Adventure Play exhibit, opening at The Strong on May 14. Based on the hit preschool series PAW Patrol, which is produced by Spin Master Entertainment and airs on Nickelodeon, this interactive exhibit gives kids and their grownups an opportunity to run rescue missions and work together to overcome […]
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