Article #8: Goldie Blox (Encouraging Girls to Engineer)

At first when I saw the Goldie Blox advertisements I was really mad that, yet again, there was a pastel washed toy marketed to girls. On the other hand I was so elated that someone was fighting against the way the market puts all of the building toys in the designated boy aisle. Then I read an article where the creator of Goldie Blox (an engineer herself) said that she wanted (and I paraphrase) the girls in the “girl aisle” to recognize the toy as for girls so that she would think, “Hey, this is a girl toy and I can play with this.”

Now, I really wish the toy stores and manufacturers would just stop categorizing toys altogether, but I get what the GB company is trying to accomplish even if it still drives me a little bonkers (but I do like the idea of other companies getting hit over the head with a pink wand)–I support what they are trying to do and the message. I do love the commercials and I am glad to see the company doing well. We do have one of their products that I will post my review on this blog but you can read it here: Goldie Blox and the Dunk Tank. I contacted the company about a problem with our product and they replaced the faulty pieces immediately.

Toy store should have toys sorted by type not by gender. This stereotyping affects both boys and girls because it is an advertising that really plays upon a child’s literal and visual nature. There should be toy sorting for: engineering, science, pretend play, preschool, electronic, art, music, trains/cars, etc. Why do I need to go to the designated boy aisle to get a Spiderman figure for my daughter, and the girl aisle to get my son a grocery cart!? It makes no logical sense. Enough with the pink washing already! Girls didn’t need PINK Leggos (a few would be nice) they just wanted some girl figures in the damn package to play with along side of the boy figures! My favorite building set in the 70s was Tinker Toys, and yes, I did notice the prevalence of boys on some of the packaging on the toys I liked even then when it wasn’t as segregated.

Goldie Blox “This is Your Brain on Princess” (nothing against princesses, only that princesses have skills)