For project 2 I worked with Ted Cogan and Jack Larson to develop the toy “Bit Blocks.” It is a modern day take on legos, kinex, or any of the other building block toys that have existed for many years.
The idea behind the toy is a building block that is very versatile and therefore more inclusive that current existing blocks. The blocks would come in many colors, including the typical girl colors and striving for a more neutral mixture than some of the current building block color schemes. Additionally, the blocks can stand in any state. We had the idea that each peg could be spring loaded so that it could easily pop between inverted, flat, and protruding. The final feature of the blocks is that they can be drawn on with any washable marker and simply cleaned with soap and water. Any child could bring their own blocks over to play with someone else which would foster teamwork skills, and the puzzle of changing the pieces to fit the way that you want them to would encourage problem solving skills. The drawing aspect can both bring the toys to a wider age range, and start to engage young girls more.
Growing up, I played with a lot of Barbie’s, American Girl Dolls, and Breyer horses. All three toys were very geared towards young girls and while they encourage a strong imagination and teamwork, they also cater towards the idea of nurturing and care taking that is much more typical of “girl toys.” I was never particularly excited about the dolls and like board games and puzzles a lot more. My family has always played board games together and over the years they helped teach me strategy skills but also helped me develop a much more patient attitude. My family will argue that the patience came pretty slowly, but overall the idea of working in teams and not always getting your way is very important to board games. I was lucky enough to have very supportive parents who encouraged me to continue to pursue STEM classes when I liked them, but I’m also really a girly girl. I always rode horses instead of playing basketball or soccer and I like clothes and makeup. I don’t think that any of those toys had particularly negative affects on me because I do have a very feminine side that liked them, but I do think if Goldie Blox had been around when I was growing up that I would have loved those toys and had the opportunity to dive into them and start developing some more STEM oriented skills from a younger age. Our toy tried to find a balance and at least allow girls to consider those kinds of toys. I think that if every toy were marketed in a more neutral way and there wasn’t just a pink section at Toys R Us that young girls would love to play with plenty of “boy toys.” In my opinion the biggest problem with the marketing is its effect on parents. Even though my parents were very encouraging and supportive I’m sure that while they raised two girls they constantly looked through the pink section because that was just what we were supposed to like. I don’t think that more neutral toys are going to suddenly bring gender equality to STEM fields, but the societal impact they could have would be a very big step in the right direction.
isabellehillberg 