The National Toy Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2023 inductees, according to the Strong National Museum of Play.
What Were Your Favorite Toys
Think back to when you were a kid. What was your favorite toy? I loved my Hoppity Horse, Spirograph, Etch-A-Sketch, and my Wood Burning Set. Which my mom took away for a short while, because I burnt the new green shag carpet. Ahhh, the memories.
Some of the simplest toys brought us such joy. And as you can see, those simple toys have earned their place mong the greats.
The newest members of the Toy Hall of Fame have been announced
Drum roll, please… Thank you!
1. Baseball cards. According to the Library of Congress, the first baseball card goes back to around 1865. So it’s high time these collectables were inducted. the gum was the best!
2. Cabbage Patch Kids. Most of you reading this probably had one, Or, your kids did. They were huge in the 1980’s, and a lot of people still have them. Because remember – you were going to retire with the money you made off of them later. Anyone living on that Cabbage Patch money? That’s what I thought.
3. Nerf. Vintage is the New Old says the very first Nerf product was a four-inch foam ball that Parker Brothers started selling in 1969. It was the first official INDOOR ball. How fun! We could now throw a ball in the house, and it was fun!
4. The Fisher-Price Corn Popper. Do you remember pushing this around as a toddler? It wasn’t actually nominated, but they inducted it as a bonus in honor of the Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary. It beat out four other “forgotten” toys.
The nine other finalists didn’t get enough votes to make it in, including two toys that had a big year:: Ken dolls and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The other toys that didn’t make the cut are Battleship, Bingo, Bop-It, Slime, Choose Your Own Adventure, Connect 4, and the Little Tikes red car – a classic! Maybe next year
Here are some others that I, personally, think should be in the Toy Hall of Fame.
An Empty Paper Towel Roll
Remember the beautiful “dionk” sound it would make when you hit your brother or sister over the head? It’s just thin cardboard, so there was no injury. Just sheer humiliation because of the sound.
A Trash Can Lid
You were immediately Captain America if you carried the trash can lid! Or, you had a sled for those snow days. It was a multi-purpose item, and we loved it.
The Two Tin Cups And String Phone
Our first phone, which actually got better reception than most phones now. You couldn’t text, and there were no apps. And definitely no selfies — which now we consider a blessing. But we got by.
A Refrigerator Box
Refrigerators used to come in a box that was just as big as the fridge. You could make it into a house with actual rooms! Or a limo, and drive (ok, walk) your friends around the neighborhood. It was truly one of the most fabulous things ever.
Dirt
Yes, dirt. If you added water you could make a mud pie. The simplicity was beautiful, and the fun was endless. Dirt. That simple.
