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ROCHESTER, New York—It’s official! Today, the National Toy Hall of Fame inducted baseball cards, Cabbage Patch Kids, Fisher Price Corn-Popper, and NERF. The Fisher-Price Corn Popper is the special, fourth inductee in honor of the hall’s 25th anniversary and was chosen by popular vote from a group of “Forgotten Five” finalists. All four toys have been enshrined and are on view at The Strong National Museum of Play, home to the National Toy Hall of Fame.
“These four deserving inductees represent a great blend of types of play for people of all ages,” says Christopher Bensch, vice president for collections and chief curator. “Baseball cards encourage lifelong playing and collection. Cabbage Patch Kids continue to encourage imagination and storytelling for kids. Fisher-Price Corn Popper, which is a forgotten finalist no longer, is a great activity for toddlers. NERF toys are designed for indoor and outdoor activity, and they often find kids and grownups playing together. This is an excellent class to honor the 25th anniversary of the National Toy Hall of Fame.”
About Baseball Cards: Through the decades, kids and adults alike have collected baseball cards for the thrill of possessing images of their favorite players—or trying to collect a pricey rarity. Baseball cards are used in card trading and schoolyard bartering, as well as other flipping games. For some, they become a playful add-on to bicycle spokes, generating a fun and memorable “click” for the rider.
About 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 with its own name, its unique, lumpy rounded face, and adoption papers. They became the must-have holiday toy of 1983 and generated massive demand, paving the way for later holiday crazes around Tickle Elmo, Beanie Babies, and Furby.
About Fisher-Price Corn Popper: Inventor Arthur Holt sold his Corn Popper design to Fisher-Price in 1957. With its plastic dome filled with gumball-sized balls, the Corn Popper has motivated millions of children to navigate their first steps. Through the pushing action, kids strengthen gross motor skills, while the “poppity-pop” sound of the balls stimulates the senses. Through the decades, the Corn Popper has proven affordable, durable, and fun.
About NERF: Introduced in the 1960s as a foam ball harmless enough to throw indoors, NERF toys have evolved into a line of blasters that shoot harmless foam darts for outdoor fun that encourages physical exertion, social interactions, and strategic thinking for little and big kids alike.
About the National Toy Hall 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. Anyone can nominate a toy to the National Toy Hall of Fame. Final selections are made on the advice of historians, educators, and other individuals who exemplify learning, creativity, and discovery through their lives and careers. Toys are celebrated year-round in a state-of-the-art exhibit at The Strong museum in Rochester, New York. For more information about the hall and to see the list of previous inductees, visit toyhalloffame.org
About The Strong
The Strong is a highly interactive, collections-based museum devoted to the history and exploration of play. It is one of the largest history museums in the United States and one of the leading museums serving families. The Strong houses the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of historical materials related to play and is home to the International Center for the History of Electronic Games, the National Toy Hall of Fame, the World Video Game Hall of Fame, the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play, the Woodbury School, and the American Journal of Play. Together, these enable a multifaceted array of research, exhibition, and other interpretive and educational activities that serve a diverse audience of adults, families, children, students, teachers, scholars, collectors, and others around the globe.