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Finalists named for the National Toy Hall of Fame class of 2017

The paper plane is one of the 12 finalists
museumofplay.org
The paper plane is one of the 12 finalists

Twelve finalists have been announced for the next class of inductees into the National Toy Hall of Fame.

The list includes the games Clue, Risk and Uno, plus the Magic 8 Ball, Matchbox Cars, My Little Pony, the PEZ Candy Dispenser, Transformers, the Wiffle Ball, play food, the paper airplane, and sand.

Those last three, according to chief curator at the Strong, Chris Bensch, are all about back-to-basics play.

"Things that are tactile and basically free and really encourage both kids and adults to just get in there a shape a playful reality," he said.

Two or three finalists will be inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame on November 9th at the Strong Museum

One of the very basic nominees: sand
Credit museumofplay.org
One of the very basic nominees: sand

Bensch says the Hall recognizes toys that have longevity, are easily recognizable, and are toys that encourage learning, creativity and discovery.

He says play is so essential to who we are and how we form as we grow up, to how we restore ourselves as we grow older.

"It is something that is integral to our personalities and to our development as human beings and how we relate to each other.  It gives up structure in both competitive settings and in social settings, to engage and really to take on our best form," he said.

The winners will join 63 prior inductees including the dollhouse, the stick, dominoes, Super Soaker and View-Master. 

Here are the dozen finalists
Credit museumofplay.org
Here are the dozen finalists

Here's a list of the 63 toys already inducted into the Hall of Fame:

Alphabet blocks, Atari 2600 Game System, baby doll, ball, Barbie, bicycle, Big Wheel, blanket, bubbles, Candy Land, cardboard box, checkers, chess, Crayola Crayons, dollhouse, dominoes, Duncan Yo-Yo, Dungeons & Dragons, Easy-Bake Oven, Erector Set, Etch A Sketch, Fisher-Price Little People, Frisbee, G.I. Joe, The Game of Life, Hot Wheels, hula hoop, jack-in-the-box, jacks, jigsaw puzzle, jump rope, kite, LEGO, Lincoln Logs, Lionel Trains, little green army men, marbles, Monopoly, Mr. Potato Head, Nintendo Game Boy, Play-Doh, playing cards, puppet, Radio Flyer Wagon, Raggedy Ann and Andy, rocking horse, roller skates, rubber duck, Rubik’s Cube, Scrabble, Silly Putty, skateboard, Slinky, Star Wars action figures, stick, Super Soaker, swing, teddy bear, Tinkertoy, Tonka Trucks, Twister, and View-Master.