Boys, Girls, and Toys

Toys are the foundation for developing the children of our society today. Play is crucial to how children learn about the world, and in education it is recognized that children need access to a range of toys and play experiences. Toys that are focused on action, construction, and technology hone spatial skills, foster problem solving, and encourage children to be active. On the other hand, toys that focus on role pay and small-scale theatre foster social skills, and arts and crafts. In general, the action and construction toys are marketed to boys while the role play toys are marketed to the girls. We see this with popular toys like action figures of superheroes for boys and Barbie dolls for girls.

The main culprit of gendered toys is the marketing department of toy companies. How toys are labeled and displayed affects a customers buying habits, and many people feel uncomfortable buying a pink toy for a boy because early on in our lives we associate pink with females and blue with males. In toy stores, there is often a clear separation of boys toys and girls toys based on the coloring of the packaging. The girls toys are often together in pink packaging while boys toys are grouped together in blue packaging. Consider the picture below as an example. The picture is of the inside of a Toys R' Us, and it is clear which side is the girls' toys section and which side is the boys' toys section.


The way toys are gendered affect the development and growth of children. Kids don't pop out of the womb with expectations of their future careers. The toys they play with mold them into the people they are and their beliefs about the world. The tough, gritty action figures that boys play with at a young age teach them to be violent and rough. On the other hand, the dolls that emphasize physical appearance that girls play with at a young age cause women to be overly concerned with their outward appearance. Gendered toys have a negative impact on both genders, establishing a clear line in how boys and girls are supposed to act and live. Statistics show that gender neutral toys develop children's cognitive, artistic, and musical skills more effectively than gender biased toys. By taking down the blue and pink signs in toy stores and on toy packaging, we can allow toys to be toys, and eliminate the pressure kids face to live up to their gender roles.