September 22, 2014
For Immediate Release
Shane Rhinewald, 585-410-6365, srhinewald@museumofplay.org
Kim Della Porta, 585-410-6325, kdellaporta@museumofplay.org
National Toy Hall of Fame®
Reveals 12 Toy Finalists
2014 Inductees to be Announced November 6
ROCHESTER, New York-Which toys will make it into the hallowed halls of the National Toy Hall of Fame this November? Will this be the year My Little Pony gallops across the finish line? Can Hess Toy Trucks permanently park themselves next to the other inductees? Or, will the paper airplane soar past the competition?
The Strong's National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York, today announced the 12 finalists for induction into the hall: American Girl dolls, bubbles, Fisher-Price Little People, Hess Toy 
Trucks, little green army men, My Little Pony, Operation Skill Game, paper airplane, pots and pans, Rubik's Cube, Slip'N Slide, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Only two of these finalists will join other luminaries in the prestigious hall and sit alongside past inductees such as Barbie, Monopoly, Star Wars action figures, and Mr. Potato Head.
The National Toy Hall of Fame receives thousands of nominations via mail and email annually. The final 2014 toy inductees, chosen by a national selection committee, will be announced at The Strong museum on Thursday, November 6, at 10:30 a.m. and a weekend public celebration will follow on Saturday, November 8 and Sunday, November 9.
The Strong's National Toy Hall of Fame recognizes toys that have engaged and delighted multiple generations, inspiring them to learn, create, and discover through play.
Criteria for induction include: Icon-status (the toy is widely recognized, respected, and remembered); Longevity (the toy is more than a passing fad and has enjoyed popularity over multiple generations); Discovery (the toy fosters learning, creativity, or discovery through play); and Innovation (the toy profoundly changed play or toy design).
To date, the following 53 toys have been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame: alphabet blocks, Atari 2600 Game System, baby doll, ball, Barbie, bicycle, Big Wheel, blanket, Candy Land, cardboard box, checkers, chess, Crayola Crayons, dollhouse, dominoes, Duncan Yo-Yo, Easy-Bake Oven, Erector Set, Etch A Sketch, Frisbee, G. I. Joe, The Game of Life, Hot Wheels, hula hoop, jack-in-the-box, jacks, jigsaw puzzle, jump rope, kite, LEGO, Lincoln Logs, Lionel Trains, marbles, Monopoly, Mr. Potato Head, Nintendo Game Boy, Play-Doh, playing cards, Radio Flyer Wagon, Raggedy Ann and Andy, rocking horse, roller skates, rubber duck, Scrabble, Silly Putty, skateboard, Slinky, Star Wars action figures, stick, teddy bear, Tinkertoy, Tonka Trucks, and View-Master.
Anyone can nominate a toy for 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 into the National Toy Hall of Fame.
About the National Toy Hall of Fame
The Strong's National Toy Hall of Fame, 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.
The classic toys of the National Toy Hall of Fame sit alongside and complement The Strong museum collection, the world's largest and most comprehensive assemblage of toys, dolls, board games, video games, other electronic games, books, photographs, documents, and other historical materials related to play.