Games and toys comments

NON SEXIST AND NON VIOLENT GAMES AND TOYS

We all share our results about this

questionnaire during our meeting in Lubzina (Poland). SPAIN These are the results of our questionnaires: 59 girls and 47 boys aged 8-12 answered this questionnaire






COMMENTS: According with poll results, the majority of presents that children in Spain receive come from their parents and grandparents. Most of Spanish families give their children toys for presents. Children have presents twice a year: in Christmas and in their birthdays. The favourite toys for both, Spanish boys and girls, are videogames -65%- and toys used for practicing sports (bikes, balls, raquets, skates, etc) -70%-. It can be said that these results are a huge step in equality among children. However, stereotypes about toys and games are yet a real problem concerning children in Spain. There are relevant differences among girls and boys related to their preferences and their ideas in relation with toys and games. Even if the 70 % answer that there are not different toys for girls and boys, the analysis of the results shows that most of them think that girls prefer dolls, little houses and teddy bears and boys’ favourite toys are cars, trucks and planes. Boys are more embarased that girls for playing that they consider games or toys for the opposite sex. That can be explained as an advance in girls' believes about their capacities and habilities for being equal to boys. Meanwhile boys are more concerned in demonstrating that they are men and can not play some girls' games. The answers of questions related to violent toys and games, can support the opinion above. It is true, that both boys and girls know about violent toys and games , 85 % guns, but also videogames and sports (3 %) However no one girl likes playing violent games, meanwhile the 25% of boys do like violent toys and the 35 % like playing sometimes. There are not sex differences about some of the questions: - related to place for playing, the majority of Spanish children play in their houses or in parks. - Most of them -82 %- play with friends or withs siblings -72 %- and not with adults.


- Both, girls and boys, are in charge of tidying up their toys and games and of cleaning their playroom after playing . (75%) - They know what to do with their toys and games when they do not need to use them anymore (85 % ) These last results can be a good indicator of advances in equality among girls and boys. Nevertheless the results in general show that we need to keep working about equality since early childhood.

GREECE






ROMANIA

•The results of the questionnaire reveal the fact that most of the interviewed are between 11 and 13 years old, 47% are girls and 53% boys. They receive toys mainly on their birthdays, especially from their parents and they prefer to keep their toys owning an average of about 30 toys.

•Their top preferred are video games consoles, bikes, skates, balls, sport equipment, plush toys, puzzles and intelligence games.

•95% of the students questioned consider that there are different toys according to gender, seeing video games consoles, planes, toy cars as


appropriate for boys, while dolls, plush toys, toy houses for girls; puzzles,

intelligence games, bikes, skates are seen as appropriate for both boys and

girls. In spite of this, 61% of the girls admit that they would play with toy cars,

while only 86% of the boys would not accept to play with toys seen as

preffered by girls.

•Most of the children will play with their friends, brother or sister, alarmingly they benefit their parents’ company while playing in low percentages :19% -

mother, and 26% - father.

•Generally children would rather play inside, only 32% choose parks or play grounds, gladly most of them tidy up their room after playing.

•Although at a certain time they quit playing, the great majority prefers to keep their toys, while 53% donate them.

•88% of the interviewed see weapon toys as being violent, alarmingly video games, considered highly violent by specialists, are seen like this by only 21%

of the interviewed. Only 42% refuse to play violent games, while 38 % play

them occasionally.

•To conclude, stereotypes about games for boys, respectively for girls , still persist among the romanian students, and the violent impact upon their

behaviour and mental is not understood at its right dimension. Parents are not

involved enough in their children spending leisure time playing , and,

unfortunatelly, the children’s favourite environment is not an outdoor one.


PORTUGAL Conclusion: FINLAND






15. If you are a girl, write 3 or more toys you think are more appropriate for boys: Lego, airplanes, X-box


16. If you are a girl, are you embarassed to play with toys that are considered more appropriate for boys? No. 100 % 17. If you are a boy, write 3 or more toys you think are more appropriate for girls: Make-up, Barbie-dolls


Conclusions: •Finnish children (in this survey 10-13 years of age) mainly receive toys on their birthdays or on Christmas.

•They mostly prefer sport equipment, board games and Lego, although video games are also popular.

•Only 32% of the students consider that there are different toys according to gender, and the absolute majority do not see gender as an option for playing with any kind of a toy.

•Most of the children will play with their friends or siblings, and the company of an adult is very low when playing.

•Children play inside or outside, and they mostly tidy their room, after playing, by themselves.

•When they don´t use their toys anymore, they mostly give them to siblings or sell them, although some donate them to charity.

•None of the girls are embarrassed to play with toys considered to be more appropriate for boys, and gladly it is visible that 85 % of the boys are neither embarrassed to play with toys considered to be “girl toys”.

•The pupils see toy guns and sport activities more violent than video games, and that can correlate from the fact that the children mostly do not enjoy playing violent video games.

•As a conclusion it can be seen that the differences between earlier gender roles in toys and playing, have changed. Children can play with toys that some years ago would have been embarrassing, and the popularity of video games


seem to have decreased. The company of adults when playing could be more frequent, but gladly we can note that the children also have friends to play with. ITALY

AGE: 9-11





BULGARIA Questionnaire: Here are some questions, we have used about toys and games questionnaire/ participants – about 100 pupils – from 2nd to 4th grade/:

1. Which is your gender? Male – 46 % Female – 54%.

2. Enumerate some of your favorite toys. Boys: Constructors, puzzles, cars – toys – 85 %; Plush toys – 15%. Girls: dolls, doll accessories, plush toys – 60%; Balls – 20%; Constructors, rollers – 15 %.

3. Do you consider that there are toys for boys and toys for girls / particulary designed for boys or girls? Yes: 75%. No: 25%.

4. Which, in your opinion, are the toys mostly enjoyed by boys / girls? Boys: Constructors, cars, cards, electronic games,

puzzles – 100%; Girls: Dolls, plush toys, sewing machine – 65%; plasmin, balls – 25 %; cars – 10%.

5. Give three examples of toys you consider equally appropriated for boys and girls. Constructors, puzzles, board games, balls, plush toys – 100%.


6. Do you think the people arround might see you weird if you played with toys considered suitable for the other gender? No: 70%; Yes: 30%.

7. When you go into a toy shop which are the items that catch your eyes and you would like to have?

Color, shape - 60%; Sound, melody - 20%; Familiar with advertisement – 20%.

8. Which toys have you never played with? Too expensive - 65%;

Weapons - 25%; Masks and costumes - 10%.

9. Which toys aimed to other gender would you like to play with? I would not want - 90%;

Dollhouses, cars - 10%.

10.Which toys would you give as a present to a boy or to a girl? Telephone, electronic games - 60%; Skateboard, cars with remote control - 20%; Rollers, robots - 20%.

11. What do you do with a toy you have received as a present, but you

consider it appropriate to the other gender? I will give it to another child of the respective sex - 70%; I will leave it to me- 30%.


TURKEY POLAND These are the results of our questionnaires:











Conclusions:

● Polish children (in this survey 12-15 years of age) mainly receive toys on their birthdays or on Christmas.

● They mainly received presents from parents, then grandparents, friends.

● They mostly prefer video games but also puzzles and board games, bikes are also popular.

● Most kids don’t think that there are different toys for girl and for boys.

● Most of the children will play with their friends or siblings, and the company of an adult is very low when playing.

● They usually play with their siblings, friends, than fathers, mothers.

● They usually play at home and after the play they usually clean their room themselves

● As a conclusion we can say that children can play with toys that some years were thought as a boys/girls games/toys. They like spend their free time with friends but also with family and play together.


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Games and toys comments