Toy cars or dolls? The role of siblings in children’s gendered play

What toys do boys and girls prefer at age two? Do children’s play activities reflect family or social influences? Drawing on data from the ELFE child cohort study (Étude longitudinale française depuis l’enfance), the authors* of INED’s latest issue of Population & Societies explore the role of siblings, parents, and social background in children’s gendered play. 

Different toys at age 1, strong disparities at age 2

From their first year of life, boys and girls do not play with the same toys, and by age 2 the gender differences in play are already large. For example, 81% of girls often play with dolls, compared with just 24% of boys, while 89% of boys often play with toy cars versus just 35% of girls. However, gender differences in activities such as drawing (73% of girls vs. 58% of boys) playing with balls (76% of boys vs. 57% of girls) are smaller. Gender-typical play is observed at a very young age and across all social classes. 

Influence of older siblings

The study highlights the key role of siblings of the opposite sex in reducing stereotypical gender play: 33% of boys with one or several older sisters often play with dolls versus just 9% of those with brothers only, and 46% of girls with older brothers play with cars daily or often versus 26% of those with sisters only. This ‘sibling training effect’ is amplified when older and younger siblings play regularly together. 

Influence of fathers and mothers 

Parents—the mother more so than the father—play an important role in diversifying children’s play. The share of boys who play with dolls increases by 7 percentage points if they play regularly with their mother, and the share of girls who play with cars increases by 8 points. These parent–child interactions influence gendered play but to a lesser extent than play with older siblings. 

This issue of Population & Societies highlights the importance of toys and play in the gendered socialization of young children. By revealing the processes at play from a very young age, this study sheds light on the creation of gendered behaviours during childhood, and the role of family structure.