Are LEGOs only for boys?

Source: Blattner Brunner

Of course not (or so any mildly progressive person would say).

But, as of the end of 2011, 91% of LEGO sets sold in the US were intended for boys.

To combat this, LEGO created "Friends," where girls build a pink & purple town called "Heart Lake City"!  

The LEGO characters:

• Decorate houses!
• Go to parties!
• Chill at the beauty shops!
• Eat cupcakes!

It's basically like Bratz dolls & Legos had a baby.

Why do girls need to build beauty shops while boys get to build Lord of the Rings, Dinosaurs, Heroes and Construction Sites?

Seems pretty messed up to me.

LEGO is a timeless toy, teaching kids to build and create; it should target all kids, not just the 50% of them that happen to be boys.  By that, I mean LEGO needs to provide positive female characters, not just lean on sexist stereotypes.

Lisa Congdon (amazing artist) & Maria Popova (amazing blogger) have teamed up to create The Reconstructionists, a year long celebration of remarkable women who have changed how we see the world.


My tip for LEGO: Follow "The Reconstructionists" and find some amazing female role models to build your "female" LEGO sets around.

We need less pink & purple cupcakes in the toy world & more Marie Curies!

(Source: Lisa Congdon)