Gender-Typed Toys Impact

Gender–typed toy play leads to the promotion of different skills in boys and girls, with girls practicing communal roles and boys practicing agentic roles.

Whereas play with stereotypically masculine toys, such as blocks and toy soldiers, is generally associated with the development of spatial skills and more aggressive behavior, playing with stereotypically feminine toys, such as baby dolls and stuffed animals, is associated with more nurturing behavior.

In general, strongly gender–typed toys are less supportive of the development of children's physical, cognitive, and artistic skills than are gender–neutral or moderately gender–typed toys.

Therefore, playing predominantly with same–gender–typed toys limits the development of children's action repertoires in accordance with gender stereotypes and thus contributes to the perpetuation of gender stereotypes.

This guides children's activities in accordance with gender stereotypes and thus restricts their individual development potential.

Play with sexualized dolls, such as Fashion Barbies, is even associated with a narrowing of perceived career options in girls.