p in pretending to be grown up; but a girl who is a patterner would favor Barbie dolls to demonstrate what she would do as an adult. In the latter case, the child, or player, creates a small universe whose workings can change as her view of the world changes.Dramatists are likely to be the center of attention. They usually take command in a game, leading other children in the direction that they want the game to go. In observing the games of a four-year-old named Tommy, a dramatist, Gretchen Reynolds and Elizabeth Jones noted his aggressiveness in pretend playing. His games usually involved few “traditional” toys, utilizing objects in his environment as they progress. Tommy would assume a role as Batman or one of the Ninja Turtles and assign four or five friends to other roles. He would then guide the rest of the game in such a direction that the “good guys” would win over the “bad guys”; naturally, he would the head of the protagonists. On the other hand, patterners, because of their more introverted style of playing, are prone to play with fewer children. Their games involve less improvisation and require more “props,” such as doll houses or railroad sets. Patterners also usually play with children of the same sex, probably because of the type of toys they use.As before mentioned, there are certain toys that we are apt to label as more feminine or more masculine. In his “Amusements of Worcester School Children,” T.R. Croswell conducted an extensive poll on the types of toys that boys and girls prefer. He found that some items are not as gender-specified as traditionally assumed. Several boys played with girl toys such as dolls or stove sets for playing “house,” and some even placed those on their list of favorite toys. Some girls liked to play with wagons and toy guns.It is a commonly held view among child psychologists that for children, playing is a...
