Toys and children at first glance seem to be a simple concept. Children like to play with toys and games. However, it becomes more complex as one thinks about what is “appropriate” for a specific child or what type of game/toy you want that particular child to play with. People are influenced by the world and environment around them. These influences help form and shape a person’s identity. This begins when we are children. According to David Newman, “one of the most important aspects of identity that people must learn is gender” (109). He does not believe that a person is born “knowing” gender, but rather it is gained as one grows and experiences different things. It is these experiences that can shape the personality, and the identity, of a person, and a child. Therefore, according to Newman, “the earliest exposure to information about what it means to be male or female usually comes from parents, siblings, and other significant people in the child’s immediate environment” (112). Some of this information may be provided unknowingly. For example, an adult may speak differently to a girl than to a boy. Similarly, the adult may encourage participation in different activities for a girl than a boy. It is not uncommon to see girls as young as age 5 participating in dance classes (including ballet), while that girl’s brother is signed up for karate or t-ball. What is encouraging is that more girls are, in fact, moving to participate in physical sports activities such as soccer at an early age. In my hometown, for example, the soccer league has grown into a more sizeable activity than it was when I was young. But, it is not only exposure or participation to activities that provides information that influences a child’s identity. Newman continues in his writing to stress his belief that one important source of this information is children’s toys and games. Genderization is clear to see, according to Newman, since “A quick glance at Saturday morning television commercials or a toy manufacturer’s catalog or web site reveals that toys and games remain solidly segregated along gender lines” (112). As I began shopping for a child’s toys, this assertion was kept in mind for either confirmation or denial. While there are gender neutral toys available for purchase, ranging in scope from some sports activities to board games, it became clear that toys do have an impact on the gender and identification development of children since many toys are targeted for a specific gender and, in fact, even the organization of the toy section itself reflected the toy manufacturers’ “gendering” of toys.Keeping Newman’s position in mind, I began my shopping. In choosing toys for a child, it is necessary to know what the child’s interests are. For my eight year old cousin, Sean, who lives in the United States, I tried to decide on how to purchase a variety of toys, while still keeping within my budget of $120. Knowing Sean’s keen interest in sports helped me focus on some of the toys.
My first action was to assess what the store, Target, had to offer in the toy section. I was curious about whether what Newman suggested carried through to a major retail store. What I noticed immediately upon entering the area was the fact that there were some aisles specifically meant for girls and aisles specifically meant for boys. For example, two aisles contained toys in what appeared to be mostly pink boxes. Included in those aisles were dolls, doll clothes, cribs, fancy dress up horses, dress up clothing and things from High School Musical. The two aisles next to these contained toys such as Hot Wheels, Matchbox cars, Power Ranger items, and many, many action figures. Clearly, in my shopping activity, I had the choice of a number of “boy” toys. While this organization, in some ways, would have been a help if I had to quickly choose a toy for a boy or girl, in some ways I felt that I was being directed/forced into a gender oriented toy. In addition, I believe that with such organization a young girl would really be “directed” into choosing something from the “girl” aisle, and may not wander into the “boy” aisle to consider those options. I wondered whether this was a message being given that girls should be concerned with developing their maternal/nurturing skills, while boys should be involved in more active pursuits, busy racing cars and “fighting” the villains with the action figures. A girl might very well be able to have wonderful car races with a Hot Wheel toy, but her attention is not directed to that aisle.
Realizing that there had to be other types of toys which were not as clearly organized along gender lines, I moved to another aisle which contained equipment for participating in more organized sports. In this sporting aisle, my attention was focused on footballs, basketballs and soccer balls. While my personal experience had me thinking that girls were more prone to play soccer at Sean’s age than basketball or football, I wasn’t sure what I would find. The footballs were all similar to each other, with no different colors or noticeable differences. There were 24 different types/brands of basketballs. The majority of them (21) were the usual “orange” color. However, there were, in fact, three different color ones: a pink/white one, a light green one, and a light blue one. I was struck by the inclusion of the somewhat unique coloring of the three basketballs, which was clearly intended to attract girls to them. Similarly, there were some differences in the soccer balls sold there. What caught my attention, however, was the fact that out of the 6 styles of soccer balls, three 
were blue and white, while the remaining three were pink and white. This was obviously geared to attracting or responding to female interests. Even though there were no pictures of children on the boxes containing any of the sport balls, overall it appeared that the section really was directed at boys.
