Slime Joins Battleship and Trivial Pursuit in National Toy Hall of Fame
Slime, the stretchy and sticky play material, has been officially inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame, joining iconic games like Battleship and Trivial Pursuit. Each year, the Hall of Fame selects toys that have encouraged imaginative play over the years, with finalists chosen from a pool of thousands of nominations. The public and a panel of experts vote to determine which toys will be honored.
Battleship, a strategic game where players aim to sink each other's ships, and Trivial Pursuit, a trivia game testing knowledge in various categories, have both sold over 100 million copies since their inception. Battleship evolved from a pencil-and-paper game in the 1930s to a popular plastic edition in 1967, while Trivial Pursuit was created in 1979 by Canadian journalists and has since seen multiple versions tailored to different age groups.
Slime, known for its squishy texture, was first introduced commercially in 1976 and has since become a popular DIY project with various recipes available online. Despite its slimy associations, slime is valued for its sensory play benefits, stress-relief properties, and motor skill development. The newly inducted toys will be showcased at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, alongside other Hall of Fame honorees.
This year's inductees triumphed over contenders like Catan, Connect Four, Spirograph, lightsabers, Furby, and Tickle Me Elmo, as well as classic toys such as scooters, cornhole, and snow.