In case you didn’t know, the Toy Hall of Fame is a very real thing, located in Rochester, New York as part of The Strong National Museum of Play. In other words, it’s a perfect road trip destination for the family.
And like any good Hall of Fame, the one dedicated to toys inducts new members every year, and in the 2022 class, the Toy Hall of Fame will be welcoming in the classic top, the Lite-Brite, and the Masters of the Universe line of toys, which just so happens to be celebrating its 40th anniversary.
While anyone can nominate a toy, a panel of experts decides on the inductees. This year, the three were chosen among a field of 12 finalists, which included “bingo, Breyer Horses, Catan, Nerf, the piñata, Phase 10, Pound Puppies, Rack-O and Spirograph.”
The Toy Hall of Fame began in 1998, so it’s relatively new by most Hall of Fame standards, but they’ve wasted no time inducting some of the best toys of all time. There are now 80 toys that have been inducted, which includes such classics as the rubber duck, playing cards, dominoes, dollhouses, the Nintendo Game Boy, Hot Wheels, Star Wars action figures, chess, the teddy bear, Scrabble, The Game of Life, Crayola crayons, the Frisbee, G.I. Joe, Monopoly, Play-Doh, and so many more that bring back a face-shredding wave of nostalgia for one’s youth.
I’m curious, though – how has the Atomic Energy Lab not made it in yet?
