What Girl Toy Do we Play With Today?
Girls change their ideas about what they find entertaining a little more slowly than boys, and can generally be entertained by the same girl toy for a tiny bit longer.
Girls are more receptive to themes and concepts, while boys prefer visual stimuli and direct involvement with the toy. This can help to guide you in the selection for the right girl toy for your daughter.
I remember when our daughter, Lucy, was four she enjoyed playing with any girl toy that helped her to emulate a maternal role. This is natural for girls, but it does not have to always be this way. Many girls will turn away from these roles for a time, and might even turn to boys toys for a while. Gender roles should be neither encouraged nor discouraged, and if your daughter does not want to play with a girl toy she should not be enforced.
Lucy was one of these children, and she eventually developed a penchant for toy cars and bikes – a passion which has continued into her teenage years. This is a lesson that you should not insist that your daughter play with a girl toy if she does not want to. On the other hand, girls do respond to a girl toy that other girls like, so if the other girls are playing with dolls you should encourage your daughter to do the same.
What this will accomplish is a sense of belonging in the child as she learns to identify with other children playing with that girl toy. If a group of girls play a maternal role-playing game, it encourages a sense of togetherness and fellowship which is a vital part of growing up. Any toy that is specifically a girl toy is sure to make any girl feel more comfortable when playing with other girls. As your daughter gets older you will have to choose a new girl toy based on what she enjoys. Be aware of the point in which gender stereotypes are left behind, and try to encourage this individuality.
However, do not be alarmed if your daughter only wants to play with a girl toy, or if she chooses a boy toy over a girl toy, as these are both just ways of your child experimenting with their identity and social niche. Any girl toy that reinforces positive feminine roles is good for your daughter, but be careful not to force her into a box.
