Toy Hall of Fame Adds Pokémon Cards, Care Bears

The Strong National Museum of Play named three new inductees for 2026, while nine finalists were left out.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Board Games

Toy Hall of Fame Adds Pokémon Cards, Care Bears

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The Strong National Museum of Play announced the 2026 Toy Hall of Fame inductees on a Thursday morning, adding the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Care Bears, and Bingo. Bop It!, Mahjong, Monster High dolls, Mouse Trap, Polly Pocket, Slide, Sorry!, Tickle Me Elmo, and Yahtzee were not selected this year.

Why it matters

The induction places a collectible card game and a classic game alongside long-running toy brands, reflecting how the Toy Hall of Fame recognizes play across generations. Each year's list signals which toys the museum considers lasting cultural touchstones.

The 2026 class consists of three inductees, with nine named finalists excluded from the announcement. Tickle Me Elmo, a finalist in the prior year, was again passed over, while the reasons for the individual decisions were not disclosed.

The players

Strong National Museum of Play

The Rochester, N.Y., institution administers the Toy Hall of Fame and announces its annual inductees.

The details

Rochester, N.Y.-based Strong National Museum of Play, which administers the Toy Hall of Fame, announced that the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Care Bears, and Bingo were inducted. Last year's class included Slime and the board games Trivial Pursuit and Battleship, while Catan, Connect Four, Cornhole, Furby, Scooter, Snow, Spirograph, and the Lightsaber were not chosen.

2025: Previous year's Toy Hall of Fame finalists and inductees were announced.
2026-11-05
The 2026 inductees were announced on a Thursday morning.

Culture Shift

The 2026 class follows the 2025 announcement that inducted Slime and the board games Trivial Pursuit and Battleship, extending the museum's recent pattern of honoring both tabletop games and mass-market novelty toys.

Readers who collect or play these titles can look for the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Care Bears, and Bingo as newly recognized classics. Those hoping to see Tickle Me Elmo or Yahtzee honored will need to wait for future announcements.

The takeaway

Honors like the Toy Hall of Fame show that games and toys often outlast their original fads. Tracking which playthings earn recognition is a simple way to revisit favorites from childhood or discover classics worth passing down.