This article is the fourth in a series designed to help parents, family members, educators, and community members better understand gender differences so we can more effectively support the children, youth, and families in our lives The first editorial examined how boys and girls differ in the way they see, the second explored how they hear, and the third focused on how they smell. This fourth installment turns to another essential sense–touch–and looks specifically at what research reveals about how boys and girls engage with toys. 

A 2009 study from Texas A&M University offers a striking example of how early these differences can appear. Researchers tracked the eye movements and hormone levels of three�’month�’old boys, measuring how long they looked at dolls compared with more traditionally “male” toys like balls and trucks. The pattern was clear: the higher the boys’ levels of male hormones, the more time they spent gazing at the stereotypically masculine toys. 

Today, many parents are encouraged to offer children gender�’neutral toys so they can choose freely between items traditionally marketed to boys or girls. The hope is that boys might develop more empathy by playing with dolls, and girls might strengthen spatial skills by playing with trucks. But research suggests that toy preferences may emerge long before children understand gender identity or what it means to be a boy or a girl. In several studies, infant girls showed a clear preference for dolls, while infant boys were more visually drawn to trucks. These early tendencies are later reinforced through socialization, but some researchers argue that the roots of boys favoring vehicles and girls gravitating toward dolls begin well before cultural expectations come into play. 

At the same time, many scholars caution against assuming these early tendencies are fixed. They argue that the experiences children have–from the toys they’re offered to the feedback they receive–can shape the brain in powerful ways. As neuroscientist Gina Rippon, author of The Gendered Brain, explains, if we could trace the developmental path of a baby girl or boy, we would see that their brains are influenced not only by biology but by a lifetime of cues. Toys, clothes, books, parents, teachers, schools, workplaces, cultural norms, and gender stereotypes all act as signposts, nudging children toward certain interests and skills and away from others. 

A different line of research asks whether toy preferences might be rooted in biology rather than social cues–and to explore that question, scientists have turned to an unexpected source: monkeys. Unlike human children, monkeys are never told that dolls are “for girls” or trucks are “for boys.” They aren’t exposed to marketing, peer pressure, or cultural expectations. Yet when researchers offered them a range of toys, the results looked strikingly familiar. 

In a 2002 study, female vervet monkeys gravitated toward dolls, while males spent more time with toy trucks. They even interacted with the toys in ways that resembled how young children play. Gender�’neutral toys, such as stuffed animals and picture books, were enjoyed equally by both sexes. When the experiment was repeated in 2008 with rhesus monkeys, the pattern held–though with a twist. Male monkeys strongly preferred the “masculine” toys, while females showed more flexibility. They leaned slightly toward dolls but were generally open to a wider variety of toys. These findings don’t settle the nature�’versus�’nurture debate, but they do raise fascinating questions about how early–and how deeply–our preferences may be shaped. 

Other research highlights differences in how boys and girls use touch to explore the world. Some studies suggest that boys may be more adept at building structures–like bridges made of blocks–because they tend to develop spatial�’reasoning skills earlier, including the ability to visualize how pieces fit together. Additional research shows that the brain regions involved in processing movement and spatial navigation often mature sooner in boys than in girls. This may help explain why some boys excel at tasks that require navigating space, though it certainly doesn’t mean girls can’t. It simply reminds us that understanding these developmental differences matters. Spatial skills influence far more than how children play with toys; they shape how young people learn, solve problems, and interact with the world. 

Dr. Diane Halpern, former president of the American Psychological Association, has long argued that biology and experience work together. As she puts it, “culture stretches biology.” A boy’s inclination toward trucks may have biological roots–seen across species–but culture can amplify or dampen those tendencies through the messages children receive about what is “for” boys or girls. 

The bottom-line is this: Both boys and girls come into the world with certain predispositions, including the kinds of toys that capture their attention, long before they understand cultural expectations. Nature and nurture are intertwined, but recognizing that interplay gives us an opportunity. By valuing a wider range of strengths–spatial, verbal, emotional, and beyond–we can create a more equitable future. The task now is to use this knowledge intentionally: to offer children diverse experiences, challenge limiting assumptions, and build environments where every child can explore their abilities without being boxed in by a narrow or dominant view of what their biology should mean. 

Susan R. Madsen is a Professor of Organizational Leadership in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University and the founding director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project.