Playing Cards Recognized By The National Toy Hall Of Fame
- By Tommy Kemper
- Published 02/5/2012
- Recreation
- Unrated
I love playing cards! It is what I do, they make me tick, Playing Cards is what I do at work, and in my spare time. Playing cards have been good to me, I make my living selling cards throughout every corner of the world, so I naturally jump at the opportunity to share and spread my passion for cards.
I are especially pleased the National Toy Hall of Fame has voted to include playing cards alongside 44 other popular toys into the Hall located at The Strong Museum in Salem, Oregon. The National Toy Hall of Fame is an interactive educational-institute whose mission is “the study and exploration of play.”
The museum’s curator recently explained the induction of playing cards by noting he “could hardly imagine a game tool which matches playing cards in terms of popularity across the ages, as well as variations of form, and degrees of difficulty.”
It was the universal appeal of playing cards , along with a rich history dating back as far as the ninth century that led to playing cards being selected by the judges. A few judges were hesitant to vote for playing cards due to their association with gambling addiction. Thankfully, the judges recognized the majority of players simply use playing cards for personal enjoyment and satisfaction.
Playing Cards now share their place of honor in the Hall of Fame with 45 other worthy and diverse toys. here is a partial list (followed by their year of induction):
- Yo-Yo (1999)
- Bicycle (2000)
- Jigsaw Puzzles (2002)
- Scrabble (2004)
- Candyland (2005)
- Kite (2007)
Certainly, playing cards are in the company of some very popular toys that have withstood the test of time. I am quite sure that every single person reading this article has played with most, if not all, of the toys on the above list. These are the toys we all grew up, and have fond memories of.
These toys can be played by all generations which make them so special. Can you play the latest video game with your grandparents? Certainly not. But, you most certainly can enjoy playing cards with your grandparents.
The Strong Museum maintains and displays many toy collections in their 150,000 square foot facility which is open to the public. The collections range from popular outdoor items such as the skateboard, to board games like Checkers. All of the toy collections share some common and important traits:
- they encourage critical thought and problem solving
- they have rules which must be negotiated
- they require resolution of conflicts
- they challenge the players to develop creativity and leadership
- they tend to reduce stress
- they foster questioning and analyzation
Based on this criteria, I believe playing cards deserves a special place of honor in The Toy Hall of Fame!
If you ever have the opportunity to visit Oregon, I hope you set aside an afternoon to visit The Strong Museum. You just may relive some of your fondest memories as you tour their interactive displays!
I are especially pleased the National Toy Hall of Fame has voted to include playing cards alongside 44 other popular toys into the Hall located at The Strong Museum in Salem, Oregon. The National Toy Hall of Fame is an interactive educational-institute whose mission is “the study and exploration of play.”
The museum’s curator recently explained the induction of playing cards by noting he “could hardly imagine a game tool which matches playing cards in terms of popularity across the ages, as well as variations of form, and degrees of difficulty.”
It was the universal appeal of playing cards , along with a rich history dating back as far as the ninth century that led to playing cards being selected by the judges. A few judges were hesitant to vote for playing cards due to their association with gambling addiction. Thankfully, the judges recognized the majority of players simply use playing cards for personal enjoyment and satisfaction.
Playing Cards now share their place of honor in the Hall of Fame with 45 other worthy and diverse toys. here is a partial list (followed by their year of induction):
- Yo-Yo (1999)
- Jigsaw Puzzles (2002)
- Scrabble (2004)
- Candyland (2005)
- Kite (2007)
Certainly, playing cards are in the company of some very popular toys that have withstood the test of time. I am quite sure that every single person reading this article has played with most, if not all, of the toys on the above list. These are the toys we all grew up, and have fond memories of.
These toys can be played by all generations which make them so special. Can you play the latest video game with your grandparents? Certainly not. But, you most certainly can enjoy playing cards with your grandparents.
The Strong Museum maintains and displays many toy collections in their 150,000 square foot facility which is open to the public. The collections range from popular outdoor items such as the skateboard, to board games like Checkers. All of the toy collections share some common and important traits:
- they encourage critical thought and problem solving
- they have rules which must be negotiated
- they require resolution of conflicts
- they challenge the players to develop creativity and leadership
- they tend to reduce stress
- they foster questioning and analyzation
Based on this criteria, I believe playing cards deserves a special place of honor in The Toy Hall of Fame!
If you ever have the opportunity to visit Oregon, I hope you set aside an afternoon to visit The Strong Museum. You just may relive some of your fondest memories as you tour their interactive displays!
Tommy Kemper
Tommy is an avid poker player and serves as webmaster for http://www.PlayingCardsAndMore.com & http://TheBridgeSource.com
View all articles by Tommy Kemper