2024 Finalists Announced For Strong Museum Toy Hall Of Fame

The National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, NY has announced their 12 finalists for this year’s induction for 2024, and one of those finalists is causing quite an uproar in the community.

Back in 1998, the National Toy Hall of Fame was created to recognize toys that have inspired creative play and had mass appeal for a prolonged period of time. Each year, different toys are considered to be named inductees for the Toy Hall Of Fame at the Strong Museum of Play. 

Inducted toys are selected based on the following criteria: icon-status, meaning the toy is widely recognized, respected, and remembered; longevity, which refers to the way a toy has remained popular over several generations; discovery, and that can mean that the toy fosters a learning, creativity, or discovery through play. 

This year’s finalists for the National Toy Hall of Fame inductions include Apples to Apples, Choose Your Own Adventure Gamebooks, Hess Toy Trucks, My Little Pony, Phase 10, Pokemon Trading Card Game, Remote-Controlled (R/C) Vehicles, Sequence, Stick Horse (Hobbyhorse), Trampoline, Transformers, and perhaps the most controversial one of all – Balloons. 

While these toys are only listed as finalists at this time, many people have questioned the reasoning behind “balloons” being named as a contender for Toy Hall Of Fame, especially when it’s defined as being a “flexible membrane bag.” 

This year, there is a chance for balloons to be named one of their toys to be named an official member of the National Toy Hall of Fame, but only time will tell!

The official inductees will be announced later in November, but votes for each nominated toy will only be accepted until September 25. 

If you want to get balloons inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame, vote for them on the Toy Hall of Fame’s official website.