Why should Toys have a Gender?

Aadrita Mahzabeen ।।

Society has evolved and moulded itself a lot throughout the decades. A lot has changed, such as women finally getting basic human rights and the breaking of gender norms, but a lot has stayed the same as well, that we need to change.

“Girls play with dolls, and boys play with legos” is a conception constructed by society, and as a result, we expect boys to play with cars, legos and sports balls, and girls to play with dolls, makeup and dress-up. The belief that pink is for girls and blue is for boys is also a similar concept, when in fact, in the past, pink was a colour for boys and girls wore white and blue. This is proof that society changes from time to time and that these are just constructs created by it. Gender-specifying toys is discrimination to state that girls cannot do the same things boys do, such as heavy activity or decision making.

All types of toys and playing lead to development milestones in kids. Therefore, to dismiss this kind of discrimination, we must be more open-minded. We should let children play with whichever toys they want, let them have their options. Letting girls play with blocks develops their thinking and creativity skills. Letting boys play with dolls develops their nurturing skills. These toys allow children to learn skills they may need later in their life, and help them interact with their environment. They allow them to develop their social, emotional and language skills. There are no limits to the imagination or creativity of a child.

So ultimately, allowing kids to choose their own toys, taken that they are safe and age appropriate, will definitely help them later in their life, whether it be in basic skills or intellectual ones. We should stop considering toys as gender-specific, break the discriminatory barrier and provide a range of opportunities for our children. This should allow them to greatly prepare for the next stage in life, school and succeed in great things.