Cabbage Patch Kids, Nerf toys among inductees for National Toy Hall of Fame
ROCHESTER, NY (KION-TV) -- Baseball cards, Nerf toys, Cabbage Patch Kids and the Fisher-Price Corn Popper have been named this year's inductees for the National Toy Hall of Fame.
One of the major snubs this year was the Ken doll. Barbie's on-again, off-again boyfriend was left off the list of classics while Barbie was inducted into the hall back in 1998.
Winners will be on permanent display at the National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York.
"Baseball cards encourage lifelong playing and collection. Cabbage Patch Kids continue to encourage imagination and storytelling for kids. Fisher-Price Corn Popper, which is a forgotten finalist no longer, is a great activity for toddlers," Strong National Museum of Play Vice President Christopher Bensch said in a statement. "NERF toys are designed for indoor and outdoor activity, and they often find kids and grownups playing together."
Dozens of toys have entered the hall since 1998, including the following:
- Risk—French movie director Albert Lamorisse came up with the board game in 1957, according to the National Toy Hall of Fame.
- American Girl dolls—Educator Pleasant Rowland launched the dolls, originally developed to represent an era in U.S. history, in 1986.
- Rubber duck—Rubber ducks date back to the late 1800s, but the the quintessential yellow bath version soared in popularity after being Sesame Street's Ernie serenaded the toy in the song "Rubber Duckie," according to the Hall.
- Slinky—Mechanical engineer Richard James inadvertently invented Slinky while developing springs designed to stabilize ships' equipment will at sea.
- Mr. Potato Head—Hasbro bought the rights to the Mr. Potato Head figure from inventor George Lerner in 1952, according to the Hall.
