Stereotypes shape the types of toys found in children’s homes, UQ study shows 

The types of play equipment available in a home with children varies depending on the sex of the children living there, a new University of Queensland (UQ) study has shown, with ‘boy’ homes having more bats and racquets, and ‘girl’ homes having more skipping ropes, slides and swings. 

Published in the Journal of Child and Family Studies, the study was based on the data of 5314 children across 2805 families who were participating in the Mothers and their Children’s Health study and the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health.

While skateboards, bats, racquets and golf clubs were much more likely to be found in homes where boys lived, there were some toys like balls, bikes and scooters which were found in equal measure for both sexes. 

Interestingly, researchers noted, the number of differences in play equipment increased with the children’s age.

“We found there were no differences between boys and girls under 2 years, 1 difference between the ages of 2 and 4, and 3 differences for children over the age of 5,” Dr Stephanie Duncombe from UQ’s School of Public Health said.

The study was more concerned with the equipment found in the home, fellow author Dr Gregore Iven Mielke said, than the activities the children pursued with the equipment they had to hand. 

“We know from previous research that girls are less physically active than boys from as early as age four and this study aimed to understand some of the potential reasons behind this difference,” Dr Mielke said.

“Ultimately, it’s about ensuring that all children have equal opportunities to explore their interests and engage in different types of physical activity.”

To expand on their findings researchers have called for additional studies to explore physical activity levels based on family make-up, and to consider any additional explanations for these differences in play equipment, such as socio-economic status and ethnicity.”

The study was funded by a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grant and may be accessed here.