Guess what? Most children DO prefer toys aimed at their gender
CHILDREN really do prefer to play with toys aimed at their own gender, research found.
Mother nature pushes boys to favour more aggressive toys such as plastic guns and soldiers, while a similar inbuilt instinct may be why girls have always liked to play with dolls or cosmetics, according to the study.
However, girls have been less keen on such toys in recent years, suggesting the impact of feminism and heightened awareness of transgender issues has had an impact on what parents buy them.
Girls are more likely to be influenced growing up by parents, the adults and children around them, and what they read and see on television. However boys typically stick to products aimed at them and even play aggressively with traditional girls’ toys.
Dr Brenda Todd, of City University which led the research, said: ‘Despite difference among individual boys’ and girls’ behaviour, children do overwhelmingly choose toys typed to their gender.’
Psychologists from City analysed data collected by researchers across the Western world stretching back to the 1930s. The study said, despite countless toy types and social contexts, ‘the consistency in finding sex differences in children’s preferences for toys typed to their own gender indicates the strength of this phenomenon and the likelihood that it has a biological origin.’
The findings come at a time of deepening controversy over the choice of toys and clothes made by children in the name of transgender equality. This month the Church of England said its schools must let boys wear tutus and tiaras without comment.