It’s time for the 2010 class to be inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame, located in Rochester, New York’s Strong Museum of Play.  In 2008, it was the stick and the baby doll.  In 2009, it was the Nintendo Game Boy, the ball, and the big wheel tricycle.  Now, it’s time to honor the deck of playing cards and The Game of Life, the 2010 honorees of the Toy Hall of Fame.

“Play is so key to human development and to maintaining a healthy perspective on all of life, for kids and adults,” said Chris Bensch, the museum’s curator of collections.  “It’s something that allows us to toy with possibilities — it helps us grow into who we are and who we can be.”

No one knows where playing cards got their start, but ancient Egypt had ceramic tile cards and ancient China used leaf-based cards.  Meanwhile, The Game of Life was invented in 1860 by Milton Bradley (the hall-of-fame inventor, not the company).  The game’s popularity really took off in 1960, when the redesigned, Reuben Klamer version of LIFE was promoted by Art Linkletter and shot into the stratosphere of popularity, where it has endured to this day.

Tags: Toy Hall Of Fame, playing cards, The Game Of Life, cards and board game enter Toy Hall of Fame, hall of fame toys, popular toys, class of 2010 toy hall of fame, Strong Museum of Play, Museum of Play, Rochester, New York, Milton Bradley, Chris Bensch

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