The 12 nominees for the collection at the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, N.Y., run the gamut from Breyer horses and Phase 10 to toys with centuries of history, like spinning tops and piñatas.
"How many times do you look at a clock, or look at time, and are happy?" says Kevin Bertolero, the maker of watches that feature tiny rubber duckies instead of numbers.
The toy company says it will work to make its products and marketing more inclusive, citing new research into how kids and parents see creativity through a gendered lens.
Toy-makers are warning of emptier shelves and pricier toys this holiday season. Their supplies are ensnarled in floating traffic jams of container ships wallowing near key U.S. ports.
The market remains flush with toys that poop: Gotta Go Flamingo, Poopsie Slime Surprise, Doggie Doo, Fishin' For Floaters. "It's a very light taboo," says Mary Higbe of Goliath Games.
More than a year after filing for bankruptcy, the chain is relaunching in Texas and New Jersey. Its new stores will feature spaces for toy demonstrations and events.
Toy mogul Isaac Larian, head of MGA Entertainment, has launched a $1 billion GoFundMe campaign to save the bankrupt toy chain. "I will make Toys R Us a fun place again," he tells NPR.
Toys R Us plans to close or sell all U.S. stores. The chain has struggled through a bankruptcy process, facing heavy debt inherited from a 2005 buyout and intense competition from Walmart and Amazon.
Today it's fidget spinners, but soon it will be another little gizmo that children dearly, desperately want. The complicated social dynamics of childhood are one big reason.