National Toy Hall of Fame

"Star Wars" action figures are joining centuries-old dominoes in the U.S. National Toy Hall of Fame's class of 2012. A national selection committee chose them from among 12 finalists, which included plastic green army men, the board game Clue, Lite-Brite, the Magic 8 Ball, Twister and the electronic game Simon.

"Star Wars" Action Figures

Dominoes

Dominoes originated in China in the 1300s and appeared later in Europe in a slightly different form. A standard set of 28 tiles represents all possible results when rolling a pair of six-sided dice, with the addition of two blank sides. Although there's a variety of ways to play with them, the cascading toppling of lined-up tiles put the "domino effect" into the American lexicon.

View-Master

Officials at the Toy Hall of Fame say anyone can nominate a toy and thousands of suggestions come in every year. An internal committee of curators, educators and historians chooses the finalists and then a national selection committee votes for the winners. Longevity is a key criterion for getting into the hall. Each toy must be widely recognized, foster learning, creativity or discovery through play, and endure in popularity over generations. To date, 51 toys have made the cut. The View-Master was inducted in 1999.

Tonka Trucks

The Tonka Truck was inducted in 2001.

Tinkertoy

The Tinkertoy was inducted in 1998.

The Game of Life

The Game of Life was inducted in 2010.

Teddy Bear

The Teddy Bear was inducted in 1998.

Slinky

The Slinky was inducted in 2008.

Skateboard

The skateboard was inducted in 2008.

Silly Putty

To date, 51 toys have made it into the Toy Hall of Fame. Silly Putty was inducted in 2001.

Scrabble

To date, 51 toys have made it into the Toy Hall of Fame. Scrabble was inducted in 2004.

Roller Skates

To date, 51 toys have made it into the Toy Hall of Fame. The roller skate was inducted in 1999.

Rocking Horse

To date, 51 toys have made it into the Toy Hall of Fame. The rocking horse was inducted in 2004.

Raggedy Ann and Andy

To date, 51 toys have made it into the Toy Hall of Fame. Raggedy Ann and Andy were inducted in 2002.

Radio Flyer Wagon

To date, 51 toys have made it into the Toy Hall of Fame. The Radio Flyer Wagon was inducted in 1999.

Play-Doh

Officials at the Toy Hall of Fame say anyone can nominate a toy and thousands of suggestions come in every year. Play-Doh was inducted in 1998.

Mr. Potato Head

To date, 51 toys have made it into the Toy Hall of Fame. Mr. Potato Head was inducted in 2000.

Nintendo Game Boy

The Nintendo Game Boy was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2009.

Atari 2600 Game System

The Atari 2600 Game System was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2007.

Monopoly

Monopoly was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 1998.

Marbles

Marbles was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 1998.

Lionel Trains

The Lionel Train set was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2006.

Lincoln Logs

The Lincoln Log set was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 1999.

Kite

The kite was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2007.

LEGO

LEGOs was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 1998.

Jump Rope

Jump rope was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2000.

Jigsaw Puzzle

The jigsaw puzzle was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2002.

Jacks

Jacks was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2000.

Jack-in-the-Box

The jack-in-the-box was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2005.

Hula Hoop

The hula hoop was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 1999.

G.I. Joe

G.I. Joes were inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2004.

Hot Wheels

Hot Wheels were inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2011.

Frisbee

The frisbee was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 1998.

Etch-A-Sketch

The Etch-A-Sketch was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 1998.

Erector Set

The Erector Set was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 1998.

Easy-Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2006.

Duncan Yo-Yo

The Duncan yo-yo was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 1999.

Dollhouse

A dollhouse was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2011.

Crayola Crayons

Crayola crayons were inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 1998.

Checkers

Checkers was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2003.

Playing Cards

Playing cards were inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2010.

Blanket

Officials at the Toy Hall of Fame say anyone can nominate a toy and thousands of suggestions come in every year. A blanket was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2011.

Stick

A stick was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2008.

Cardboard Box

A cardboard box was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2005.

Candy Land

Candy Land was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2005.

Big Wheel

The Big Wheel was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2009.

Bicycle

A bicycle was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2000.

Barbie

Barbie was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 1998.

Ball

A ball was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2009.

Baby Doll

A baby doll was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2008.

Alphabet Blocks

To date, 51 toys have made the cut into the Toy Hall of Fame. Alphabet Blocks were inducted in 2003. The newest selections were announced on Nov. 15, 2012.

For more information on the National Toy Hall of Fame, visit their official website.