(BPT) - How many times have you walked into your child’s classroom only to see the boys and girls separated into two different groups, playing with completely different toys? The boys are likely huddled around the building blocks, creating skyscrapers and forts, while the girls are busy painting and coloring.
Sure, you can chalk it up to society’s gender expectations to explain this play divide but does it mean girls have no interest in construction play at all? Unsurprisingly, the answer is no. In fact, girls have just as much to gain from building as boys and equally enjoy playing with construction toys. Toy companies that specialize in designing building toys, like Mega Bloks, have long researched the patterns of construction play among girls, specifically, and understand its long-term benefits. Parents of girls, furthermore, should ensure their daughters are getting this valuable playtime with building toys.
kAmuC@> 56G6=@A:?8 =2?8F286 D<:==D E@ 3@@DE:?8 2 D6?D6 @7 249:6G6>6?E[ 4@?DECF4E:@? A=2J D6CG6D 2D 2 DE6AA:?8\DE@?6 7@C 2 J@F?8 49:=5’D :?E6==64EF2= 7FEFC6] “!=2J:?8 H:E9 3F:=5:?8 E@JD AC@G:56D 49:=5C6? 2? :562= H2J E@ 6?8286 :? 5:D4@G6CJ\32D65 =62C?:?8[” D2JD sC] |2FC66? ~’qC:6?[ 56G6=@A>6?E2= ADJ49@=@8:DE 2?5 49:=5 A=2J 6IA6CE] “xE :D E9C@F89 E9:D EJA6 @7 =62C?:?8 E92E 49:=5C6? 2C6 23=6 E@ 3F:=5 E96:C 4@?7:56?46 E9C@F89 EC:2= 2?5 6CC@C 2?5 56G6=@A 2 D6?D6 @7 249:6G6>6?E[ 6?23=:?8 E96> E@ A9JD:42==J =:?< E96:C H@C=5 E@ E96 A=2J H@C=5[ 3F:=5:?8 E96:C 3C2:?D :? E96 AC@46DD]”k^Am
kAm%96 =62C?:?8 36?67:ED @7 3=@4< A=2J 2C6 7FCE96C 6?92?465 H96? =2J6C65 H:E9 @A6?\6?565[ :>28:?2E:G6 A=2J[ DF49 2D >2<6\36=:6G6 H:E9 5@==D] r9:=5C6? 368:? E@ F?56CDE2?5 E96:C H@C=5 2?5 8:G6 :E A6CDA64E:G6 3J A=2J:?8 H:E9 E@JD E92E 6?92?46 6IA=@C2E:@? E9C@F89 4FDE@>:K2E:@? 2?5 DE@CJE6==:?8] %9:D 4@>3:?2E:@? @7 3=@4< A=2J 2?5 C@=6 A=2J :D 2 3@@DE E@ J@FC 49:=5’D 56G6=@A>6?E] k^Am
kAm&?56CDE2?5:?8 E92E 8:C=D =@G6 2?5 36?67:E 7C@> 4C62E:G6 4@?DECF4E:@? 2D >F49 2D 3@JD 5@[ ~’qC:6? 92D D@>6 E:AD @? :?4@CA@C2E:?8 3F:=5:?8 A=2J 2D 2 C68F=2C 24E:G:EJ 7@C J@FC 52F89E6Cik^Am
kAmY|2<6 4@?DECF4E:@? A=2JE:>6 2 8C@FA 24E:G:EJ – v:G6? E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 3F:=5[ 8:C=D 6BF2==J 6I46= 2E E96 3F:=5:?8 AC@46DD 2?5 86?6C2E6 E96 D2>6 =6G6=D @7 D2E:D724E:@? 2D 3@JD] qJ >2<:?8 4@?DECF4E:@? A=2JE:>6 2 8C@FA 24E:G:EJ[ 8:C=D 2C6 2=D@ 23=6 E@ DA6?5 >@C6 E:>6 4@==23@C2E:?8 H:E9 @?6 2?@E96C @G6C 2 3F:=5:?8 AC@;64E] qJ 2DD:DE:?8[ 277:C>:?8 2?5 DFAA@CE:?8 6249 @E96C[ 8:C=D 2C6 DEC6?8E96?:?8 E96:C :?E6CA6CD@?2= C6=2E:@?D9:AD] %96J 2C6 2=D@ 56G6=@A:?8 E96:C :>28:?2E:@?D 2?5 C6D:=:6?46 E9C@F89 4@?G6CD2E:@?D 2?5 4@==23@C2E:@?D 5FC:?8 E96 AC@46DD @7 E96:C 3F:=5:?8 AC@;64E]k^Am
