In the Sunday Sun news paper last week, I came across the Toys R US big book. This is Toys R Us’s holiday buying guide. The toys marketed to girls were Barbie, Baby Dolls, kitchen sets, ironing boards, and a pink ride on power wheels motorcycle this motor cycle had a side car on the motorcycle for the girl’s dolls. What was odd was all the Lego’s and build blocks and problem solving toys were geared towards the boys. The boy’s motorcycle was black with no side car for his action figures, (the boy dolls).
The I know there will never be a perfect society with everything being equal, but it would be really nice if the toys marketed to girls had more problem solving ideas. In general, toys are marketed in a way that is gender based. It can be said that the influences that account for the lack of women going into the fields of science, begins at a young age—the time of boys playing with blocks and building things and girls playing with Barbie and baby dolls. I think it’s great to have role models for girls in school, but I think the role models should start at a young age with education for the parents, especially those of girls, regarding toys to help children become better problem solvers.
