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Gender-specific Toys
Do Toys Influence the Way Children Play?
By Sue Pormeba
"Toys divide children in ways that are harmful," Dr. Lindsay says. "Girls have an easier time crossing over than boys do."
Dr. Lindsay also cites the way toys are marketed. "Building toys come in pastel colors and designs to build dollhouses to attract girls, while bold-colored blocks are targeted for boys," Dr. Lindsay says. Even when children are too young to pick out toys, the toy companies use packaging and marketing to attract parents to give them to a child of a particular sex. If children are locked in to play with certain types of toys from birth, they will then begin to gravitate toward those types of toys and play as they get older.
The best way to avoid nurturing children to play in gender-specific manners is having parents who are willing to cross gender stereotypes when they join their children in play. That means sometimes Dad should play dress up with his children, while Mom drives a bulldozer into a block tower.
But on the other hand, if your little girl prefers playing with dolls, that should be encouraged as well. "Play is all about exploring their world," Dr. Panaccione says. "Children should have the opportunity to explore and play with all aspects of their world. Parents can try to make the choice for their children, but it will not be effective. If a child is not interested in trucks, it doesn't matter how many a parent buys."
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