Toys are not blue or pink
Take a walk through a toy shop, and it is often clear who the toys are meant for. Blue boxes with cars and tools at one end, pink boxes with houses and dolls at the other. But children rarely play like that on their own. Many boys want to set up a home, and many girls want to drive a fire engine.
Gender-neutral toys are not about taking anything away from anyone. They are about letting the child choose what they want to play with.
What makes a toy gender-neutral?
- The box does not decide: The toy is not presented as being for boys or for girls.
- The colour is the child's own: Toys that come without colour let the child decide.
- The play is open: There is not just one right way to play with it. That is what we call open ended play.
Uncoloured sets and the child's own colours
All Crateit sets come uncoloured. That means the fire station is not red until the child has coloured it red, and the house is not pink unless the child chooses it. With Crateit markers you can colour layer upon layer, so the colours can change when taste does.
Our newest marker families give lots of options: Playful with bright primary colours, Wonderland with fairytale colours and Forest with moss, leaves and forest. All come with a 1 mm tip for details and 3 mm for large surfaces.
Towns, houses and stations for everyone
In Crateit Town everyone can build roads, drive cars and turn out from Fire Station and Police Station. In Roomies everyone can furnish rooms and play house. Many families find that siblings and friends play together when the toy has not already told them who it is for.
What you can do at home
- Ask the child what they want to play, instead of choosing by age and gender.
- Mix the toys: let the cars drive to the house and the figures go to the fire station.
- Let the child choose the colours, even when the choice is a surprise.
- Play along. When an adult is happy to be the firefighter and also happy to do the cooking, children notice.
Why it matters
Toys are one of the first ways children meet expectations. When a box says something is for boys, the child also learns what is not. Many parents would rather let the child discover for themselves what they like, and leave room for interests to change.
That does not mean a child must not love cars or dolls. It just means the choice is the child's own.
When other people have opinions
Sometimes the child hears comments from other children or adults about what is for boys and what is for girls. Talk about it at home. Ask what the child thinks, and say that it is perfectly fine to play with whatever you want.
Toys that are open and do not tell a single story make it easier. A town in wood can be exactly what the child wants it to be.
Colours without rules
The colouring is a good place to start. When the child chooses the colours for their station or house, there are no right or wrong choices. A pink fire engine and a blue dolls' house are equally good if that is what the child wants. And because the colours can be layered, the child can always change their mind.
Let the child proudly show off what they have made. It is their town, and they decided how it should look.
The same goes for the roles in the game. Anyone can be the firefighter, the police officer or the one looking after the house. When the child gets to try every role, the game gets bigger, and there is room for more stories. That is one of the things that make toys without gender so good to play with together.
Frequently asked questions
Is Crateit made for boys or girls?
For both. The sets come uncoloured, so the child decides the colours and the game.
Which age is Crateit Town for?
The recommended age is 5-9 years. The sets can be used from 3 years and are assembled with an adult up to 5 years.
See Crateit Town and Roomies.
