National Toy Hall of Fame Inducts 3 Classics for 2024

My Little Pony, Phase 10 and Transformer action figures are the latest inductees into the National Toy Hall of Fame at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York.

The hall of fame was established in 1998 to recognize toys that have inspired creative play and enjoyed popularity over a sustained period. This year’s inductees were selected by a panel of judges and the public from a list of a dozen finalists. The finalists that did not make the cut this year were: the party game Apples to Apples, balloons, “Choose Your Own Adventure” gamebooks, Hess Toy Trucks, Pokémon Trading Card Game, remote-controlled vehicles, Sequence, the stick horse and trampoline.

Here’s more about the three new inductees.

My Little Pony

Hasbro My Little Pony toys

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After years as an also-ran, the pastel-colored ponies finally made it to the winner’s circle.

“These are three very deserving toys that showcase the wide range of how people play,” Christopher Bensch, vice president for collections and chief curator, said in a statement. “But for My Little Pony in particular, this year is extra validating. The beloved toy was a finalist seven times before finally crossing the finish line!”

Hasbro’s mini-horses, distinguishable by different “cutie marks” on their haunches, were introduced in the 1980s and reintroduced in 2003, outselling even Barbie for several years.

“The My Little Pony line has endured for decades because it combines several traditional forms of doll play with children’s fascination with horses,” said Michelle Parnett-Dwyer, curator of dolls and toys. “The variety of figures promotes collecting as a pastime, too.”

People playing the Phase 10 card game.

Eve Edelheit/Tampa Bay Times/ZUMAPRESS.com

Phase 10

In 1982, 22-year-old Ken Johnson — inspired by the success of Uno — invented a rummy-style card game of his own while living at home in Detroit. The game, which requires players to advance through 10 phases (or melds) to win, remains popular around the globe.

Phase 10 quickly established itself as a staple of family game nights, and its small size made it easy to bring along to play with friends and family when traveling. Now offered in more than 20 languages and over 60 countries, the game sells upwards of four million copies per year.

“Whether played in its original form or in one of its variations, Phase 10 has become an iconic game title that continues to encourage multigenerational social and competitive play,” said Mirek Stolee, the museum’s curator of board games and puzzles.

Optimus Prime

Alamy Stock Photo

Transformers

Hasbro’s line of shape-changing robots premiered in 1984 with an elaborate backstory about a war between good and evil robots that was marketed with a cartoon. Since then, there have been a series of live-action films to promote the figures that can be manipulated from robot to vehicle or other alternate form.

New Transformers characters keep collectors coming back, Bensch said, “but the toys are also popular because they are so suited to the ways kids play. The toy line feeds kids’ imaginations and fantasy play.”