Many parents are tired of the gender divide imposed by toy manufacturers. Some toy shop have clearly divided pink and blue aisles, with dolls and tea sets on one side and trucks and building blocks on the other. But this is actually a pretty recent development.
As recently as the 1970s, toys sold in the US were not marketed with clear gender distinctions and advertisements from the 1970s show children playing with a variety of toys in bright, happy colours of red, green and yellow.
Elizabeth Sweet, a lecturer in sociology in The University of California reports that a backlash against feminism
in the 1980’s and 90’s sparked many changes, one of which was that toys started to become more divided by gender.
Researchers and child psychologists, like Dr. Sweet, have been concerned that gender specific toys have a detrimental effect on children’s perceptions and attitudes and ultimately their life choices. “Their choice of toy should be based on kids’ personal interests, and not on their gender” she says.
So, should we be offering more gender neutral toys to children and avoiding the stereotypes?
When you really consider it, all toys are gender neutral. It is the marketing of the item, that decides whether they should be targeted to a boy or a girl. It begs the question of whether wee lads would play with dolls and young lasses would choose to play with cars and trucks if the boxes were all a neutral brown colour and no one ever showed them on television.
At Tinney’s, we are unconcerned as to whether a toy is for a boy or a girl. Toys are for children, (and that includes adult children too!)
Play knows no boundaries. Race, creed, gender or colour.
The world is a fun place to be and children will always find something to play with.
But in case you are wondering about politically correct toys, from a gender point of view, here is a list of the top ten gender neutral toys for children under sevens;
1. Wheeled Toys: Wagons and pull toys such at the Toby Cart that can follow them when they crawl and carry themselves across the floor develop motor skills and aid balance and visual-motor coordination,” Seltzer explains.
2. A Ball: Team it with a set of goal posts or a basketball stand. A ball is the universal toy.
3. Play Kitchen: Everyone likes to play at making their favourite dishes. Check out the selection of sturdy wooden kitchen toys, in-store or online. Add play dough, homemade or purchased, to make the experience more enjoyable.
4. Art Supplies: Age specific art supplies will give hours of fun. Chalk on a pavement is perfect for budding summer street artists.
5. Jig-Saw Puzzles: From the chunky lift and match puzzles to a more complex picture, the joy of completing a puzzle is universally satisfying.
6. Dolls and Teddies: The special friend to invite to encourage a sensitive and nurturing side.
7. Building Blocks: Encourage creative play and allows children to use their imagination. Perfect when combined with toy animal sets. Also increases hand eye coordination.
8. Play Phones: Even in these days of digital communication, children love to talk on play phones. This is important for language development and representational thinking and “Talking” on the phone is an important part of role play.
9. Puppets: Many kids communicate more easily using puppets since they give kids a little extra confidence to express their feelings. For kids who may be shy, puppets can help them interact with others and increase communication as they work together to put on a show. They also foster speaking and listening skills.
10. Music: We use the word ‘music’ loosely here! Whether your child enjoys banging on a pot with a wooden spoon or shaking some nifty hand-bells, making music is good for your mental health, self-esteem and encourages better listening in the future.
Check out this little girl annoyed at all the pinkness for girls :
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Website: www.tinneystoys.com
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Tel: 0749120363
Tinney’s Toys is Ireland’s Largest farm toy superstore, selling instore, online and on mobile.
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