Recently, the toys My Little Pony, Phase Ten, and Transformers were inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame. While all deserving, there are other popular playthings overlooked every year.

A Hoop and a Stick – Apparently popular during oldie-times, children like chasing a bicycle rim down the street while hitting it with a stick (Video game developers note: A digital version?)

Matches – What child has not had lots of fun playing with these?

Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun – Made famous by Ralphie in A Christmas Story, the number of eyes shot out by these guns is greatly exaggerated. Also, kept the population of birds down in your yard. (Hitting humming birds was particularly challenging)

Firecrackers – Not just for noise-making, these tiny sticks of dynamite can also blow stuff up. Or your fingers off.

Slingshots – This “toy” made breaking windows from a distance possible so you can get a head start. Also discouraged the neighbors cat from trespassing in your yard.

A Hammer and Lots of Tacks – This is what Little Will gets from Santa in the song Up On The Rooftop. Give a kid a hammer; what could go wrong? Santa wouldn’t bring it if it wasn’t safe.

Bow and Arrows – Everything’s a target when you have one of these. Safe for kids because the arrows have rubber suction cup tips. No way those tips can come off, right?

Finger Guns – Pointer finger straight, three fingers folded, and your thumb as the hammer; more wars have been won with this weapon than any real guns. Now banned in schools, it is still the toy that can’t be taken away (except when playing with the 4th toy on our list).

Wet Towels in a Locker Room – Naked kids and an improvised whip. What fun memories.

A Stick – It’s a spear, a writing tool, a sword, a rifle, and many, many, other things (see 3 of the above toys). And cheaper than a Playstation.

Why aren’t these toys next to Barbie and My Little Pony in The National Toy Hall of Fame? Political bias? Hmmmmm?