'Boys like dollhouses': LEGO's resurfaced 1984 letter urges parents to keep 'gender' out of playtime
'A lot of girls prefer spaceships. They’re more exciting than a dollhouse.'
When we think about LEGO, boys are often grouped with Star Wars kits, while girls may be associated with floral ones, but that perception is largely shaped by cultural and societal norms rather than the toy itself. In 1974, the company included a heartfelt letter to the parents. They requested that the parents allow their kids to build whatever their heart desires and not limit their choices based on gender. Although an old one, its message of a certain 'creative urgency' irrespective of gender, applies to everyone even today.
Inside boxes of assorted building blocks, they placed a note addressed to the parents. The company explained that the "urge to create" is strong in all kids and isn't dependent on their gender. "It’s the imagination that counts. Not skill," the company wrote. Next, they urged the children to build whatever they wanted: a bed, a truck, a dollhouse, or even a spaceship, because creativity knows no boundaries and is certainly not restricted to a specific gender. Surprisingly, the company understood gender stereotypes and their negative effect at a time when even some intellectuals couldn't. "A lot of boys like dollhouses. They're more human than spaceships. A lot of girls prefer spaceships. They’re more exciting than a dollhouse," they wrote in the letter. The company concluded by saying that what matters most is that parents allow their kids to have access to the right things in life. So they can create "whatever appeals to them."
Roar Rude Trangbæk, a LEGO spokesman, confirmed, "The pamphlet was contained in the product line regarding LEGO dollhouses; it was targeted primarily at girls aged four and up. To us, it’s expressing what we’ve always been about, which is about encouraging creative play," he said in an interview. In the last few decades, we've grown so much in terms of technology, but somehow we haven't grown in our thoughts. For instance, a survey of nearly 7,000 parents and children from seven countries found that gender stereotyping remains high. In fact, 78% of boys and 73% of girls agreed to the statement: "It’s OK to teach boys to be boys and girls to be girls." The same survey also found that more than half (54%) of parents are worried that their sons would be mocked for playing with "girls" toys, and 24% of parents of girls believed their daughters would be mocked for playing with toys meant for "boys."
Meanwhile, reacting to the beautiful note, @atelier.2423 commented, "It's a fantastic message that should be included in all their sets. It’s still so valuable!" Similarly, @cron_don said, "Gender has nothing to do with being creative. It’s called follow your passion. Maybe one day the media will catch on." @nancymm11 commented, "That’s wonderful! I mean, I know boys and girls have always liked them, but what a great note to include!" @p.from.guy wrote, "Not a fan of how expensive and minimal the sets are nowadays, but you can’t deny that Lego has always done things differently."
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