Smartphone, Matchbox cars among Toy Hall of Fame finalists
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The smartphone is being considered for induction into the National Toy Hall of Fame this year in recognition of its impact on how people play and interact.
The other finalists announced Wednesday are: Care Bears, the coloring book, Fisher-Price Corn Popper, Jenga, Magic the Gathering, Masters of the Universe, Matchbox cars, My Little Pony, Nerf Blaster, Risk and the top.
The smartphone earned a place among the 12 finalists because of its status as a platform for countless mobile games and playful interactions, including sending GIFs and altering photos, hall of fame officials said.
The winners will be inducted Nov. 7.
“These 12 toys represent the wide scope of play — from the simple, traditional spinning top that has been played with since pre-history to the ultra-modern smartphone which has dramatically changed how people of all ages play and connect,” said Christopher Bensch, vice president for collections.
To make it into the hall, toys have to be innovative, widely recognized, shown to be more than a passing fad and foster learning, crewithout ativity or discovery through play. Sixty-eight toys currently occupy the National Toy Hall of Fame.
More about some of this year’s finalists from the hall of fame:
The coloring book: No longer just for kids, a new genre of coloring books featuring more complex designs has caught on with adults.
Jenga: The game in which players stack blocks and then try to remove them toppling the tower was created by Englishwoman Leslie Scott based on wooden blocks from her childhood in Africa.
Matchbox cars: The toy cars debuted in 1952 and, by 1960, were selling at a rate of more than 100 million a year in the United States.
My Little Pony: Introduced in the 1980s and reintroduced in 2003, the pastel ponies outsold even Barbie for several years at the peak of their popularity.