By ABIGAIL RABITT, age 10
Some experts believe that gendered toys lead children to develop skills in limited areas.
PHOTO: janinsanfran/Flickr
Many toy companies, retail stores and websites are creating and sorting toys by gender: a pink section for girls, filled with dolls and toys that have to do with artistic creativity, and a blue or black section for boys that has fighting and action toys.
Let Toys Be Toys is a campaign that asks different toy industries to stop making children think they have to play with toys based on their gender. Although some people think boys and girls are naturally different and therefore shouldn’t play with the same toys, others think that these differences are created by being treated differently by adults and society. Let Toys Be Toys argues that girls might want to be architects when they grow up, while some boys might want to take care of their children.
Elizabeth Sweet, a researcher of gendered toys, says, “When all of the marketing consistently [all the time] revolves around gender, it teaches our kids to look at the opposite sex as a different species.”
Some experts believe that gendered toys lead children to develop skills in limited areas and could be one reason only 11 percent of engineers are women—“boys’ toys” are more geared toward building and problem solving. One new toy, GoldieBlox, encourages girls’ interest in science and technology by inviting kids to follow a story and build mini contraptions to help the characters.
A parent in support of the Let Toys Be Toys campaign said, “My four-year-old daughter is now starting to get self-conscious walking into the ‘boys’ section to get her favorite things, and it’s heart-breaking to watch,” But maybe things are changing. A store in the United Kingdom called Boots sells toys and does not label them “boys” or “girls.” Instead, they put their toys in categories like age and toy type.
IT DOSINT MATER ABOUT BOY GET A GIRL TOY OR A GIRL GETS A BOY TOY AND IT’S SEX SIS AND IT’S MEST PU FOR BOYS AND GIRLS
I feel that you shouldn’t genderize toys because anyone can play with something. It doesn’t have to be “Girl’s toy’s” and neither “Boy’s toy’s”. Also, toys are toys!! They don’t need to be genderized! I’ve seen boys play with “Girl’s toy’s” and that’s how they get bullied! If they stopped genderizing things less bullying would happen, Don’t you think? I’ve also seen girls play with “Boy’s Toy’s” and be immediately called a “Tomboy” which is a girl who acts like a boy. I believe that’s it’s not fair that marketing companies do that! So i support Let Toys Be Toys and admire that the United Kingdom stopped genderizing!!!~ Randy Arana, 11 Year Old
Dear Indykids,
I love this topic of the genders and separation between the toys and how its affecting there futures.But kids really dont understand the difference thats why parents should teach them as small.They could also let them try out playing with Lego’s if there is a girl.If not and its a boy then you can make them color or draw or something like that.You should make a interview of how social media is ruining kids lives and if they should even be allowed to have phones or download personal things.They should atleast ask permission from parents.
Sincerely,
Mayra