'Let Toys Be Toys' Organising Thread - Part 2

[OneHandWavingFree]

"Let Toys Be Toys - For Girls, and Boys" is a campaign started by a group of Mumsnetters, to convince retailers to categorise their toys by theme or function, rather than gender.

We're inviting everyone to 'like' us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter (@LetToysBeToys) and join us right here for discussion and collaborative decision-making about the next steps of our campaign.

Himalaya has been hard at work compiling the information gathered by our fantastic LTBT Mystery Shoppers, and we will be agreeing right here how the surveys will be ranked, which retailers we will be targetting with our message, and how we will go about it.

If you think that girls and boys should feel free to play with whatever toys that interest them most, and that they shouldn't walk into a toy store and feel pressurised to conform into archaic gender roles and stifling stereotypes, please join in the discussion!

In response to "why don't you want girls to have pink stuff?" you could always go with, we are happy for them to, we just want boys to be allowed to play with it too.

Absolutely

I have shared. The great thing is that the majority of the likers are childless. So that is that argument for toy segregation screwed!

Signed and tweeted.

Some early results from the survey (but we still need more filled in please!)

Sainsburys comes at well
Argos website good, catalogue not so good

Not good are
TK Maxx
Wilkinsons
The Entertainer
Asda
Marks and Spencers

Boots, TK Maxx and M&S have their toys almost completely divided.

Wilkinsons, Boots, TK Maxx, Debenhams and the Entertainer all have big signs up, the other use a combination of colour coding and clustering

Of all the stores we have visited so far only 10% don't divide toys up by gender. 50% use signs.

If you are looking for a chemistry set in the stores we visited 2 out of 3 times you would have to go to the boys section.

A play kitchen is in girls in 75% of stores
Toolkit in boys 75% of the time
Construction in boys 75% of the time
Cleaning equipment in girsl 75% of the time

"I've had a reply from MNHQ after reporting earlier and querying whether it was ok to mention Mumsnet in connection with the campaign. The email I've had simply says:

Hi there,

Thanks for flagging - we're sure it's fine.

Best, Catherine MNHQ"

Have we had anything else from them? Did they ever get back to us to chat about what being an official campaign involves?

Himalaya great to see some results already :)

I'll set some time aside to do some websites this week. Having trouble walking any distance at the moment (pregnancy-related) so shops are pretty much out for now at least!

whoop whoop! They've just announced it on BBC Brekkie! Go Newsworthy Go Newsworthy ...[fsmile!

Watching too!

Interesting results on surveys btw

That guy is not sounding very articulate at all!

Well done!!

Well done newsworthy ! Got our point across and the whole section seemed supportive.

Point was well gotten across- well done Maya

ok haters starting on fb - policy - remove trolls - leave them to show selves up or ignore them?!

My instinct is to ignore unless it's overly unpleasant. The rest of us should make positive comments though to balance it out!

count me in! Chap on BBC wasn't very articulate but he did state that girls need to play with spatial toys to develop spatial awareness - which is vital for sciences.

Haters already?! We must be doing well!! Just ignore I reckon!

Would be a good idea to get in touch with the psychologist on BBC Breakfast and continue dialogue with him. He seemed to be on board with certain aspects - ie. the belief that boys/girls not playing with certain toys does affect their development.

Have to laugh, 2 guys moaning the campaign is a waste of their time on Facebook because they watched it on tv, and then they waste more of their time telling us about it on Facebook.....he he he brilliant.

Deep down, as 2 year old boys they really did want to make play doh cakes and it's eating at their subconscious....let go!

Controversy is good

Well it gets people talking and makes others notice the page.

Well that was fun! (And a bit nerve wracking)
Hope I did ok. The producer said not to say MN, which I think is right, if nothing else because it avoids HQ having to field any enquiries we might get.

Paul Irwing (the academic) said in the green room that he didn't disagree with the campaign at all. I asked him if he might contribute some content (a couple hundred words) on his perspective, which we could use. He seemed up for that.

I could go back to him and suggest a short Q&A if we come up with 5 or so questions and send them by email?