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Classics, and still ready to play

By Times wires
Published November 10, 2007

To celebrate the toys inducted this week in the National Toy Hall of Fame, go hug Raggedy Andy. Dig out the Atari 2600 and blast some aliens. Better yet, get out and fly a kite! They made the Strong National Museum of Play's (museumofplay.com) all-stars, joining such classics as the bicycle, Lionel model trains and Mr. Potato Head. "They are outstanding toys that have engaged multiple generations over time, inspiring them to create, learn, discover," said the Rochester, N.Y., museum's president, G. Rollie Adams.

Atari 2600 video game system
In 1977, Atari converted a television set, for good or bad, into a toy. While it wasn't the first home video game system, it popularized the fledging electronic games genre with its bright colors, catchy music and pop-in cartridge versions of arcade favorites such as Pac-Man, Frogger and Space Invaders.

The kite
It remains a universal favorite, and kite contests are national pastimes in parts of Asia. Its uses have extended to warfare, aerial photography, meteorology and electrical experiments. But at its heart, "a kite needs only a bit of breeze, a wide open field and a kid who wants to play," said museum curator Patricia Hogan.

Raggedy Andy
The kindly rag doll follows his sister, Raggedy Ann, into the hall. Raggedy Ann, inducted in 2002, was created in 1918 in a children's book series by Johnny Gruelle; Andy was introduced two years later. They embark on adventures when humans aren't looking.

[Last modified November 9, 2007, 23:11:36]