Toys in the Classroom?

The compilation of 80’s toys commercials stirred great memories. I do recall many of those ads, and the days of playing with GI Joe, He-Man, and the like. Those types of toys gave way to virtual worlds with the arrival of home video games. While I consider the "cultural meaning" of my experience with toys, I do remember how these two distinct phases have relevance to expectations for middle-class white youth. Moreover, toys, like any element of popular culture, have seemingly endless possibilities for educator and student to engage.

My most vivid memories as a child and his toys have a recurring theme. From green Army men fixed in various poses and Old West style cap guns to GI Joe's sophisticated U.S.S. Flagg, most of my toys related to guns, violence, or other things that allowed me to engage in masculine play. In fact, anything with a hint of feminine qualities or at odds with these traditional assumptions was met with disdain. The greatest example of failed marketing was a product named My Buddy that, to my friends and I, was nothing more than a doll. Between Lego castles and fake guns, my toy experience revolved around reinforcing gender roles. Even at school, these impulses manifested themselves in drawings of war scenes and weapons. As I grew older, toys such as action figures gave way to video games. Still, the theme of my favorite games were the same as the toys I enjoyed in my early childhood. As video games became increasingly popular, there was a change in the amount of time spent with friends. In one sense, the games would bring friends together. Yet, overall "play" became a more independent venture.

As a teacher looking to integrate more elements of popular culture into his classroom, I found that a reflection of my own toy experience has some potential applications. As we continue to explore how popular culture reflects our collective values as a society, an appropriate learning exercise could give students an arena to assess current and past trends. For example, I would first ask students to reflect upon their own experience with toys by brainstorming a list of their favorites. Then, they would discuss reasons why they were driven to those particular toys. A recurring theme is leading students to consider the accuracy and fairness of issues such as race, class, and gender. The possibilities are many as the students may consider a variety of questions. What do the toys that you played with tell you about yourself? Did they reinforce or challenge traditional assumptions about “normal” behavior in children? Were toys that you were attracted to the same as those you received as gifts? Are toy choices an accurate reflection of our collective interests? Are there enough opportunities for minority groups? A discussion of issues related to play and toys can unlock more commonalities between student and teacher.