National Toy Hall Of Fame Inducts Sidewalk Chalk, Baby Nancy, And Jenga
As the holiday shopping season approaches, a few classic toys are getting some extra attention. The National Toy Hall of Fame announced that this year’s inductees are sidewalk chalk, the Baby Nancy doll, and Jenga.
Housed in the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, NY, the National Toy Hall of Fame says sidewalk chalk was chosen in part due to being one of the earliest known examples of an artistic toy. It certainly has a way of unlocking children’s imaginations.
Sam Haddad/Unsplash
Baby Nancy was created by Shindana Toys in 1968 and became the best selling Black doll in Los Angeles by the end of the year, when it was distributed nationwide. Baby Nancy made history the following year by being the first doll with an Afro hairstyle.
The block-stacking game Jenga was invented by Englishwoman Leslie Scott. It was based on wooden block toys from Scott’s childhood in Africa.
The three inductees were chosen from a field of twelve finalists which also included bingo, Breyer Horses, Lite-Brite, Masters of the Universe, My Little Pony, Risk, Sorry!, Tamagotchi, and Yahtzee. You can read more about the newest additions to the National Toy Hall of Fame here.
Congratulations to the 2020 National Toy Hall of Fame inductees—Jenga, Baby Nancy, and Sidewalk Chalk. How do you think these toys stack up? #toyhall2020 #classictoys pic.twitter.com/Zczkr7NFRm
— The Strong Museum (@museumofplay) November 5, 2020
