Connect Four, lightsabers, Furbies ... and snow: Which playthings belong in the Toy Hall of Fame?
Connect Four, lightsabers, Furbies ... and snow: Which playthings belong in the Toy Hall of Fame?
The quirky owlish Furby toy isn't fooling anyone at the Pentagon or at NASA. *** new Air Force memo forbids anyone to bring *** Furby into areas like this at the Cape. It's here that engineers track the launches of rockets and space shuttles so that they can destroy them if they go off course. Furby is not permitted in areas where secret satellites are processed or where classified discussions take place. The reason Furby cannot be trusted. His electronic brain is capable of recording and repeating almost anything, including military secrets. *** forgotten Furby left in the corner of *** secure area could be learning all kinds of classified information which could later be repeated to unfriendly ears. We tested this theory on *** brand new Furby. Furby, can you say satellite? Can you say classified military information? It didn't sound threatening, but perhaps the clever Furby was being evasive. And here's another bit of alarming news. Furby is still selling like hotcakes. As soon as *** customer sees us putting them on the shelf, they're. Where are these Furby going into the hands of innocent children or on some More sinister errand. One thing's for sure, it won't be at the Cape. The commander there has issued *** memo cautioning employees to leave Furby's at home if they bring their daughters and sons to work for visits. NASA treats Furby the same as cameras or other recording devices not allowed in secure areas. The space program is safe from Furby. This may come under the heading of Only in America. Tickle Me Elmo is such *** hot Christmas to the last one left at the Square One mall in Saugus is being kept in *** safe, an item for auction to raise money for Children's Hospital. Mall officials say frantic bids are pouring in from as far away as New York City. It's snowing. How do I get up there? I have to have this doll. I'll pay whatever it is that it costs to buy this. My daughter's dying for it. Elmo, the giggling Elmo? No, I'm sorry, we don't. In the meantime, anxious shoppers are on the hunt for Elmo, but he is nowhere to be found. We've even called California relatives really. Can't get it. Husbands are coming in to buy Tickle Me Elmo for their wives, so it's really any age. Retailers are saying they haven't seen *** toy craze like Tickle Me Elmo since the 80s when the cabbage patch dolls took the country by storm. Today, there are plenty of them on the shelf on sale even back then. They were so hot they became black market items. It's not soft and fuzzy, but it's the same story with Nintendo 64, *** toy so hot all we could find were these empty display boxes. I've been to every store. You don't know how many times, and every time I go in there, there's always *** fight right at the door to get in there and I'm like so far back. Forget it. You're gonna keep trying. I'm gonna keep trying until I can get one, I hope. Meantime, back to Elmo at square one. At last check 30 minutes ago, the latest bid was $450. Maybe that's why he's having such laughing fits. Amalia Barrada, New Center 5.
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Connect Four, lightsabers, Furbies ... and snow: Which playthings belong in the Toy Hall of Fame?
Later this year, the National Toy Hall of Fame could induct snow — yes, the cold, white stuff that falls from the sky. But only if it ices out enough of the competition — a group that features hugely popular board games, outdoor favorites and giggling plushies.The Hall of Fame announced its 12 finalists for the Class of 2025 Wednesday and opened voting to the public and a panel of judges who will choose which few will be honored in November.Along with snow, the contenders include tabletop favorites Battleship, Catan, Connect Four, Spirograph and Trivial Pursuit, as well as crowd-pleasers — scooters, slime and cornhole. The "Star Wars" lightsaber, Furby and Tickle Me Elmo round out the finalists chosen from among the thousands of nominees the Toy Hall of Fame receives each year."This year's contenders present some playful matchups," said Christopher Bensch, vice president for collections and chief curator.Along with a slate of board games and tactile materials like snow and slime, he said, "There's also Tickle Me Elmo and Furby — two technological icons of the 90s toy world — battling it out.""I'm always excited to see where the judges and public come out in their votes," Bensch said. "At the end of the day, the playful debates just go to show how much personal and cultural relevance these toys have for us all."The public has a week, until Sept. 24, to vote for their favorites. The three top vote-getters will make up a "Player's Choice" ballot to be counted alongside 22 other ballots from a panel of historians, educators and other experts. The winners will be announced in November by The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, where the Hall of Fame is located.While anyone can nominate a toy, the ones that make it into the hall have to be considered icons, have engaged multiple generations, fostered creativity, or profoundly changed play or toy design.Last year, My Little Pony, Transformers action figures and the Phase 10 card game were honored, bringing to 87 the number of toys inducted since the Hall of Fame was established in 1998.Who is nominated this year?Battleship: Milton Bradley has sold more than 100 million copies of the strategy game since introducing its plastic warships and pegboard version in 1967. Originally a pencil-and-paper game, Battleship was among the first board games to be computerized in 1979.Catan: Known earlier as Settlers of Catan, the game first published by Kosmos in Germany was one of the first German-style board games to achieve popularity outside of Europe. More than 45 million copies in 40 languages have sold since it was introduced in 1995. It has inspired dozens of spinoffs and new editions, including electronic versions, and even a cookbook.Connect Four: Players drop discs into a grid in hopes of being the first to get four in a row. Spoiler alert: The game has been mathematically solved, meaning the first player can always win with the right moves.Cornhole challenges players to throw bean bags though a hole in a slanted wooden board to score points. The nominee stands out for a simplicity that has made it a staple at picnics, on bar patios and while tailgating.Furby debuted in 1998 and within the first three years, 40 million of the drowsy-eyed robotic creatures were sold. An enhanced version was reintroduced to a new generation of kids in 2023.The scooter has provided riders with low-tech, two-wheeled transportation for generations, evolving along the way to incorporate lightweight materials and innovative technology.Slime, whether commercially produced or homemade, is on the list for its ability to encourage messy and experimental play. Since its commercial introduction in 1976, it has become an element of other playthings and a featured player on television shows.Snow is recognized for its versatility, allowing children and adults to make snowballs and sculpt the cold, wintry stuff into forts and figures, while also serving as a base for sledding, skiing and snowboarding. The nominee would join the ranks of other back-to-basic inductees like the stick, sand and cardboard box.Spirograph, with its plastic gears, rings, triangles and bars, has entertained and educated the masses for 60 years. Users place the tip of pen into a hole of a gear and rotate it around or within other gears to create intricate, geometric drawings.Kenner released the first "Star Wars" lightsaber in 1978 on the heels of the 1977 "Star Wars" movie. An arsenal has followed, with lights and sound, demonstrating the influence of popular culture on play. Tickle Me Elmo, with its contagious laughter, was the must-have toy of the 1996 holiday season. The "Sesame Street" character wasn't the first stuffed animal to get electronics, but the giggling Muppet took the concept to another level.Trivial Pursuit debuted more than 40 years ago with a challenging mix of trivia questions on geography, history, sports and other topics. More than 100 million copies were sold by 2023.
