Rochester, N.Y. (WBEN/AP) — The National Toy Hall of Fame at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester has inducted bingo, Care Bears, the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the humble playground slide.
The slide?
"The museum has the world's most comprehensive collection of play things, which is the term we use," said Strong Museum curator Mirek Stolee. "It's a very broad definition, so things like the slide and in past years the stick or the cardboard box may read as non-toys to some folks but to us I think it's just something that you play with."
These toys join classics like Mr. Potato Head and G.I. Joe. Experts at The Strong National Museum of Play, which hosts the Hall of Fame, highlight bingo's global popularity and its appeal to young adults. Care Bears gained support through social media, while Pokémon cards were boosted by anime and manga fans. The slide is praised for helping children develop motor skills. If you think its inclusion goes too far, Stolee said he's ready to push that envelope even further."
"We nominated snow last year," Stolee said. "As a Minnesotan that's been my main lobbying point. I would really like to see snow in and I imaging many Buffalo children would also agree."
To be inducted, toys must be iconic and engage multiple generations.
The slide is among the inductees this year
The slide is among the inductees this year
