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Toys For Boys And Girls

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Should boys play with toy guns and girls play with dolls? Or, putting it another way, should boys play with dolls and girls play with toy guns? There is a great deal of debate on the subject of toys and gender stereotyping, with people very much divided into one camp or another. There is certainly no escaping the fact that, no matter where you look, items associated with boys will generally have images of football, the army or superheroes, with copious amounts of blue to emphasise the fact that this is all for boys, whilst the girls' sections will be adorned with glamorous icons, fairies and flowers, with pink daubed wherever possible.

But is this right? Do children tend to become drawn towards these colours and images because they are told to by society from the day they are born, or do they have naturally different tendencies that are so deep seated and established that our social and cultural stereotypes are in fact nothing more than an outward reflection of that understanding?

It is, certainly, very difficult to answer the question with any degree of certainty, and there is much debate and much evidence on both sides to suggest that each is valid. Perhaps, however, there is a more important point to raise, and that is this: should boys be allowed to like pink things, play with dolls and have tea parties, whilst girls be allowed to wear blue, kick a football around and pretend to shoot their friends in an imaginary battle?

Anyone who has, or has had children, will be aware that children play with whatever they find around them, and at a very early age their curiosity will be open to whatever is available. The fact that they are generally bought blue toys if they are a boy, and pink for a girl, will simply mean that as they develop they'll tend to associate those colours and styles as representing their ownership, but if a mixture of toys is available, then they will have no more care of the colour than if the toy in question is your expensive mobile phone or the toilet brush. Whatever is to hand becomes a toy in the hands of an infant.

My little boy has often played tea parties with his various teddy bears, and the beautifully multicultural scene of a small boy sharing his tea with a bear, a donkey, a sheep a creature from outer space and a giraffe seems perfectly harmless to me. Later on he'll probably use one of them to beat up a dog or use to stand on in order to reach something he's not allowed. He's not old enough yet to either understand what a gun is, or to have been given one as a toy. But even now, I feel that slight anxiousness about whether I would actually buy him a gun, or let him feel drawn towards one.

When I was growing up, I had a cowboy's outfit, several cap guns and a large box of toy soldiers. My sister had endless numbers of toy dolls which did everything from shut their eyes to wet their nappies, and we each seemed content with our own toys, and neither of us had very much interest in the others'. And yet, I can think of no good reason why not. The social skills she practiced are just as relevant to me today, just as the desire to survive is relevant to her.

Perhaps the solution is to let the child come to the toys, rather than forcing toys upon the child, but to allow the child free reign to choose those that feel right to them. Where this feeling will come from is another matter, and certainly a diet of television will do little to eradicate any social stereotyping that may exist.

Toys For Boys And Girls

With Christmas 2008 looming ever closer, the race is on to find the items that kids are going to be craving. The trick is to find them at the best prices and with enough time to spare to get them under your tree before the big day itself. Of course, half the problem is solved simply by shopping online and beating the mad crowds and the crush of the festive High Street. Everyone knows how stressful this time of year can be, so advice is always a good thing To help you along with your Christmas shopping, here is a handy guide to the most sought-after items for children this Christmas.

As ever, TV and film items are popular, but there are also some great new additions to the market for Boys Toys at Christmas 2008. Here are some of the items that kids are wanting this year:

Transforming WALL.E: the definitive WALL-E toy based on the adorable robot from the hit film.

Bakugan Starter Pack and battle Arena: The starter set and huge battle arena from the hot new trading game.

Air Hogs Zero Gravity Micro: A micro radio controlled car that is capable of incredible stunts.

Transformers Animated Roll Out Command Optimus Prime: Here is Optimus Prime from the new Transformers cartoon, standing 12 inches tall and featuring 'Auto Spin' conversion.

Cars Walkin' Talkin McQueen: McQueen comes to life with lights and sound, and he walks and talks just like in the animated film.

Star Wars Clone Trooper Voice Changer: This full-head replica helmet features technology that will transform kids' voices into the processed rasp of a Clone Trooper.

Ben 10 Deluxe Omnitrix: A great toy replica of Ben's wrist-mounted device from the TV show, used for calling aliens to do battle.

Power Rangers Overdrive Tracker: great toy replica of the Morpher from the TV show, with lights and sound.

Gormiti Island of Gorm Playset: A superb playset designed to display Gormiti figures on in an action setting.

Indiana Jones Sounds FX Hat & Whip: The title4 says it all. Now kids can dress up as the movie adventurer.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars AT-TE: The formidable vehicle from the Star wars: Clone Wars movie and TV series comes with articulated legs, lights and sounds.

WWE RAW Arena Playset: The wrestling phenomenon comes to your living room! A superb playset for fans of the theatrical wrestling movement.

GIRLS TOYS FOR CHRISTMAS 2008 The girls are also very interested in media tie-in merchandise, but some old favourites are still going strong too, along with some great new items on the market.

High School Musical Sing Together Dolls: From the Disney hit come Gabriella, Troy and Sharpay dolls with microphones. The dolls sing their signature song from the hit film and sing along with children.

Barbie Princess Liana Singing Doll: The Princess Liana comes in a day dress, which transforms into a ball gown. Her necklace lights up as she sings songs from the accompanying DVD.

FurReal Biscuit, My Lovin' Pup: One of the big hits this Christmas is the FurReal Biscuit toy dog, a life-size golden retriever puppy with some fantastic interactive features, movement and sounds.

Littlest Pet Shop Tail Waggin' Fitness Club: This great play-set gives your toy pets a fun fitness workout, with a spinning hamster wheel, hurdles and more. The play-set also includes two pet toys.

Littlest Pet Shop VIPs: These cute plushes include a code that allows you to play your favourite characters online in the Littlest Petshop Virtual environment.

Sylvanian Families Old Hollow Oak Treehouse: The classic toy line returns with this beautiful new play-set, featuring multiple indoor rooms and outdoor living spaces.

I Love Ponies Honey, My Baby Pony: Honey, My Baby Pony is a lap size interactive pet foal including real pony sounds and movement.

BABY born with Magic Potty: Baby Born with Magic Potty is one of the most wanted dolls on the market this year and features eight different movements, lights and sound.

CHOU CHOU My First Tooth: Another hit doll this year is the CHOU CHOU - This 48cm doll comes with a teething/nurturing play modes and realistic baby sounds.

Rescue Pets Swim to Me Puppy: The Rescue Pets Swim to Me Puppy is a cute stray puppy that will swim when placed in water.

Bratz Girlz Really Rock Dolls: The famous toy line is back with the Bratz Girlz Really Rock Dolls, which come with 2 outfits and 2 musical instruments each.

Camp Rock Gift Pack: the new TV musical sensation comes to the toy world with this great double pack of characters.

There's countless other items on the market for Christmas 2008, but these are amongst the most desired by kids at the moment, and hopefully this will give you some pointers on finding the perfect gifts for Santa to put under your tree this year. You can reduce your stress levels (and the cost of the festive season) by shopping online, and also reduced the headaches by checking out some of these great examples of the current toy market. Merry Christmas one and all.

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About Author

Both Victor Epand & Andrew Hawnt are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Victor Epand has sinced written about articles on various topics from Shopping, Trucks and Interest. Victor Epand is an expert consultant about kids toys, dolls, and video games. You will find the best marketplace for kids toys, dolls, and used video games at these sites for

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