The Strong’s National Toy Hall of Fame Reveals ‘21 Finalists

The following article contains excerpts from a press release issued on September 15, 2020 by The Strong National Museum of Play.

toy-hall-of-fame-finalists September 15, 2020 | The Strong National Museum of Play unveiled the 12 finalists for induction into the National Toy Hall of Fame for 2021. This year's list features a battle amongst multiple board games as well as a return of some 2020 finalists with cross-generational appeal.

Narrowed down from the thousands of nominations The National Toy Hall of Fame receives annually, this year's list includes: American Girl Dolls, Battleship, billiards, Cabbage Patch Kids, Fisher-Price Corn Popper, Mahjong, Masters of the Universe, piñata, Risk, sand, The Settlers of Catan, and toy fire engine.

“These 12 toys represent the wide scope of playthings—from one of the most universal playthings in the world like sand to a game-changing board game like Risk to the popular adult game of billiards,” said Christopher Bensch, vice president for collections. “Whether old or new, for kids or adults, all 12 of these toy finalists greatly influenced the world of play.”

The Strong’s "Player’s Choice" ballot is now open, allowing the public to cast votes for their favorite finalists through Wednesday, September 22. The public will collectively act as one member of the 23-member National Selection Advisory committee.

The final 2021 inductees, based on ballot votes, will be announced by The Strong on Thursday, November 4 at 10:30 a.m. (Eastern). To date, 74 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.