Toy Marketing and Gender: Design a Welcoming Toy Store for Everyone in Your Classroom

The lesson begins with a showing and discussion of a short video of 4-year-old Riley giving a very persuasive speech in a large toy store wondering why “all the girls have to buy pink stuff and all the boys have to buy other color stuff.” To counter this messaging, students will design their own toy store that is organized by categories other than gender (such as type of activity, color of toy, magical toys, electronic toys, reading materials, art supplies, etc.).