The Strong Announces National Toy Hall of Fame Finalists

September 27, 2012 | After reviewing thousands of nominations submitted this year by toy lovers of all ages, The Strong in Rochester, New York, has announced the 12 nominees for induction into the National Toy Hall of Fame. Two finalists will be inducted into the prestigious hall on Thursday, November 15th.

The finalists for 2012 are: Clue, Dominoes, Fisher-Price Corn Popper push toy, Lite-Brite, little green army men, Magic 8 Ball, pogo stick, sidewalk chalk, Simon, Star Wars action figures, tea set, and Twister. The selected winners will join the ranks of 49 toy luminaries already in the prestigious Hall of Fame, including Candy Land, cardboard box, Crayola Crayons, Duncan Yo-Yo, Mr. Potato Head, Radio Flyer Wagon, Tinkertoy and more. [View the complete list of previously inducted toys]

Anyone can nominate a toy for annual induction into the National Toy Hall of Fame. An internal museum advisory committee comprised of curators, educators, and historians reviews the submitted nominations and determines which toys meet the criteria for selection. A national selection committee then reviews the list of toy finalists. Each national selection committee member votes for his or her top toy picks for induction. The votes are then tallied, with the toys receiving the most votes making the cut for induction.

Established in 1998, the National Toy Hall of Fame annually recognizes toys that have inspired creative play and enjoyed popularity over a sustained period of time. The classic toys of the National Toy Hall of Fame sit alongside the collections of The Strong's National Museum of Play. The Strong is also home to the Toy Industry Association’s (TIA) annual ToyDesignCon for TIA’s inventor and designer community. ToyDesignCon 2013 will be held in June of next year.