Short answers, pulled from the story.
The National Toy Hall of Fame was established in 1998 under the direction of Ed Sobey and is currently located at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. The program moved to its current home in 2002 after outgrowing its original location at A. C. Gilbert's Discovery Village in Salem, Oregon.
The Class of 2025 announced on the 6th of November 2025 included the Battleship board game, Trivial Pursuit board game, and Slime, both manufactured and homemade. These inductees reflect the Hall's ongoing commitment to honoring toys that have sustained their popularity and made a lasting impact on play.
Christopher Bensch served as the chief curator at the time and explained that the cardboard box represented a great play experience that required no money to access. He noted that children instinctively understood the box's potential while adults often failed to see the possibilities within its empty space.
The criteria for induction require icon status, longevity, discovery, and innovation to ensure that only toys that have truly stood the test of time are enshrined. The Hall of Fame was designed to honor toys that have sustained their popularity for many years and make a lasting impact on play.
The Fisher-Price Corn Popper won the public-driven Forgotten Five vote in 2023 and was inducted alongside Baseball cards, Cabbage Patch Kids, and Nerf. The Strong Museum highlighted the Corn Popper along with four other frequent past finalists including My Little Pony dolls, PEZ candy dispensers, pogo sticks, and Transformers action figures.