Menu Close

Articles on Educational toys

Displaying all articles

Tablets can be a novel reading experience for parent and child. Goodluz/Shutterstock

What we know about tablets and how your child learns to read

A recent US survey commissioned by the children’s books publisher Scholastic found that 65% of 6-11 year olds prefer to read print books even when e-books are available on tablets. In the UK, a National…
Just because Barbie has impossible proportions, does that mean playing with her will distort young girls’ body image? Flickr/Freddycat1

Is Barbie bad for body image?

Launched in 1959, named after the inventor’s daughter Barbara, and owned by 99% of 3-10 year old girls in the USA, Barbie has been a popular request on young girls’ Christmas wish lists for 55 years. So…
Toys often advertise themselves as being educational, but how true is this? Flickr/Tor Hakon Haugen

Can toys really be ‘educational’? Well that depends on the parents

Being a child in the 21st century is very different, and some would say more complex, than in previous times. What remains constant is that children love playing and that play is regarded as the most effective…
The No Gender December campaign suggests that the gender stereotyping of toys restricts children’s creativity and development. Tracheotomy Bob

Barbie for boys? The gendered tyranny of the toy store

“I didn’t encourage my daughter to play with Barbie dolls and dress up in flouncy fairy costumes, but she just gravitated toward them.” When confronted with the idea that gendered marketing and stereotypes…

Top contributors

More