Knowing Sean’s interest in sports, I went further down the aisle to explore what was available for outside fun during the summer months. By doing so I was intentionally not focusing on just team sport toys, but, rather, on other toys that would still provide physical activity and be fun. I wanted 
activities that could also really be played with boys and girls together. There was a wide variety of toy options to choose from. Many of the activities had no pictures of children on them. These included Fun Soccer, Fun Golf, Fun Bowling and King’s Ring Toss. While those activities/toys appeared to be somewhat gender neutral, and probably able to be enjoyed by both girls and boys, some of the remaining toys in that aisle were not as gender neutral. On the wall I found Blast Off Baseball, Big Boom Bat, and Dodge Tag. On the packaging for each of those items only boys appeared, happily using the item. The remaining items in that area were apparently designed, however, to attract both boys and girls. Hopping Ball had two versions/styles: one with a picture of a girl on it, with the other having a Spiderman insignia on it. Similarly, there were child bat and ball sets: one with Spiderman on the bat, and the other with Dora the Explorer on it. A Junior Glove Set (consisting of a child’s baseball glove and a ball) had two versions: one with Dora the Explorer and the other with Sponge Bob.
I turned my attention to board games. In evaluating the gender focus of the games, I decided to analyze all of the games in one of the rows on the back wall. There were 26 games on that row. The games included those like Apples to Apples, Taboo, Jenga, Risk and Monopoly. There were no gender specific pictures on those games or on the majority of the remaining boxes in the row. In fact, many only showed the name and a picture of the “game” itself on the box. There were two games with girls appearing: Twister Hop Scotch and Hi Ho Cherry - O. Seeing the cover of those boxes, I would have been hard pressed to get either of them for Sean, even though they were age appropriate. Only three other games had children appearing on the box, and all three of them had pictures of both girls and boys.
The final aisle I went down appeared to be the Legos and blocks aisle. I expected this aisle to be predominantly gender neutral, but I was caught by surprise. There were, in fact, a number of Legos sets that contained the common combinations of Legos, in the gender neutral colors of blue, red and yellow. However, what was surprising was the fact that the majority of Legos sets were themed and those themes seemed to be geared towards boys. The sets included, for example, those for Star 
Wars, building machines, cars, action trucks, and pirate boats. The only blocks that seemed to be geared for girls were those sets which were predominantly white and pink: a Dora the Explorer set and a set of pink Mega Bloks. Namely, there were only two “girl” sets in the entire aisle. While it didn’t affect my decision for Sean, it seemed to me that having only a very minimal amount of blocks directed at girls seemed to be pushing them away from participating in the activity of building and creating something, which I believe is a mistake. It gave the impression that boys should be making things with their hands and solving problems while doing so. Building with blocks or Legos improves any number of skills and creativity, and should be for both genders.My initial exploration of the various toy aisles appeared to confirm that the toys in Target in many aspects were similar to the findings of Newman with respect to advertisements and manufacturer’s web sites. The two aisles specifically geared for girls confirmed that those toys revolved, according to Newman, “around theses of domesticity, fashion, and motherhood and boys’ toys emphasize action and adventure” (112). There were, however, some gender neutral areas of toys in the store, including the game section and the outside activity section.
After reviewing the toys, I set about deciding what to purchase for my cousin. The Target store did not have any Sega consoles or games. Knowing that my cousin’s favorite request was that type of video game, I had priced out one on EBay prior to going to Target (so I would be able to compare prices). At EBay, I was able to purchase a used Sega console, three handsets and six games for the price of $46.99. This included free shipping. The games included with the package were: Sonic the Hedgehog 2, ATP Tour Championship Tennis, John Madden Football, Mortal Kombat II, NBA Live, and NHL PA Hockey. I chose the Sega system for a number of reasons, the more important one being Sean’s expressed interest in it. In addition, although some of the games included were geared to boys, I believe that using video games provides the opportunity to improve various skills that are important to both girls and boys. (In addition, girls would, at the least, probably be interested in playing the Sonic game.)
