Admit it, boys will be boys

While studying child psychology I observed boys and girls at play. I noticed that the girls would play happily with the 'girls' toys' and the 'boys' toys', while the boys would play with the 'boys' toys' but either showed a complete lack of interest in the 'girls' toys' or else adapted them to become something else. While working with pre-school-age children over the past 18 years I have met many exasperated parents who have made similar remarks, such as 'I've offered him a doll and a pram, but he's just not interested'.

When given free choice of activity in my nursery, the boys opt for outdoor play probably 98 per cent of the time. I think they are lucky to have that choice. Young boys need lots of physical play, both free and structured. As the curriculum in schools becomes narrower and more prescribed, so the possibilities for huge amounts of learning vanish. I can watch the children work with the large, hollow blocks in the garden. There they build, design, plan, compare, co-operate, count, problem solve, become involved in role play, extend their language and work harmoniously together.