kAmYt>A92D:K6 DE@CJE6==:?8 – v:C=D =@G6 E96 DE@CJE6==:?8 2DA64E @7 A=2JE:>6] xE 2==@HD E96> E@ 4C62E6 2?5 6IAC6DD E96>D6=G6D :? 2 7F? 6?G:C@?>6?E H96C6 E96 A@DD:3:=:E:6D 2C6 6?5=6DD] qJ 4@??64E:?8 2 DE@CJ E@ E96:C 4C62E:@?[ 49:=5C6? =62C? 2?5 F?56CDE2?5 AC@3=6> D@=G:?8 D<:==D[ =2?8F286 56G6=@A>6?E 2?5 E96 6=6>6?ED @7 564:D:@? >2<:?8 – 2== :>A@CE2?E ?6IE DE6AD :? E96 =62C?:?8 AC@46DD] r@?DECF4E:@? E@JD 56D:8?65 DA64:7:42==J 7@C 8:C=D 42? 96=A E96> E6== E96:C DE@CJ[ =:<6 E96 ?6H |682 q=@<D q2C3:6 =:?6] u@C 6I2>A=6[ E96 |682 q=@<D q2C3:6 qF:=5 ?’ $EJ=6 {FIFCJ |2?D:@? :D E96 A6C764E 32=2?46 @7 3F:=5:?8 2?5 A=2J:?8] xE 2==@HD 8:C=D E@ 3F:=5[ 56D:8? 2?5 C6\56D:8?[ 564@C2E6[ 2446DD@C:K6[ 5C6DD\FA 2?5 DEJ=6 q2C3:6 5@==’D 9@>6 :? 2?J H2J E96J H2?E]k^Am
kAmYx?4@CA@C2E6 72>:=:2C 492C24E6CD 8:C=D =@G6 – p H2J E@ 72>:=:2C:K6 8:C=D H:E9 4@?DECF4E:@? A=2J :D H:E9 492C24E6CD E96J 2=C625J <?@H 2?5 =@G6] u@C 6I2>A=6[ E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^32C3:6]>6823=@<D]4@>^Qm|682 q=@<D q2C3:6k^2m 4@?DECF4E:@? =:?6 762EFC6D >:?: 7:8FC6D 2?5 :4@?:4 q2C3:6 56E2:=D E92E 2AA62= E@ 8:C=D] (96? 8:C=D C64@8?:K6 492C24E6CD[ E96J H:== =:<6=J 36 >@C6 :?4=:?65 E@ ECJ D@>6E9:?8 ?6H] k^Am
kAmYy@:? 2?5 8F:56 E96 7F? – !=2J:?8 H:E9 J@FC 52F89E6C 5FC:?8 3F:=5:?8 E:>6 :?4C62D6D 96C 492?46D @7 =62C?:?8 7C@> E96 24E:G:EJ] tG6? H96? A2C6?ED 2?5 49:=5C6? D:E 2?5 H2=< E9C@F89 3F:=5:?8 :?DECF4E:@?D E@86E96C[ E96 49:=5C6? 2C6 6IA@D65 E@ E96 AC@3=6> D@=G:?8 D<:==D ?66565 E@ 2DD6>3=6 E96 4@?DECF4E:@? D6E] x? 255:E:@?[ 3J 3F:=5:?8 E@86E96C[ A2C6?ED 2C6 6IA@D:?8 <:5D E@ :??@G2E:G6 ?6H H2JD @7 E9:?<:?8[ DA2C<:?8 4C62E:G:EJ 2?5 D9@H:?8 2 ?6H H2J E@ F?56CDE2?5 E96 24E:G:EJ]k^Am
kAm~’qC:6? 6?4@FC286D A2C6?ED E@ 3C62< E9C@F89 E96 EC25:E:@?2= A=2JE:>6 6IA64E2E:@?D E@ :?DE:== =:76\=@?8 36?67:ED @7 4@?DECF4E:@? A=2J – 6DA64:2==J 7@C 8:C=D] %96 4@8?:E:G6[ DA2E:2= 2?5 :?E6CA6CD@?2= D<:==D E96J H:== 24BF:C6 E9C@F89 2 D:>A=6 D9:7E :? E96:C A=2J C@FE:?6 42? 6IA@D6 E96> E@ ?F>6C@FD 7FEFC6 @AA@CEF?:E:6D]k^Am
kAmk:>8 DC4lVk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`egfeU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fQm9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`egfeU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fk^2mV 3@C56ClV_V H:5E9lV`V 96:89ElV`V ^mk^Am