At the store, I chose a Spalding MBA Street basketball at a cost of $14.99. There were more expensive balls, but I felt that my cousin would be fine with what seemed to be a common type of basketball. As I evaluated other toys, I chose the King’s Ring Toss priced at $9.99. I also chose Monopoly as a board game, which, according to the box, is geared to 8+ year olds, and which was on sale for $15.99. Finally, I purchased a set of Legos at the price of $29.99. I spent close to the $120 I was budgeted for.
When making my decisions, I picked each of the games/toys for different reasons. One overriding consideration was that, in addition to looking like fun for Sean, I wanted to choose a selection of toys that used or improved different skills. As mentioned earlier, use of the Sega system is generally gender neutral. Both boys and girls play games on Sega. That is why I was happy that Sonic the Hedgehog was included in the package I purchased. The remaining games, however, were somewhat oriented more to the boys who play, at least at that age. Nonetheless, using the video game strengthens hand and eye coordination, visual perception, and ability to think through a situation. It also lets a child take risks when trying to “win” and improves their reaction time. All of these are application to both genders. However, the negative aspect is that there is really no physical activity involved with video games.
I purchased the basketball, even while recognizing it may be in connection with a gender driven activity and, therefore, consistent with Newman’s beliefs, because it will let Sean play with other boys in hopefully a “team” environment, one in which he will learn to work with others while giving him physical activity and exercise. I also chose a basketball because I wanted Sean to play with other boys in an organized sports activity. In this way I was accepting Messner’s point of view that, for boys, “it became ‘natural’ to equate masculinity with competition, physical strength, and skills” (128). According to Messner, organized sports are partly a cause for the difference in genders developing and appearing normal (and acceptable). I partly considered this when I was making my decision on which toys to purchase because I wanted to help Sean feel part of the “club”, even at his age, and participate in the organized activities. Whether I agreed with this on not, for me, it was important to give Sean a toy so he could take advantage of any opportunity to connect with his peers on this physical level.
I also, however, believe that Sean has friends who are girls, so I wanted to get another physically oriented game which did not appear to be as gender specific – the ring toss. I believe this game will also improve the eye-hand coordination, motor skills and concentration, while also use the arm muscles and get them to want to be outside to play. The Legos choice was intended to be fun, but would also improve eye and hand coordination, in addition to having them follow directions when copying designs and learn to cooperate with others if they were building things as a team. These aspects apply to both genders. Finally, the choice of a board game like Monopoly would help to build math skills, help him learn patience, have social interactions with other players and provide a feeling of success throughout the game. All of these are not specific to one gender.
Following my shopping experience, I believe that there are gender specific toys and gender specific activities (and that the stores know this and take advantage of it). As a result, it would be naive to think that this does not affect how children grow up. I spent a lot of time considering the effect of purchasing certain toys, but know that in the absence of this course I would have probably just shopped at the “boy” aisle or picked up a Legos truck or machine package without even thinking about it. Likewise, I would have readily thought that Sean could use the basketball to bond with his boy friends. Therefore, I would have been just another shopper who acted the way society (and the manufacturers) wanted and expected me to.
After reviewing the toys, I set about deciding what to purchase for my cousin. The Target store did not have any Sega consoles or games. Knowing that my cousin’s favorite request was that type of video game, I had priced out one on EBay prior to going to Target (so I would be able to compare prices). At EBay, I was able to purchase a used Sega console, three handsets and six games for the price of $46.99. This included free shipping. The games included with the package were: Sonic the Hedgehog 2, ATP Tour Championship Tennis, John Madden Football, Mortal Kombat II, NBA Live, and NHL PA Hockey. I chose the Sega system for a number of reasons, the more important one being Sean’s expressed interest in it. In addition, although some of the games included were geared to boys, I believe that using video games provides the opportunity to improve various skills that are important to both girls and boys. (In addition, girls would, at the least, probably be interested in playing the Sonic game.)
