Why Girls and Boys Play Differently

Wednesday, February 5, 2014 3:25 PM

You've stocked your baby's shelves with all kinds of toys, from baby dolls to tractors and everything in between. So why is it that your little princess always reaches for the dressed-up dollies, or your young firefighter pulls out the fire truck without fail? And why do some brand manufacturers produce toys from different genders, such as NICI that designed nici gifts for boys(http://www.toyswill.com/nici-pirate-series-lionorangutangdeerbear-5pcs-p-1568.html) as well as those for girls?
Even in infancy, boys and girls are different, thanks to the hormones they are exposed to in utero. For example, right from birth, girls show more interest in people and faces than boys do, which may explain why little girls are more likely to play with dolls while boys gravitate toward trains and trucks. Girls also tend to talk earlier and be more verbal than boys, which is why they may prefer pretend play and make-believe games. Another difference: Girls typically enjoy spending one-on-one time with other kids, while boys like to be part of a bigger group.
Boys, on the other hand, are born with more muscle mass, which might be why they're typically more physically active than girls. They are also better at — and so tend to enjoy — tasks that take advantage of their mechanical and spatial skills, such as playing with blocks or operating the switches on an activity board.
This isn't to say that your little one is locked from birth into gender stereotypes. It is a good idea to fill your baby's toy box with non-gender-specific (and opposite-gender) playthings. You can encourage physical activity in your girl by setting a good example (exercising yourself) and cheering her on when she tries something new. You can help your boy learn to nurture by offering him babies or stuffed animals to cuddle and care for and by pointing out the caring men in his life — like Daddy.

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