G.I. Joe beats the competition as the toy that people feel most defines their childhood

CLEVELAND - G.I. Joe isn’t only a real American hero -- he’s the toy that most defines our childhood.

That’s according to a new survey from the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, which is the largest of its kind.

Starting in July, the museum asked more than 24,000 people who their favorite toys were from the past century. The museum not only asked visitors about the toys that resonated with them, but put a survey online for people to fill out.

The most iconic toy that people felt defined their childhood was G.I. Joe.

Coming in second were Transformers, with LEGO Toys in third place.

“The stories people have shared about intergenerational learning, family traditions and memories has been heartwarming and life changing in some cases,” said Dr. Jeffrey Patchen, president and CEO of the museum.

The rest of the top 20 toys consists of:

4. Barbie

5. View-Master

6. Bicycle

7. Cabbage Patch Kids

8. Crayons

9. Play-Doh

10. MONOPOLY

11. Raggedy Ann

12. SpirographTM

13. Etch A Sketch

14. Little Golden Books

15. Hot Wheels

16. Lincoln Logs

17. Candy Land

18. Roller Skates

19. Silly Putty

20. Mr. Potato Head

More information can be found at: www.childrensmuseum.org/100toys .