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A Black doll named Baby Nancy, Sidewalk Chalk, and the wooden block game Jenga were inducted into the 2020 National Toy Hall of Fame.
Since 1998, The Strong National Museum of Play in New York has been adding three toys to its Toy Hall of Fame every year. The toys are chosen by educators and experts in the field of learning and creativity.
Last year, the museum got 3,000 nominations, which it whittled down to 12 finalists including bingo and Tamagotchi.
According to the museum, 2020’s newly inducted toys were recognized for their popularity and innovation. Sidewalk Chalk was chosen because of its roots as an artistic toy. Apart from creating art, it could also be used in educational lessons and playground games.
The second toy, Baby Nancy, was created in 1986. It made history as the first Black doll with an afro-textured hairstyle. In the year of its release, the toy became the best-selling Black doll in Los Angeles. According to a representative from The Strong museum, the creation of the doll sparked commercial and cultural developments.
The last toy, the wooden block game Jenga, was chosen for its simplicity and exciting gameplay. Players remove blocks from a tower without collapsing it. According to Jenga’s inventor Leslie Scott, the game was based on wooden blocks she used to play in Africa when she was a child.
The three toys will be permanently displayed at The Strong museum alongside previously inducted toys like the Hula Hoop, Barbie, and Crayola Crayons.
The museum accepts nominations year-round, so people can always nominate their favorite toy via the hall of fame website if it did not make the cut that year.