Later this year, the National Toy Hall of Fame could induct snow — yes, the cold, white stuff that falls from the sky. But only if it ices out enough of the competition — a group that features hugely popular board games, outdoor favorites and giggling plushies.
The Hall of Fame announced its 12 finalists for the Class of 2025 Wednesday and opened voting to the public and a panel of judges who will choose which few will be honored in November.
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Along with snow, the contenders include tabletop favorites Battleship, Catan, Connect Four, Spirograph and Trivial Pursuit, as well as crowd-pleasers — scooters, slime and cornhole. The "Star Wars" lightsaber, Furby and Tickle Me Elmo round out the finalists chosen from among the thousands of nominees the Toy Hall of Fame receives each year.
"This year's contenders present some playful matchups," said Christopher Bensch, vice president for collections and chief curator.
Along with a slate of board games and tactile materials like snow and slime, he said, "There's also Tickle Me Elmo and Furby — two technological icons of the 90s toy world — battling it out."
"I'm always excited to see where the judges and public come out in their votes," Bensch said. "At the end of the day, the playful debates just go to show how much personal and cultural relevance these toys have for us all."
The public has a week, until Sept. 24, to vote for their favorites. The three top vote-getters will make up a "Player's Choice" ballot to be counted alongside 22 other ballots from a panel of historians, educators and other experts. The winners will be announced in November by The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, where the Hall of Fame is located.
While anyone can nominate a toy, the ones that make it into the hall have to be considered icons, have engaged multiple generations, fostered creativity, or profoundly changed play or toy design.
Last year, My Little Pony, Transformers action figures and the Phase 10 card game were honored, bringing to 87 the number of toys inducted since the Hall of Fame was established in 1998.
Who is nominated this year?
- Battleship: Milton Bradley has sold more than 100 million copies of the strategy game since introducing its plastic warships and pegboard version in 1967. Originally a pencil-and-paper game, Battleship was among the first board games to be computerized in 1979.
- Catan: Known earlier as Settlers of Catan, the game first published by Kosmos in Germany was one of the first German-style board games to achieve popularity outside of Europe. More than 45 million copies in 40 languages have sold since it was introduced in 1995. It has inspired dozens of spinoffs and new editions, including electronic versions, and even a cookbook.
- Connect Four: Players drop discs into a grid in hopes of being the first to get four in a row. Spoiler alert: The game has been mathematically solved, meaning the first player can always win with the right moves.
- Cornhole challenges players to throw bean bags though a hole in a slanted wooden board to score points. The nominee stands out for a simplicity that has made it a staple at picnics, on bar patios and while tailgating.
- Furby debuted in 1998 and within the first three years, 40 million of the drowsy-eyed robotic creatures were sold. An enhanced version was reintroduced to a new generation of kids in 2023.
- The scooter has provided riders with low-tech, two-wheeled transportation for generations, evolving along the way to incorporate lightweight materials and innovative technology.
- Slime, whether commercially produced or homemade, is on the list for its ability to encourage messy and experimental play. Since its commercial introduction in 1976, it has become an element of other playthings and a featured player on television shows.
- Snow is recognized for its versatility, allowing children and adults to make snowballs and sculpt the cold, wintry stuff into forts and figures, while also serving as a base for sledding, skiing and snowboarding. The nominee would join the ranks of other back-to-basic inductees like the stick, sand and cardboard box.
- Spirograph, with its plastic gears, rings, triangles and bars, has entertained and educated the masses for 60 years. Users place the tip of pen into a hole of a gear and rotate it around or within other gears to create intricate, geometric drawings.
- Kenner released the first "Star Wars" lightsaber in 1978 on the heels of the 1977 "Star Wars" movie. An arsenal has followed, with lights and sound, demonstrating the influence of popular culture on play.
- Tickle Me Elmo, with its contagious laughter, was the must-have toy of the 1996 holiday season. The "Sesame Street" character wasn't the first stuffed animal to get electronics, but the giggling Muppet took the concept to another level.
- Trivial Pursuit debuted more than 40 years ago with a challenging mix of trivia questions on geography, history, sports and other topics. More than 100 million copies were sold by 2023.
