Children’s toys have always been something that makes a person identifiable. You bond with others over favorite toys you once played with. Those core memories help shape interests into what you pursue later in life. For the longest time, I have been extremely passionate about the influence that traditionally feminine or “girl toys” have over the development of young girls. 

As of the last few years, and with the release of Barbie’s “fashionista” dolls, we are taking a great step forward in the direction of equity and inclusion of all interests and occupations. However, things were not always like this, and these traditional ways of play definitely help shape young women into housewives, rather than just “women.” 

According to the Museum Wales website, “primitive dolls from materials such as wood and clay have been found in Egyption tombs dating from 1600 BC.” Dolls were mainly used for young girls to nurture and take care of. This was acceptable for this time period, but things have since changed; the progression into the ‘60s and ‘70s culture, making girls toys geared toward housewife jobs, was very damaging to the mindsets of the general public and social mobility.Telling young girls that they need to play with specific toys can create expectations that  a girl must fit into a mold in order to have a identity.

When searching for toys for boys on the web, you see copious amounts of trucks, sport, and animals. When you search up girl toys, you get things like kitchen sets, baby dolls, grocery carts , food and other items of similar nature. One makes you feel powerful and strong, the other feels more tame and obligatory. On what planet are dishes more fun than shooting aliens?

 When you convince girls before they can even read or write that these are their playthings, it creates this narrative that women are not allowed to want anything outside of that expectation; that they must reside in obligation. Imagine if we only have boys toys about office jobs, construction and nothing that holds much power. The amount of older women that I have heard say “I never pursued that because I didn’t think I could” makes me sick. It would make the world a very different place had toys been approached differently. Childhood influences matter and 100% affect you as you age. We need to make  the right choices earlier in childhood development and we are making progress in doing so. 

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