Cluedo, paper airplane and Wiffle Ball enter Toy Hall of Fame

Posted on 14th November 2017 By Billy Langsworthy

The paper airplane, Wiffle Ball; and Clue (known as Cluedo in the UK) are the latest inductees to The Strong’s National Toy Hall of Fame.

The honourees were selected from a field of 12 finalists that also included the Magic 8 Ball, Matchbox Cars, My Little Pony, PEZ Candy Dispenser, play food, Risk, sand, Transformers and Uno.

“Where some toys require financial investment, paper airplanes start with a simple sheet of paper, coupled with creativity and dexterity, to produce a toy with infinite aeronautical possibilities,” said Christopher Bensch, The Strong’s vice president for collections. “They allow the imagination to takeoff and soar!”

Of the Wiffle Ball (invented by a retired semi-pro baseball player in 1950s), curator Michelle Parnett-Dwyer stated: “It changed the outdoor play landscape, taking the basics of backyard baseball and transforming it into something easier for neighbourhood kids to negotiate.

“In the more than 60 years since its introduction, generations of Little League, high school, college, and pro sluggers have begun their baseball careers swinging at a Wiffle Ball.”

Lastly, we have Clue, designed by a British couple during World War II. They patented the game in 1944 and successfully pitched it to Waddington Games, but material shortages kept it out of production for several years. In 1949, Waddingtons released it under the name Cluedo. Gaming giant Parker Brothers purchased the rights and released it in America under the name “Clue” shortly thereafter.

Curator Nicolas Ricketts added:“Millions of Clue games are sold each year—including a junior version, as well as travel, advanced, collectors, and themed editions. Clue has also had its own movie, been featured in numerous television and books, and remains an icon of pop culture.”