ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — The National Toy Hall of Fame has inducted American Girl dolls and the strategy board game Risk, recognizing each for their influence on the toy industry.
Also inducted Thursday was sand, which it calls perhaps the most universal and oldest toy in the world.
All three were honored during a ceremony at the hall after winning over a panel of experts who voted for them from among 12 finalists.
To be inducted into the hall of fame, toys must have withstood tests of time and memory, changed play or toy design, and foster learning, creativity, or discovery.
The hall is housed at The Strong Museum of Play in Rochester.
According to the Associated Press, other toys being considered this year included Battleship, Cabbage Patch Kids, the toy fire engine, and the piñata.
Educator Pleasant Rowland created American Girl dolls in 1986, the news outlet reported.
The game Risk was introduced in the U.S. in 1959, and it's based on the French game Le Conquete du Monde.
