ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Fisher-Price Little People and Care Bears will square off against Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots and Transformers for a place in the National Toy Hall of Fame.
Whether any or all make it will be announced Nov. 10.
The hall revealed 12 finalists for the class of 2016 on Tuesday at The Strong museum. The list also includes Nerf foam balls, the board game Clue, the card game Uno, pinball, the swing, Dungeons & Dragons, and coloring books. Bubble wrap rounds out the list.
To be recognized, toys must have lasted across generations, influenced the way toys are designed or played with, and fostered learning or creativity through play.
About this year’s finalists:
Bubble Wrap. Created by accident in 1957 by two engineers who were attempting to develop a new wallpaper.
Care Bears. Began as a line of greeting cards in the early 1980s but evolved into a brand whose bears star in storybooks, television shows, and games.
Clue. The game that invites players to solve a murder remains a best-seller nearly 70 years after its release.
Coloring book. New York printer McLoughlin Brothers is credited with inventing the books.
Dungeons & Dragons. The 1970s role-playing game featuring worlds of magic and monsters influenced today’s computer game industry.
Fisher-Price Little People. A wooden version first rode the Safety School Bus in 1959.
Nerf. The foam balls safe enough to throw indoors were first produced in the 1960s.
Pinball. The machines have been at bars, amusement parks, and arcades, with players using flippers to launch steel balls through mazes.
Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots. Competitors throw mechanical punches to knock the block off of their opponent’s boxer.
Swing. Found in ancient cave drawings in Europe and ceramic vases from Greece — and in playgrounds and backyards everywhere.
Transformers. Hasbro’s shape-changing action figures are featured in comic books, games, and movies.
Uno. The 1971 game where players dispose of the cards in their hands has sold steadily for more than four decades.
First Published September 14, 2016, 4:00 a.m.