Value proposition

Challenging gender stereotypes in childhood, especially in toy marketing, #letbooksbebooks, education and the media.

Let Toys Be Toys is a campaign that challenges gender stereotypes in childhood. It began in 2012 by a group of people who met online, frustrated by the increase in marketing and promotion to children, in the form of gendered signs in shop aisles and on book covers, that pushed narrow stereotypes and limited children’s choices and interests.

Since the campaign launched in 2012, we have successfully persuaded 15 major UK retailers to stop signposting toys as just for boys or just for girls.

Our Let Books Be Books campaign, launched on World Book Day in 2014, has convinced 11 UK publishers to stop labelling books for boys or girls including
Usborne, Ladybird and Scholastic.

Our research on TV toys ads and on toy catalogues revealed that things are still very gender stereotyped in the way toys are being advertised to differently to
boys and to girls, and we are continuing to put pressure on retailers and manufacturers to market more inclusively.

The campaign promotes good practice for shops that sell inclusively, and has awarded the Let Toys Be Toys Toymark to over 50 UK toy shops, booksellers and bike retailers, with many more shops nominated and awaiting assessment for the award.

Let Toys Be Toys supports schools and early years settings with a
range of online resources, including tips for teachers, lesson plans
using toy marketing as an accessible way in to discussions about
stereotypes, and materials for parents to help them raise an issue
with their child's school.