The greatest toys of all time
The top 3 according to 34 votes from people: Crayola crayons · Teddy bear · Trivial Pursuit. (Updated Aug 11, 2026.)
Toys inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong museum (Rochester, NY), chosen for icon status, longevity and innovation. Our order: how universal and lasting each one is.
Top 20
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1
Crayola crayons
The 1903 box of eight that gave every child colours.
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2
Teddy bear
Named after Theodore Roosevelt in 1902, made by Steiff in Germany and Ideal in the US.
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3
Trivial Pursuit
The 1979 Canadian trivia game, inducted in 2025 with Battleship and slime.
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4
LEGO bricks
Danish interlocking plastic bricks, patented in 1958; in the Hall of Fame since its first year.
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5
Barbie
Mattel's fashion doll launched in 1959, one of the original inductees.
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6
Mr. Potato Head
The first toy advertised on TV (1952).
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7
My Little Pony
Hasbro's colourful ponies from 1982, inducted in 2024.
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8
Etch A Sketch
Red-framed drawing screen with two knobs, a 1960 hit.
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9
Play-Doh
Modelling compound that started life as wallpaper cleaner.
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10
Monopoly
The property-trading board game sold by Parker Brothers since 1935.
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11
Rubik's Cube
Ernő Rubik's 1974 puzzle, the best-selling puzzle ever.
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12
Hot Wheels
Mattel's die-cast cars with low-friction wheels, launched in 1968.
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13
Frisbee
Wham-O's flying disc, inspired by pie tins from the Frisbie Pie Company.
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14
Game Boy
Nintendo's 1989 handheld with Tetris.
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15
G.I. Joe
Hasbro's 1964 'action figure', the term invented to avoid calling it a doll.
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16
The stick
Probably the oldest toy of all, inducted alongside the classics.
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17
NERF
Foam balls and blasters that made indoor play safe, inducted in 2023.
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18
Tamagotchi
Bandai's handheld digital pet, launched in Japan in 1996 and sold in tens of millions worldwide.
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19
Slinky
Steel spring that walks down stairs, invented by an engineer in 1943.
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20
Atari 2600
The console that brought video games into the living room in 1977.
Candidates
They don't make it into the top 20… yet. Vote for them to move them up.
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21
The cardboard box
Inducted because children turn it into anything.
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22
Transformers
Robots in disguise from Hasbro and Takara, inducted in 2024.
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23
Cabbage Patch Kids
Dolls with adoption certificates that caused 1983's Christmas riots, inducted in 2023.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
Is something missing?
Comments (4)
The stick and the cardboard box on this list made me laugh, but they're in the Toy Hall of Fame for real!
Rubik's Cube is the best toy ever invented and I still can't solve it 😩
No Tamagotchi?? An entire generation raised digital pets in their pockets.
Game Boy at #13 is a crime, Tetris on the bus was my whole childhood