Bingo and Tickle Me Elmo nominated for Toy Hall of Fame. Will Care Bears also make it this year?

Bingo and Tickle Me Elmo Nominated for Toy Hall of Fame; Care Bears Also in Contention By Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press NEW YORK — September 16, 2026, 6:54 a.m. Tickle Me Elmo dolls, the crippled of accidental Bingo, the humble playground descent, cuddly Care Bears, the dice crippled Yahtzee, the past crippled Mahjong and the Pokémon Trading Card Game are among the finalists for this year’s National Toy Hall of Fame induction. The Hall announced its 12 finalists for the Class of 2026 on Wednesday and opened voting to the public and a panel of judges who will decide which toys will be honored in November. Public voting runs from September 16 through September 23. Additional nominees include the handheld physics game Bop It!, Monster High dolls, the portable miniature worlds of Polly Pocket, and the board games Mouse Trap and Sorry!. “It’s debating season, and this year’s finalists springiness everyone plentifulness to speech — from classical games to plush icons and different toys that person shaped generations of play. The statement is portion of the amusive due to the fact that each artifact sparks antithetic memories and makes its own lawsuit for wherefore it matters,” Michelle Parnett‑Dwyer, senior curator at the museum, said in a statement. Anyone may submit a nomination, but a toy must be regarded as an icon, have engaged multiple generations, fostered creativity or profoundly altered play or artifact design to earn induction. The three winners will join the 90 toys already enshrined in the National Toy Hall of Fame, a roster that includes Cabbage Patch Kids, Dungeons & Dragons, Hot Wheels, Frisbee, G.I. Joe and Mr. Potato Head. Several of this year’s contenders — Tickle Me Elmo, the Pokémon Trading Card Game and Mahjong — have been knocking on the Hall’s door for years.