Toy Company That Makes Classic Plastic Army Men Breaks The Mold By Also Making Female Toy Soldiers

Sep 13, 2019

Little girls are breaking gender norms all over the country. This is true even when it comes to playing with toy Army men. It isn’t just little boys who like to play with toy soldiers. No, girls also like to pretend that they are in the Armed Forces, which means playing with the little toy soldiers that you can set up to look as if they are in action.

However, all toy soldiers have been boys for many years. Shocking, isn’t it? Other toys are geared towards both boys and girls. You’ve likely seen Barbie and Ken and other male and female dolls. Stuffed animals are sold with both genders in mind. But you never see a girl toy soldier in the mix, do you?

One little girl decided that she didn’t want to wait for the companies to catch up with the times. If you have a girl who wants a toy soldier who looks more like them, then you won’t have to wait much longer! A company known as BMC Toys, located in Scranton, PA, is expecting to include female toy soldiers in their lineup of toys by next year.

This small toy manufacturer is one of the few companies who still makes these classic plastic toys. Jeff Imel, the owner of the company, stated that the toys have not gone out of style in decades. People have been buying toy soldiers since the 1950s. However, the toy has stayed relatively the same since that year.

Jeff stated that their company will begin to manufacture the new design next year. They also have the prototype to prove it. While he has been getting letters for years asking his company to produce the female soldiers, Jeff said that it was a letter from a 6-year-old little girl that provided the final push that he needed.

Jeff believes that girls who have female army soldiers may use them to be heroes of their own make-believe stories. He believes that it is a good thing for everyone. The company is expected to have the female toy soldiers ready by Christmas of 2020.

You can learn more about the Scranton company and the little girl who pushed them to produce the toys below:

Did you play with toy soldiers when you were a kid? Do you support this decision? Let us know in the comments, and then pass this on when you are done!