At the store, I chose a Spalding MBA Street basketball at a cost of $14.99. There were more expensive balls, but I felt that my cousin would be fine with what seemed to be a common type of basketball. As I evaluated other toys, I chose the King’s Ring Toss priced at $9.99. I also chose Monopoly as a board game, which, according to the box, is geared to 8+ year olds, and which was on sale for $15.99. Finally, I purchased a set of Legos at the price of $29.99. I spent close to the $120 I was budgeted for.
When making my decisions, I picked each of the games/toys for different reasons. One overriding consideration was that, in addition to looking like fun for Sean, I wanted to choose a selection of toys that used or improved different skills. As mentioned earlier, use of the Sega system is generally gender neutral. Both boys and girls play games on Sega. That is why I was happy that Sonic the Hedgehog was included in the package I purchased. The remaining games, however, were somewhat oriented more to the boys who play, at least at that age. Nonetheless, using the video game strengthens hand and eye coordination, visual perception, and ability to think through a situation. It also lets a child take risks when trying to “win” and improves their reaction time. All of these are application to both genders. However, the negative aspect is that there is really no physical activity involved with video games.
I purchased the basketball, even while recognizing it may be in connection with a gender driven activity and, therefore, consistent with Newman’s beliefs, because it will let Sean play with other boys in hopefully a “team” environment, one in which he will learn to work with others while giving him physical activity and exercise. I also chose a basketball because I wanted Sean to play with other boys in an organized sports activity. In this way I was accepting Messner’s point of view that, for boys, “it became ‘natural’ to equate masculinity with competition, physical strength, and skills” (128). According to Messner, organized sports are partly a cause for the difference in genders developing and appearing normal (and acceptable). I partly considered this when I was making my decision on which toys to purchase because I wanted to help Sean feel part of the “club”, even at his age, and participate in the organized activities. Whether I agreed with this on not, for me, it was important to give Sean a toy so he could take advantage of any opportunity to connect with his peers on this physical level.
I also, however, believe that Sean has friends who are girls, so I wanted to get another physically oriented game which did not appear to be as gender specific – the ring toss. I believe this game will also improve the eye-hand coordination, motor skills and concentration, while also use the arm muscles and get them to want to be outside to play. The Legos choice was intended to be fun, but would also improve eye and hand coordination, in addition to having them follow directions when copying designs and learn to cooperate with others if they were building things as a team. These aspects apply to both genders. Finally, the choice of a board game like Monopoly would help to build math skills, help him learn patience, have social interactions with other players and provide a feeling of success throughout the game. All of these are not specific to one gender.
Following my shopping experience, I believe that there are gender specific toys and gender specific activities (and that the stores know this and take advantage of it). As a result, it would be naive to think that this does not affect how children grow up. I spent a lot of time considering the effect of purchasing certain toys, but know that in the absence of this course I would have probably just shopped at the “boy” aisle or picked up a Legos truck or machine package without even thinking about it. Likewise, I would have readily thought that Sean could use the basketball to bond with his boy friends. Therefore, I would have been just another shopper who acted the way society (and the manufacturers) wanted and expected me to.
Works Cited
Messner, Michael A. “Boyhood, Organized Sports and the Construction of Masculinities.” Journal of Contemporary Ethnography. Sage Publications, 1990. 120-137.
Newman, David M. “Learning Difference: Families, Schools, and Socialization.” Identities and Inequalities: Exploring the Intersections of Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality. NY: McGraw Hill, 2007. 106-145.
Messner, Michael A. “Boyhood, Organized Sports and the Construction of Masculinities.” Journal of Contemporary Ethnography. Sage Publications, 1990. 120-137.
Newman, David M. “Learning Difference: Families, Schools, and Socialization.” Identities and Inequalities: Exploring the Intersections of Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality. NY: McGraw Hill, 2007. 106-145.
Photos were taken by myself.
