Do children's toys influence their career choices?

So do the toys children play with impact their career choice?

 Becky Francis, professor of education at Roehampton University, believes so. "Different types of toys give different messages about what's appropriate for boys and girls to do, and have different educational content - both elements are important and might have a bearing on schooling and career choices later," she says. A small study she conducted found boys tended to be given toys that involved action, construction and machinery, while girls were steered towards dolls and perceived "feminine" interests, such as hairdressing. The message seemed to be boys should be making things and problem solving, and girls should be caring and nurturing, she says. Also, stereotypical "boys toys" tend to be more educational, she argues. "Boys toys tend to contain didactic information, with technical instructions and fitting things together with Lego and Meccano, whereas girls' toys tend to be around imaginative and creative play, which develop different skills," she says.

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