It’s official! The National Toy Hall of Fame has inducted baseball cards, Cabbage Patch Kids, Fisher Price Corn-Popper, and NERF for 2023. 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.”
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.
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.