Toys for Boys and Girls
Someone once said that if you gave footballs to 100 girls and dolls to 100 boys, within an hour the boys would be kicking the dolls around and the girls would be nursing the footballs.
It is generally true that boys are more active than girls and girls are more nurturing than boys but it is the toy that guides play. It is true that "boys will be boys" but it also true that dolls will be dolls and footballs will be footballs!
Boys and girls are alike in basic ways but from around two or three years of age they begin to differ in their choice of toys. Why? Children often choose toys to win approval from their playmates. They choose toys which are seen as acceptable.
Many of the differences, however, are learned, especially from parents. Many parents, for example, are worried that boys might develop "feminine" traits through playing with dolls or domestic toys but there is no research to prove this.
Adults are sometimes put off by the packaging of toys, avoiding those which directly suggest "boy" or "girl". It is important to look beyond the packaging. Both sexes need a variety of play experiences to develop skills and attitudes. In recent years girls' play has become more like that of boys’. They identify with superheroes, play more adventure games and enjoy trucks, space toys and chemistry sets. The important thing to remember is to allow children to play with lots of different items and not inhibit their choice of toy.
Toys For Girls and Boys (254 Kb)
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