Maybe the items selected to enter the Toy Hall of Fame this year aren't tied as strongly to plastics as past honorees like Lego, but the American Girl Doll and the board game Risk certainly use plastics. And how better to play with sand than with a bucket and shovel?
The Hall of Fame, based at the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, N.Y., named its honorees on Nov. 4, passing over other finalists including the billiard ball, the Fisher-Price Corn Popper and Masters of the Universe action figures, among other nominees.
Sand joins the stick, the blanket and the cardboard box in the hall as a "universal" toy.
"Although some playthings can only be found online or in certain stores, sand has a global reach that most toy manufacturers would envy," Chief Curator Christopher Bensch said in a news release. "It's been a vehicle for play since prehistory, and anyone who has spent the day at the beach can understand the allure of this toy."