This is big news at my house. My eleven year-old daughter just finished her Social Sciences project on "What Do Children Learn From Toys?" A major part of the project was based on the (then) 31 toys in the Toy Hall of Fame -- and the idea came from an article in AirTran's in-flight magazine about the THOF taking nominations for the 2005 inductees.
I just picked her up at school (I'm playing Mr. Mom today) with a copy of this article on the front seat. As she approached the car, she was alread shouting: "Awesome, Dad. The cardboard box! The cardboard box made it into the Hall of Fame today!" (Her teacher had already shared the information with her).
Getting into the THOF has become an obsession for some adult collectors of certain toys. Two years ago, after Raggedy Ann had been passed over for four years in a row, a consortium of Raggedy Ann collector clubs circulated petitions and even convinced Good Morning America to join their (successful) quest to get Raggedy Ann into the THOF. Emboldened by that unprecedented success from lobbying, this year they pushed for Raggedy Andy's induction. Those Raggedy Ann/Andy people are serious about their obsession.
Apparently, Hot Wheels collectors took a page from the Raggedy Ann playbook and circulated petitions this year, to no avail.
Finally, my whole family has scratched its collective head over how Mr. Potato Head became one of only 34 toys in the Toy Hall of Fame. The Toy Hall of Fame is specifically for toys with a long history and special meaning to children. Toys are picked for four reasons. First, the toy must be easily recognized, respected, and remembered. Second, the toy must have been popular for more several generations. Third, the toy must help with learning, creativity, or discovery when the child plays with it. Fourth, the toy must have greatly changed play or the way toys are designed. A toy may make the Toy Hall of Fame for this reason by itself.
Other toys in the THOF are things like bicycles, jump ropes, marbles, jacks, roller skates, rocking horses, Frisbees, Monopoly, Barbie, SCRABBLE, Tinkertoys, LEGO, Slinkies, Silly Putty, Erector sets, jigsaw puzzles, Play-Doh, Crayons, Etch-a-Sketches . . . but Mr. Potato Head?
I remember when they were packaged with a styrofoam potato. After the second time you stuck a facial feature in the styrofoam, the holes in the styrofoam were too big to use it again. After the second real potato you used, Mom told you to quit wasting food. As a kid, Mr. Potato head was one of those toys you played with for two days and put in the back of the closet until it was time to give your old toys to Goodwill.
The cardboard box was long overdue! Viva the box! It's time for a petition to kick Mr. Potato Head out of the THOF; although I suppose I would be called tuberphobic for suggesting so.
Based on the criteria set out above, what would Freepers nominate for the THOF?
I'd nominate:
The game of Clue.
The Big Wheel.
Fisher-Price Little People.
The Easy-Bake Oven.
Your turn.
. . . And I'd nominate:
The baseball glove.
The red rubber playground (kick) ball.
The cap gun.
The politically correct have been successful in keeping the cap gun out of the THOF, and fought the inclusion of G.I. Joe in the THOF successfully for several years before he finally made it in in 2004.
I would nominate Battling Tops. My fave as a kid.
I played with Mr Potato Head all the time. My family was big on baked potatoes and you need to pierce the skin for them to bake properly so that was me helping in the kitchen, grandma would put the washed potatoes on the kitchen table with my Mr Potato Head parts and say "come play in here for while". Although my favorite toy of all time was the Hotwheels launcher (rubberband powered thing to shove the cars on the tracks), I'd get a bunch of Sunday morning newspaper rubberbands and setup my tracks on an angle and try to launchthe cars over the breakfast bar, good manufacturing never managed to break that thing, smashed my fingers pretty good a couple of times though.
I was thinking of calling you just that. Hahahaha
I'd guess that Mr. Potato Head made it because it's been around so long and it's kind of goofy looking. Or perhaps, Idaho has a strong lobby implanted at the THOF.
Thanks for your interesting insight.