Playful Competition Winners

November 7, 2014

The ballots have been tallied and the results are in. Congratulations are in order for the newest inductees to the National Toy Hall of Fame: bubbles, the Rubik’s Cube, and little green army men everywhere!

No one knows when bubbles first floated into the world, but images of children playing with them first appear in 17th century Flemish paintings. Today there are a ton of different bubble makers on the market accounting for the purchase of more than 200 million bottles annually!

Little green army men first marched into our hearts in 1938. Younger siblings of metal and lead toy soldiers, these two to four inches of molded plastic represent mid-20th century United States military. Still produced in the millions by multiple manufacturers, these little guys continue to advance into children’s imaginations and toy boxes, and have even landed co-starring roles in the Toy Story films.

Last but not least, the colorful and ever-puzzling Rubik’s Cube was inducted during its 40th anniversary year. Congratulations to all the winners! Don’t worry if your favorite toy didn’t get in; there’s always next year.

Photo: Courtesy of The Strong, Rochester, New York.