Three Toys We Adored in Our Childhoods Named to Central NY Toy Hall of Fame!

Did you know that The National Toy Hall of Fame is located in Central New York?

I didn't know this until late yesterday, when I learned (at the same time) that it was the time of year when the Hall of Fame inducts its annual class of toys. Every year, a group of "finalists" are nominated, and a panel of experts deliberate about which ones are worthy of inclusion in the Hall.

When it comes to the four pillars of icon status, longevity, discovery and innovation, these three toys emerged above the rest in 2022.

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Three New Toys Inducted Into National Toy Hall of Fame in 2022

A story from New York Upstate detailed The National Toy Hall of Fame's Class of 2022 inductions, consisting of three classic childhood toys. The top, Masters of the Universe and Lite-Brite are the three toys that will be forever immortalized among the greatest play-things of all-time, based on expert panel deliberations.

Other finalists that could've been chosen included:

• bingo
• Breyer Horses
• Catan
• Nerf
• The piñata
• Phase 10
• Pound Puppies
• Rack-O
• Spirograph

All of those options are outstanding in their own right, and will likely become Hall of Fame inductees in the years to come. For now, however, the three toys mentioned above were elected as better than their peers.

Established in 1998 under the direction of Ed Sobey, the Hall of Fame was first housed in Salem, Massachusetts in a much more modest building. It was moved to Rochester, New York in 2002, where it currently exists today. The Hall exists within the Strong National Museum of Play, in Rochester's Manhattan Square.

The original class, inducted in 1998, had 17 members, Barbie, Crayola Crayons, the Frisbee and more. Since then, the Hall of Fame has typically inducted between two, and five, toys every year.

Now, three more classic toys, all of which brought smiles to millions in New York and beyond, will be included in the Hall of Fame forever!