Bingo, Care Bears, Pokémon Cards and the Playground Slide Join the National Toy Hall of Fame

NEW YORK, Nov. 5 (TodayViralUSA) — Bingo, Care Bears, the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the humble playground slide have been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame, joining classics such as Mr. Potato Head and G.I. Joe.

The four winners were announced Thursday from a field of 12 finalists that included Bop It!, mahjong, Monster High dolls, Polly Pocket, Tickle Me Elmo, Yahtzee and the board games Sorry! and Mouse Trap. The induction was unveiled during NBC’s “Today” show. The toys are enshrined at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, home of the Hall of Fame.

From Italian lotteries to bar bingo

Experts at the museum note that bingo “descends from an Italian lottery played around 1530” and is now played virtually worldwide. “While bingo is now often associated with an older audience, it has become increasingly popular with young adults. Recently, public bingo games have gone beyond fundraising and have become popular in bars and nightclubs,” curator Mirek Stolee said in a statement.

The push to induct Care Bears was helped by nearly 1 million followers on social media, while Pokémon trading cards were buoyed by anime enthusiasts and manga readers, The Associated Press reported.

Why the slide made the cut

The Hall said the slide helps children develop motor skills and encourages exploration. “People of all ages remember fondly the simple, satisfying, and energizing experience of racing down a slide,” said Jeremy Saucier, vice president for collections.

Inductees must be considered icons, have engaged multiple generations, fostered creativity, or profoundly changed play or toy design. The 2026 class joins 90 toys already enshrined, a list that includes Cabbage Patch Kids, Dungeons & Dragons, Hot Wheels and Frisbee.