Monday 28 July 2014

Toys and Gender Bias Survey




TOY SURVEY BY EARLY CHILDHOOD ASSOCIATION IN ASSOCIATION WITH PODAR INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION.
SURVEY CONDUCTED BY EARLY CHILDHOOD ASSOCIATION AND PODAR INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION- COPYRIGHT @ SWATIPOPATVATS
THIS REPORT IS COPYRIGHT AND REGISTERED PROPERTY OF EARLY CHILDHOOD ASSOCIATION, ANYONE WISHING TO QUOTE, USE, OR REFER TO IT SHOULD DO SO ONLY AFTER SEEKING PERMISSION IN WRITING FROM MS SWATI POPAT VATS (PRESIDENT) ON ecaorg@yahoo.com or swatipopat@podar.net

1.    How many toys do you buy for your child in a month?
Sr. No.
  1-5
 More than 5
 More than 10
 Even more


 63%
 20%
 12%
 5%
 4700




    


2.    How many toys does your child receive as gifts every month from friends and relatives?
Sr. No.
  1-5
 More than 5
 More than 10
 Even more


 15%
 65%
 15%
 5%
 4700




    



3.    Which of these toys does your child have?
Sr. No.
  Blocks
 Pretend play
 Action figures, barbies, guns and battery operated toys
 Soft toys and other dolls
 Outdoor toys

9 %
12 %
 60%
10 %
 9%




    



4.    Which toys does your child have more of?
Sr. No.
 Barbie Dolls and action figures
 Stackers and blocks
 Pretend and outdoor toys
 Battery operated toys
 Books and puzzles

 40%
 5%
 10%
40 %
 5%




    



5.    Does your child have any hand me down toys from other siblings?  
Sr. No.
  Yes
 No




 65%
 35%


 4700




    



6.    When you buy toys what do you look for?
Sr. No.
  Price /discount
 Safety
 Age appropriateness /benefit to child
 Brand/advertising
 Because other kids have them

 23%
 10%
 10%
 23%
 34%




    


7.    Are you aware of lead poisoning in toys?   Do you look for details of the same on the toy?
Sr. No.
  Yes
 No
 Do you look for it?
Yes
 Do you look for it?
No
 I ask shop salesman

78 %
 22%
 36%
42 %
 22%




    


8.    Till what age should kids play with role play toys?

Sr. No.
  Age 2
 Age 5
 Age 8
 Age 12


65 %
 35%
0 %
 0%
 4700




    


9.    Boys should play with which of these toys?
Sr. No.
  Pretend play toys
 Blocks and puzzles
 Guns and battery operated toys/screen toys
 Outdoor toys
 Action figures and cars

 12%
 21%
 27%
 20%
 20%




    



10. Girls should play with which of these toys?
Sr. No.
  Dolls and soft toys
 Guns and action figures
 Outdoor toys
 Pretend play
 puzzles , books

 26%
 12%
15 %
 27%
 25%




    



11. Which toys do you think are better ?
Sr. No.
  Indian
 Imported
 Name some Indian toy companies



 75%
 25%
 55%- fisher price, ok toys






    


SOME PERCENTAGES-
·         76% of parents first toy for a girl was a doll
·         73% of parents first toy for a boy was a car
And we talk about tackling  gender bias.
·         69% of parents said they would not like their boys to play with kitchen set
·         73% of grandmothers did not like boys playing with kitchen set
·         68% of girls opted to be nurses while playing with doctor set
·         71% of parents said that their first choice toy for girls would be kitchen set and not doctor set
·         57% of housewives depended on friends, neighbours and advertisements for choosing toys
·         33% of working moms preferred online help for selection of toys
·         34% of boys chose to play with kitchen set when offered kitchen set and doctor set, because they have seen their dads cooking in the kitchen.
·         51% of parents do not buy blocks for their children as they find that the other toys are more worth the money and ‘look nice’.
·         92% of all early childhood experts recommend blocks as the prime toys for development of fine motor skills, colour and shape recognition, creative skills enhancement, language, social and cognitive development.
·         70% of the kids preferred toys that did not match those that were preferred by their parents, so if parents preferred cars or puzzles the child preferred pretend play and puzzles.
·         90% of kids had dolls, action figures and battery operated toys
·         Only 30% of kids had pretend play toys and played with them.
·         In outdoor play toys the common ones 80% had balls, bats and cycles.
·         43% of kids did not use the balls, bats outside but played with them at home due to lack of play space or due to too much sun.
·         Maximum time spent by 87% kids on ‘playing with toys’ is 30 minutes a day.
·         Time spent watching TV 1hour to one and half hour
·         Attending structured programs like dance class, music class etc 2 to 3 hours a day
The above shows that young kids are missing out on time used for creative play, most of their time is spent on structured activities which can later result in aggression, frustration and depression.
·         Most of the toys owned by 76% of the kids were gifted to them, and so were not selected by either the parent or the child.
·         65% of kids are playing with hand me down toys.
·         75% of parents rated Indian made toys to be better than foreign toys but 55% of parents thought Fisher Price is an Indian toy company.
·         70% of parents were aware of the benefits of blocks but yet did not prefer the child to play with blocks at home, according to them blocks are a school toy.