National Toy Hall of Fame’s Newest Members

They were chosen from among 12 finalists that had also included the coloring book, Jenga, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Wiffle Ball, and American Girl dolls.

Anyone can nominate a toy for entry to the hall, but it has to meet a number of requirements, including being widely recognized, respected and remembered, according to the museum.

Reyn Guyer, who invented Twister in 1964 as a promotion for shoe polish before licensing it to Milton Bradley Co., said he “never could have imagined how ingrained in pop culture and beloved by kids it would become”.

But it was already in the lineup for “The Tonight Show” and a game between Carson and Eva Gabor sent sales soaring. It ranks up there with Monopoly and Scrabble as classic games, and has undoubtedly sold millions of copies since first being released in 1964. It recognizes toys for their longevity and ability to foster discovery through play.

About 27 million Super Soakers, developed in the 1980s by mechanical and nuclear engineer Lonnie Johnson, were sold at $10 each in the first three years of production.

In this September 24, 2015 photo provided by The Strong’s National…

Curator Patricia Hogan described the puppet as a popular toy form for more than a century and said playing with puppets helps children develop coordination and manual dexterity and allows them to try on new personalities, emotions and goals.

In 2014, bubbles, little green army men, and Rubik’s Cube were added from a field of many nominees.