The Strong’s National Toy Hall of Fame Reveals 2020 Finalists

The following article contains excerpts from a press release issued on September 9, 2020 by The Strong National Museum of Play.

September 9, 2020 | The Strong National Museum of Play unveiled the 12 finalists for induction into the National Toy Hall of Fame for 2020. This year's list features multiple classic toys with cross-generational appeal and ones that continue to be updated with new iterations today.

Narrowed down from the thousands of nominations The National Toy Hall of Fame receives annually, this year's list includes: Baby Nancy, bingo, Breyer Horses, Jenga, Lite-Brite, Masters of the Universe, My Little Pony, Risk, sidewalk chalk, Sorry!, Tamagotchi, and Yahtzee.

“These 12 toys represent the wide scope of playthings—from simple sidewalk chalk that has its roots in ancient times, to Baby Nancy, which proved a turning point in the representation of race in dolls, to the more-recent, highly innovative Tamagotchi,” said Christopher Bensch, vice president for collections at The Strong. “Whether old or new, or simple [or] high-tech, all 12 of these toy finalists greatly influenced the world of play.”

The Strong’s "Player’s Choice" ballot is now open, letting the public vote for their favorite finalists through September 16. The public will collectively act as one member of the 23-member National Selection Advisory committee.

The final 2020 inductees, based on ballot votes, will be announced by The Strong on Thursday, November 5 at 10:30 a.m. (Eastern). To date, 71 toys have been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. View the full list of past inductees and learn more about the criteria for induction at toyhalloffame.org

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.

The Toy Association proudly exhibits its Toy Industry Hall of Fame inductees alongside the National Toy Hall of Fame in a state-of-the-art exhibit at The Strong. The installation showcases the toys beloved by generations – and the toy industry trailblazers who helped bring those toys to life.