Toys for children and adolescents: gendered preferences and developmental utilities

Figures & data

Figure 1. Toys from different parts of the world.

Table 1. Binary gendered toys and their impacts on development.

Toys	Perceived binary categorization	Positive impacts
Vehicles (cars, trucks, trains, etc.)	Boys	Improve balance and coordination, enhance fine motor skills, dexterity, and hand-to-eye coordination
Construction toys (blocks and building sets)	Boys	Stimulate spatial perception, cooperation, building from templates, and memory
Guns and action figures	Boys	Induce self-regulation, regulate aggression and emotional outbursts, prepare for real-life violent impulses
Barbies and dolls	Girls	Develop social and emotional skills like empathy, cooperation, fine motor and self-help skills
Kitchen set	Girls	Develop fine motor skills, visual recognition, planning and organization, and numeracy
Stuffed toys (teddy bears)	Girls	Developing and maintaining sleep habits, language skills, creativity, and imagination

Figure 2. Traditional ‘Jhankpakhi/Jhumer’.

Made of cloth and/or wood, ‘jhumer’ stimulates visual perception and attention in infants to stimulate (Source: https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/puppets-t-lights-jhoomar-2849624023291.html).

Figure 3. Traditional Indian walker.

Traditional Indian baby walker is a proprioceptive toy aiding in the development of limb coordination (Source: https://natkhatduniya.in/traditional-indian-baby-walker/, 11/08/2021).

Table 2. Traditional Indian toys and their developmental impacts.

Age	Toy-type	Impact
Infants (≤1 year)	Rattles, stuffed dolls, wooden blocks	Visual, auditory and sensorimotor
Toddlers (1-5 years)	Figurines, push and pull-toys, rocking horses, model vehicles	Physical phenomena understanding, sensorimotor and fine motor skill, proprioceptive, visual and auditory perception, visuomotor coordination
School-goers and Adolescents (5-19 years)	Gardening toys, kitchen models, blocks, board games	Self-control and emotional development, social skills, attention and execution, competitiveness, real-life understanding, craftsmanship, and problem solving abilities