Toy Hall of Fame announces 2022 finalists

Toys make up a big part of childhood and there are some that are the cornerstones of growing up.

The National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong National Museum of Play has announced its slate of iconic toys that may be inducted into the hall of fame.

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From a squishy ball made of dense foam, to small plastic pegs that are assembled into intricate light-up designs, to a muscle-bound prince and his skull-faced opponent, a variety of toys have made the cut for 2022.

Take a look at the Toy Hall of Fame nominees and why they were selected.

Bingo

Bingo has been around a lot longer than many may realize, dating back to Italy in 1530. The game was known as lotto and spread to France and Germany, being used as a teaching tool.

A company copied a version called beano that became popular in America at carnivals and renamed it bingo. Now churches and charities use the numbers game to raise money.

Breyer Horses

The Breyer Molding Company introduced Breyer Horses that “captured the spirit and magic of the living creatures” in 1951, the museum said. The brand is still popular more than 70 years after the toy line was introduced.

Catan

Introduced by Kosmos in German in 1995, The Settlers of Catan, now called Catan, is one of the first German-style board games that found fans outside of Europe. Game players are settlers who create a society on an island using resources earned by trade and rolling dice.

Lite-Brite

Lite-Brite came on the scene in 1966 and has been a popular toy for more than 50 years. The idea behind it is simple — transparent, colored pegs that are pushed into a black background to make intricate designs. The format and technology behind the toy have changed over the decades, but the playability has stayed the same. It even had a cameo in the hit television show “Stranger Things” and a spin-off branded version of the toy.

Masters of the Universe

“By the power of Greyskull!” He-Man’s power cry can still be heard in the minds of fans who grew up with the action figures and cartoons. Mattel combined comic books, television shows and movies with toys to come up with a line of action figures and playsets that are still available to this day.

Nerf

From a foam ball introduced in the 1960s to mega motorized blasters, Nerf is consistently the must-have toy on many kids’ Christmas lists.

Piñata

It may not seem like a toy to many, but a piñata is a staple at birthday parties and other celebrations. The papier-mache sculpture filled with small toys, candy and other items can be enjoyed by kids and adults who take their turns swinging a stick or bat to shatter the creation and dump its contents to the ground.

While it is most commonly associated with Mexican culture, The Strong Museum of Play says it may actually date back to 13th-century China.

Phase 10

Card games are popular with the young and old. Phase 10 was invented by Black game inventor and entrepreneur Ken Johnson in 1982. It’s like rummy, where players collect groups of cars to make 10 phrases in a sequence before their opponents.

While the game got its start with cards, there are now apps that allow players to take the game on the go.

Pound Puppies

While Cabbage Patch kids dominated the 1980s as the must-have toy, a floppy dog sold under the brand Pound Puppies were also popular. Parents were able to buy a puppy that filled the need a child may have had for a dog, without having to care for a living animal.

Tonka introduced Pound Puppies to the U.S. in 1985, where they quickly sold out with 2.5 million puppies “adopted.”

The toys inspired a cartoon series and a new line in 2014.

Rack-O

The game Rack-O may not be as familiar as other card games, but it was introduced in 1956. The game consists of replacing numbered cards in a rack until they are in a progression from lowest to highest. It’s a game that can be played by young and old alike, making it a family game.

Spirograph

A toy that is made up of geared pieces, a pen or pencil and a piece of paper, Spirograph combines art, math and education into playtime. Spirograph allows kids to make geometric patterns and help increase hand-eye coordination.

Top

A top is an ancient toy dating back more than 2,000 years. While it may appear to be a simple plaything, kids play with it by “calculating the placement, centrifugal force, and velocity needed to execute the longest spin or to capture their competitors’ prized tops,” the museum said.

Whatever three toys are chosen, they will join the likes of American Girl dolls, Atari 2600 and sand in the National Toy Hall of Fame.

The announcement will happen on Nov. 10.

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