As the mother of two young girls, I can tell you that girls get a lot of princess crap for their birthday. Books and jigsaws and Playdoh kits, all Princess themed, as though girls couldn’t possibly be interested in anything without the help of a glittery tiara. It’s somewhat depressing. And I say that as somebody who is openly anti-Princess, so I imagine other girls get even more Princess stuff without being held back by their feminist mothers.
If you’re looking for something a little more imaginative, perhaps something that will help the little girl in your life grow into a fierce woman, here are a few suggestions for gifts for feminist kids:
Every house should have a copy of the Rebel Girls books. In fact, hotels should have a copy in the bedside drawer. Rebel Girls is the bible for modern young feminists. Each book features 100 inspiring women from all walks of life. Whether you’re a budding mathematician, the next Beyonce, or hoping to save the world from climate change, you’ll find women to inspire and amaze you.
The young feminists in your life probably already have the first book, but the sequel has only recently hit the shelves in the UK so this would make an excellent gift.
Shuri is sassy, clever, brave and strong. She’s arguably a pretty radical feminist role model. Superhero games are always popular on the playground and it’s not hard to see why. Superheroes have magical powers and spend their lives battling evil, so it’s no wonder kids like pretending to be their favourite superheroes. This Pop Vinyl Shuri figurine will help your budding feminist to get lost in imaginative play.
Lego is brilliant for inspiring creativity, play and building know-how. By the time girls leave primary school, most have already decided they’re no good at maths and science. Not because it’s true, but because these beliefs are widely held in society and they filter down to kids. This sought-after Lego kit celebrates inspiring women from Nasa including Sally Ride who famously did not need 100 tampons for her six day mission in space (best story ever).
4. A Microscope
All budding feminists need a microscope. They can be used for scientific research, for animal tracking and to play spies with. They are an essential piece of kit to any young feminist. Ebony got one for Christmas along with a bunch of spare slides so she can collect things to look at. There are loads of different microscopes on the market so make sure you read the reviews to pick the one that sounds best suited to your mini-feminist.
If we want to get more women into STEM jobs, we need to encourage little girls to love science, maths and problem-solving. Luckily, little girls already love these things, it’s just unfortunate that society tells them they shouldn’t. This game encourages kids to use their maths know-how, teaches them new skills and proves that maths can be fun.
This is a collaborative post.
