Gender roles are taught to us very early in our lives. In the hospital, when babies are born, they are wrapped in a pink or blue blanket depending on the sex of the child. From our first moments in the world, we are inundated with ideas about what it means to be a girl or a boy. Learning gender roles is an important aspect of a child's socialization. Ideas about masculinity and femininity can come from a variety of sources: parents, the media, the school system and more. However, a subject certainly less discussed, toys also play an important role in the introduction of gender roles in children. A good example comes from the Toys “R” Us website. On this website, consumers can search for toys by gender. This type of gender-based toy categorization has become very controversial over the past decade. Where does this idea of ​​associating pink with girls and blue with boys come from? Why is Barbie considered a girl's toy and Lego a boy's toy? This essay will discuss how toy manufacturers reflect gender stereotypes through toy design and advertising and the impact of these gendered toys on socialization. It is important to understand how toys perpetuate gender stereotypes in order to become better informed consumers in a convoluted, advertising-centric world. Gender Marketing Through Color The most visually obvious way toy manufacturers advertise toys for girls and boys is through color. According to a study by Auster & Mansbach (2012), “color palette… is an important aspect of gendered learning that allows children to begin to associate objects, including toys, with one gender or other ". It's no secret to toy marketers, this fact is an integral part of toy manufacturers' knowledge and has a direct impact on how...... middle of paper ...... -girls-you-are-not-the-princess-and-life- not-fairytale-153788Gendered toys. (nd). Examining Gender: A Look at Popular Culture. Retrieved February 27, 2014 from http://examininggender.weebly.com/Griner, D. (November 19, 2013). "Three girls crush gender roles in Smithereens in Toy Company's glorious first ad". Advertising week. Retrieved February 25, 2014, from http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/3-girls-smash-gender-roles-smithereens-toy-companys-glorious-debut-ad-153969 Irvine, M. (May 26, 2009). ). Is princess syndrome bad?. Daily Herald. Retrieved February 27, 2014, from http://www.questia.com/library/1G1-200630360/is-princess-syndrome-badMarcos, I. (November 14, 1998). Here we go Barbie: A Doll's Story. The Guardian, p. 16. Retrieved February 28, 2014 from the Lexis Nexis academic database. Shlomo, A. (2002). Imaginative game for children, a visit to Wonderland. Westport, CT: Praeger.