Toy Evaluation Paper

​“girls’ toys were associated with physical attractiveness, nurturing, and ​domestic skill, whereas boys’ toys were

After the pair grew tired of this scenario, one of the boys morphed his manipulatives into a weapon shape while saying to the other: “let’s shoot you.” The teacher was quick to abort this idea with a calm but firm “no thank you, nothing that hurts other people.” Overall, the play between these two boys did contain largely gender stereotypic themes involving action and adventure and, towards the end, stemmed from potentially violent ideas. Research suggests that children often prefer playing with toys consistent with those typical for their gender (Goble, Martin & Hanish 2012). However, they will adjust the

Children’s perceptions of how girls and boys have to act can be manipulated by their surroundings. Target and other toy stores teach boys that they have to like fast cars, jobs requiring manual labor, and sports. There was certainly a type of “manliness” portrayed at boys from the toys. Its almost as if they were influencing them to be aggressive and unkind. The toys are teaching girls that they need to enjoy playing house and that the ideal female role is to be a homemaker who takes care of the kids. Many people may think that it is ok for boys and girls to like different things, which it is. But, it is important to recognize that preferences don’t emerge out of each child’s unique personality but that they are shaped by nonstop pressures of different socializing influences. children are given roles of subservience or dominance before they can understand the words. Target is an example of how society is manufacturing products that ultimately encourage inequalities and gender

Craig’s worries about his son’s actions being more feminine as a result of playing with feminine toys is not uncommon. Many parents may become worried if they start seeing their child being more interested in playing with toys designed for the opposite gender. A hypothesis can be drawn up by stating that if boys with typically female toys, then there would be an increase of femininity traits of passiveness.

The types of toys children play with can affect how they develop. Toys can help or hinder a child’s development in intelligence, social skills and personality. Certain characteristics may be genetically entwined in a human being, but some characteristics and behaviors can be learned, from parents, surroundings, and the toys with which a youngster plays. Elise Moore, author of “How Do Toys Aid Development”, stated “if play is the work of the child, toys are the child’s tools” (Moore, 2).

     Few toys were aimed equally at both genders. Even board games, while intended for both sexes, usually seemed aimed more towards one gender or another. Both sections had a lot of gender- stereotypical toys. General ideas on girls’ and boys’ behaviors and interests were very prevalent in the toys intended for each gender. After really looking at the toys in both sections it is easy to understand why stereotypical ideas about both genders are so strong since these ideas are introduced at such a young

Toy industries have collaborated to continue the masculine traits boys must ensure to carry through their childhood to become the ideal man. The traditional idea that is carried on to become men must be strong, must be aggressive, must carry all dominant traits and are only punished if otherwise showing feminine qualities. Parents permit their adolescent boy to play with the corresponding gender toys in order to grow into the

The average individual who has grown up in this society can agree that it is effortless to differentiate boy items from the girls. While analyzing the boys toys and clothing, the most common color associated with these materials is blue. The color blue is used to exhibit confidence and masculinity. In general, an abundance of darker colors are used to produce a feeling of strength. During my observation of these different toys, the most repetitive of them were super hero action figures, construction toys (such as Legos), and violent video games. All of these pass times have a different outcome on the development of a boys

Gendered toys impact children and their ability to grow and express themselves. Gendered toys reinforce stereotypes and limit children. According to Monica Brasted (2010) “Advertising may also influence how children develop and identify for themselves, relative to their own sex and gender, and how they come to expect certain behaviors from men and women” (“Care Bears vs. Transformers”). Gender toys can affect how they form relationships because they have preconceived ideas of how each gender should act. If they don't fit into the certain category, they can have problems identifying themselves and relating to others.

Raag reported that all of the children were tested alone in a lab play room. Each of the children was introduced to the playroom by an experimenter while parents remained in a separate room. In the playroom, the experimenter demonstrated a toy dish set (dishes, dish drainer, table with lace table cloth), and a toy tool set (tools, toolbox, shelf with a pegboard) in randomly determined orders to each child to ensure that each child saw each toy prior to playing. Following toy demonstrations, some children received gender-stereo-typed information the toys (these dishes are for girls, and these tools are for boys), some children were given gender-stereotyped information about items (children’s

Banerjee and Lintern (2000) examined the salience of children’s preference for toys in private and public settings. Their findings indicate that younger children hold more rigid ideas of what kinds of toys their gender should be playing with, and that children would

In conclusion, the toy store observation allowed me the chance to look at toys designed for each gender and neutral toys. I observed how socialization affects gender attitudes, values, and behaviors. This paper also gave me the opportunity to look at the gender roles these toys promoted, as well as helped me to learn new things. Through this assignment, new questions were raised, however, I also gained knowledge.

I remember getting excited when I received a toy doll that came with diapers and accessories to care for when I turned 4. I was the only child at the time but somehow I knew how to care for the inanimate object, maybe from TV shows or from seeing how the women around me cared for their child. The toy section was almost like the equivalent to heaven for kids, walking down the girls’ toy section I was surrounded by toys imitating kitchen objects, there were many versions of baby dolls and the color pink flooded the isle, whether it were pink dresses or the pink vacuum cleaner. On the other side of the isle I saw soccer balls, Lego blocks and toy cars targeted for boys. Growing up, I realized the toy industry that targets the stereotypes of a gender was a sample of the gender roles that are expected to be followed in some cultures; and clearly the representation of a woman is one that does domestic work and has concern over their appearance.

The fond memories of childhood are often associated with a favourite toy. When one reminisces on a certain time of their life, toys are amongst the most prominent things that come to mind, as they evoke a strong symbolic image of early childhood. Although toys play a significant role in a child’s life, they have also been criticized for reproducing gender stereotypes. Boys and girls often have different toys that affect the development of their gender orientation during their younger years (Blakemore & Centres, 2005). The toys that parents choose to buy influences the way that children socialize and play with themselves, their peers, parents and family. Toys provide a gendered experience in which girls are often secluded to playing with dolls, kitchen sets and doll houses that

and the activities they encourage. In one study parents were asked to sort toys into masculine,