Toy stove

Toys companies create some toys specifically for boys and other toys especially for girls. Today, we recognize many toys and gender specific, and these toys teach children appropriate gender roles and occupations. Antique toys served the same purpose. Housekeeping toys, such as this late 19th-century tin stove, allowed girls to mimic their mothers as they cooked, cleaned, did laundry, ironed, and performed other household chores. In the process, girls learned the skills they would need to eventually care for their own homes. This toy stove came with miniature cookware, equipping young girls with the tools needed to pretend to cook and bake and encouraging them to embrace their future roles as housewives.