Girls play outside less than boys even at two years old

But doesn't this mean the girls are all inside improving their brains? I was.

Gender stereotypes are unfortunately alive and well in 2024. That great source of data, the Argos Catalogue, has, fair enough, done away with the Boys' and Girls' toys categories. Many of the science-y toys now have boys and girls on the packaging. Many of the manufacturing companies avoid the issue by no longer picture any children at all on the packaging. And as far as I can see, all of the children pictured with dolls are girls.

But the gender message is given in other ways, e.g. the colour of the packaging, or even just the name and description.
Here are two random items from the same 'non-gendered' list of 'Role Play Toys':

Marvel Avengers Titan Hero Thanos Deluxe Action Figure Imagine the terrible Titan warlord threatening earth with this 30-cm-scale Thanos figure.

Disney Princess Style Collection Toy Tea Set Sleek, chic and oh so fun, this modern Disney Princess Style Collection Sweet Stylin' Tea Set provides an elegant, realistic and fun play experience.

Who needs 'boy' / 'girl' labels??🙄

It's obvious why; stereotypes which are alive and kicking. Girls are socialised to be quiet and calm. Boys are encouraged to run around.

You see it on here all the time "I've got boys, they're never still." All children love running around and playing.

There was a thread of suggestions for what to do with her 6 year old daughter. Face packs, crafts, films, nail polish were all suggested. All boring stationary stuff inside the house.

Then there are complaints that schooling is too feminised for boys. Bring boys up the same as girls and they'll sit still in class.

As for the outdoors, girls clothes are often less convenient for outdoor play, and also show the dirt much more (white socks for the girls at primary school, grey for the boys, for example). A lot of parents still put quite a premium on their girls looking girly and neat and clean

Anecdotal, but I’m thinking immediately of two young relatives of mine who were always dressed in flouncy, sparkly pink. They loved tearing around outside and getting messy but their mother was obsessed with pink, pink, pink, preferably Disney, and dressing them alike (they aren’t twins). On one awful occasion when they were visiting me, we went to ‘see the horses’ up the lane near my house and one of them accidentally tore her dress on some barbed wire. You’d think from her mother’s reaction that she’d committed the worst crime of all time. Child was petrified with fear. I was aghast at the fallout, having already been utterly bemused at the outfits they’d been put into (aged about 6/7 at the time) instead of sensible jeans and sweatshirts. They never wore those, always dresses. Mother is totally brainwashed with rigid gender roles, though, so I shouldn’t have been surprised (god knows what she thinks of me but I can guess).

Look are childrens parties.
Boys... trousers/shorts and a top.
Girls... skirts and dresses.
Which is better for the park, soft ay, bouncy castle etc?

Girls are 'allowed' to be 'scared', and often get positive attention for being so. Boys on the other hand tend to be jollied out of it. you see this with primary-aged children. A group of the girls will squeal and say, totally unconvincingly, 'Oooh, I'm SOOO scared of XYZ' and back theatrically up against a wall. Unless someone steps in fast and says, 'Do you REALLY think that's going to hurt you?' other girls will join them.

The boys OTOH take the piss out of each other for being scared, and also get much more of the 'Come on Tommy! Look, it's only a model!' attitude.

As for the outdoors, girls clothes are often less convenient for outdoor play, and also show the dirt much more (white socks for the girls at primary school, grey for the boys, for example). A lot of parents still put quite a premium on their girls looking girly and neat and clean.

There is still a huge amount of ingrained sexism, and it's so common and expected that it's not even commented upon. I used to work in a school where the children in the lower years had colouring books that they could use when they'd finished their work and the teacher was happy with it. Boys got pirates/dragons/racing cars, girls got fairies/princesses/fluffy kittens. I was 😯

It's not helped by the fact that so many toys are clearly aimed at one sex or the other. It can be tricky to find something more neutral.

It annoyed the hell out of me from the time I was first pregnant back in the 90s and, um, yesterday when 2/3 of the girls I was dealing with decided something was 'scary' as the boys dashed to the front to see. I can understand that there might be inbuilt differences in attitudes towards risk ingrained from our evolutionary past, but I don't think it's right to accentuate this in a way that is likely to disadvantage girls.

ETA: Though I do agree with @Toseland about the Graun!

I've got to the point where I distrust anything the Guardian has to say about women and girls. (previously an avid reader for 30 years until Cologne New Year 2015)