Joy of ChoosingToys

Ever wonder why toys seem so segregated in stores? 'Pink and blue aisles" line most stores and there's no middle ground. Strict segregation separates boys' aisles from girls'. What if a girl wants a spaceship or a boy desires a kitchen set?

On the heels of hearing an NPR radio broadcast in which Dads raising families discussed the separation of toys in stores by pink and blue and the clear division between the two, I went into Hobby House Toys to purchase a card game for one of my grandsons. A wonderful integration of toys and games stimulates your senses - toys that you just do not see in the big stores, such as marble runs, games and toys from abroad. How refreshing!

All of this sparked memories and curiosity about toys and play as they impact learning and careers.

When I first came to the U.S. as a child, I admired electric trains on miniature tracks, rolling under Christmas trees. No doubt my trip across the United States by train, when I first arrived here as a child, stimulated this fascination for trains. Luckily my parents were not so restrictive that they told me these were "boy" toys, when I announced I wanted a train for Christmas. I do not think I was more pleased than when I received this gift... I know I played with it for hours on end, if I wasn't reading. My dolls found themselves on shelves because they seemed boring and I did not want to "mess them up" since they always looked so beautiful.

When one of my grandsons was about three, I asked what he wanted for Christmas. He told me that he wanted a doll so he could feed it a bottle of milk. When I considered his request, I thought it would not hurt for this little boy to be a "nurturer." His parents told me such a gift was fine with them. Someday, I expect he'll make a fine, loving Dad. Today he enjoys Star Wars computer games and playing t-ball. Another grandson told me he liked to play in the kitchen at his pre-school. He also loves Cars toys and puzzles. Seems like children who have a variety of toys will be more well-rounded as people? What are your thoughts?

Not too surprisingly, learning preferences in school connect to toys and play. Early toy preferences may point to later preferences in school achievement and ultimately professional choices, Becky Francis, professor of education at Roehampton University, London, says. "Girls tend not to enjoy traditionally masculine subjects, particularly science; boys still tend to outperform girls at higher-level maths," she writes. "I might suggest that if girls are inculcated into construction and technology via their play, as a form of entertainment, they may be inclined to feel these curriculum areas more familiar and less daunting/challenging."

But preferences for toys and play may be hard wired. "These early play preferences may not only be the result of socialization and marketing, however. A 2005 study looking at the play of young primates, by psychologist Professor Melissa Hines of Cambridge University, found that when offered a variety of toys, female monkeys tended to gravitate towards dolls and soft toys, while males chose toy cars."

Fellow blogger, Amy Jussel, is concerned about ways media shapes youth. She focuses on ways media to be used more as a tool for positive change.

What do you think about all this? How much do the toys we play with when young, guide our career choices or the kind of person we are today?