Toys play a major role in a child’s development. Some children’s toys are not created with the intention of being gender related, but the way the child interacts with them, influences what they learn. For example, little boys who play with dolls learn sensitivity just as a little girl would learn to be tough if she played with boxing gloves. Toys teach children basic skills and concepts that can be useful in the child’s future. I recently took a trip to Wal-Mart in order to investigate how toys were being manufactured nowadays and whether or not they were gender specific. The results were only semi-disheartening.
The toy section was organized by age, orientation, and gender. One aisle was specially marketed towards young girls. There were Barbie dolls, makeup sets, and stuffed animals galore. A couple aisles down was the “boy aisle”. I found a display of action figures, weapons, and toy cars. Everything was mostly black, grey, dark green, and blue. I wasn’t too surprised.
As I made my way down the pretty pink aisle, I stumbled upon one of the coolest, modernized toy to date - The Nerf Rebelle Guardian Crossbow Blaster. How many weapons does one see in a toy section that empowers women to be warriors? Um - not very many! We need more, stat. The pink-and-white-swirled packaging featured a young girl approximately 10 years old holding the pink & white crossbow blaster aiming at the viewer. She smiled a satisfied, devious smile. Behind her were smaller pictures of a young boy and a younger girl shooting crossbows of their own. As indicated by each picture, the Nerf Rebelle Guardian Crossbow Blaster could be used as either a gun or a bow and arrow. This chick was strong. She was brave. She represented what women have been fighting for for decades - to be respected and acknowledged! This simple toy tells young girls that they matter just as much as boys do - that they can be strong leaders too. The simple fact that this toy was even manufactured shows society’s growth and development from a neanderthal-esque state of mind in which a woman’s place was “in the kitchen” and not the battlefront. As a feminist, I don’t believe women are “pretty princesses in distress” but rather “pretty powerful and ready for success”. This is a toy I would purchase for my own daughter or niece without hesitation. Even though the main character on the cover held strong symbolism, her female characteristics were still highlighted - the pink sunglasses, the light pink lipstick, and the purple necklace. Girls can be pretty AND fierce.
I, then, made my way to the boys’ toy aisle. To my not-so-much surprise, all I found there was a bunch of toy guns, legos, hero and villain masks, and Star Wars paraphernalia. These toys aren’t “bad” by any means, however, it’s disheartening seeing that girls’ toys have expanded outside the stereotypical realm, yet young boys still can’t purchase a(n) [insert superhero name] themed Easy-Bake Oven or anything that may be remotely considered feminine. I hope that changes before I bring children into this world.
The focus of this research was gendered toys and the perceptions children and their parents hold about these types of toys. I wanted to see if any link existed among the toys marketed and gender stereotypes, and even though some stereotypes are still dominant in the Wal-Mart toy section, society is making strides towards a more gender neutral world.
