THE NATIONAL TOY HALL OF FAME

‘The National Toy Hall of Fame’ is part of the ‘National Museum of Play’. The museum is located in Rochester, New York. The Hall of Fame is a list of toys that children have loved for generations. It has 38 toys including the bicycle, the kite, and Mr. Potato Head. (1)................ In the last decade, three new toys were added to the National Toy Hall of Fame. What were they? The Baby Doll, the skateboard, and the stick. The toys on the list show the creativity of toy designers. Still, not all of the toys came from toy companies. The stick, after all, is a common plaything. (2)................ The stick was a special choice for the Toy Hall of Fame. It is much like another toy in the Hall of Fame, like the cardboard box. The advantages of the stick are being all-purpose and free. A child can change it into many things using their creativity. “The stick is all-natural and the totally free. There aren’t any rules or directions on how to use it,” said Felix Norman, who works at the museum. “You can ride it as a wooden horse, use is as a knight’s sword, or it can turn into a slingshot with a rubber band. (3)................ And every campfire needs a stick for toasting marshmallows.” The stick had to meet several guidelines to be in the Hall of Fame. First of all, it had to be popular for many generations. The stick also had to encourage learning, creativity, or discovery while children play with it. The other Hall of Fame toys also met these guidelines. (4)................ Today’s Baby Dolls can crawl, drink, and even talk. How did the skateboard get on that list? Patrick Flanders is a well-known skateboarder. According to Patrick, the skateboard can lead to imaginative play. (5)................ It also develops many ski lls. Most importantly, the stick, the skateboard and the doll are just plain fun!