Children’s favourite toys
Table 7.1.1.
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399 Four to ten year olds’ favourite toys by main and subgroups |
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Main/subgroups |
Number |
Percent |
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Implements props/accessories transport/machinery tools/implements drawing/collecting inventory listen/learn weapons special implements music care
People doll war doll guardian doll doll support
Systems LEGO/DUPLO products Playmobil recycling construction
Animals symbolic animals live animals animal series animal figures
Nature natural materials/play Nature - outdoors play wood |
168 54 42 18 17 12 10 6 5 3 1
104 85 10 8 1
69 55 10 3 1
51 46 2 2 1
7 4 2 1
|
42.1 13.5 10.5 4.5 4.3 3.0 2.5 1.5 1.3 0.8 0.3
26.1 21.3 2.5 2.0 0.3
17.3 13.8 2.5 0.8 0.3
12.8 11.5 0.5 0.5 0.3
1.8 1.0 0.5 0.3 |
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Subgroup props/accessories includes: games 5% jumping/rolling/hopscotch 3% dressing-up 2% all play equipment and props/accessories for sport/athletics 3%
Missing 2
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Source: Steenhold (1993,d)
A favourite toy is a toy which is particularly well-liked by the child and which has a special position in the child’s play and toy environment.
Favourite toys act as a natural part of the child’s natural development. They are a sine qua non for the child’s development.
A child’s favourite toy can change according to season and current events but the most influential factors for choice of favourite toys are age, gender and experience in the context of the child’s immediate environment.
There are very few references in relevant literature to why children choose certain types of toys. These are outlined in the following:
According to Almqvist (1989) and Downs (1983), in situations where children have total freedom to choose their toys, they prefer toys which are not associated with gender. These children will be interested in their pastimes and extremely curious about anything new (novelty interest) and this in itself motivates the child’s choice of toy. Furthermore, these children are subject to more strict norms and regulations in their home environment than other children.
When asked what they prefer from a selection of specially selected gender-specific toys, boys’ preference is for boys’ toys and girls’ for girls’ toys (see Eisenberg et al (1985), Almqvist (1989) and Steenhold (1993,b).
By the age of 3-4 years, children are already starting to distinguish between gender-specific and “gender-neutral” toys. In the US children demonstrate this age specific phenomenon as early as at three years old (see Weinraub et al (1984), Fein et al (1985) and Caldara et al (1989). According to Shell & Eisenberg (1990), this type of age and gender group imprint is decisive for the child’s understanding of gender significance and values which he/she will later apply to toys.
This is why children aged 4-5 years call a toy as “a boys’ toy” if they have previous experience (have observed) that mostly boys play with it and “a girls’ toy” is they have seem mostly girls play with that type of toy.
In keeping with the subject of this book, favourite toys are registered statistically and seen in relation to socio-cultural and eco-social relationships, the home environment and the families’ life patterns and lifestyles.
System toys and construction toys, in particular LEGO/DUPLO products, weigh heavily in the play of boys of this age while the girls only rarely use them.
The girls own many symbolic animals (soft toy animals and “bedtime pals”) which they play with and to which they assign personality and character. Boys own a more limited collection of symbolic animals. Where dolls are concerned, girls mostly choose adult dolls and much less often baby dolls.
Four-five year old boys play with implements (cars, miscellaneous accessories and tools) whilst girls of the same age play with dolls, symbolic animals and props/accessories.