In the Toy Hall of Fame Class of 2008, there’s a heavy emphasis on the power of a child’s imagination.  Of the three inducted toys, only one of them has a specific purpose.  That would be the skateboard.  The other two, the baby doll and the stick, are all about exercising the brain, rather than the body.  Baby dolls encourage nurturing and care-giving, and the stick, well…the stick can be or do just about anything.

These toys join some illustrious company, including Crayola crayons, Mr. Potato Head, and Stick’s good friend and teammate the cardboard box.  A great quote from the article about the stick:

“It’s very open-ended, all-natural, the perfect price — there aren’t any rules or instructions for its use,” said Christopher Bensch, the museum’s curator of collections. “It can be a Wild West horse, a medieval knight’s sword, a boat on a stream or a slingshot with a rubber band. … No snowman is complete without a couple of stick arms, and every campfire needs a stick for toasting marshmallows.

“This toy is so fantastic that it’s not just for humans anymore. You can find otters, chimps and dogs — especially dogs — playing with it.”

You know what?  Sticks are still fun even to this day, and I’m a boring old grown-up.  If you get enough sticks together, you can even make your own Viking longboat.

Tags: toys, toy museum, stick, strong museum of play, museum of play, baby dolls, dolls, skateboard, class of 2008 toy hall of fame, toy hall of fame

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