Final answer:
Gender-typed play emerges earlier than most people think. Children learn about gender roles and stereotypes through socialization, and parents' choices of toys can influence children's play preferences.
Step-by-step explanation:
Research shows that gender-typed play emerges earlier than most people think. Children learn about gender roles and stereotypes at a young age through socialization, which occurs through family, education, peer groups, and mass media. Parents often supply boys with active toys like trucks and toy guns, while daughters are given dolls and dress-up apparel. Studies have shown that children will most likely choose to play with toys that are considered 'gender appropriate' or same-gender toys, even when cross-gender toys are available. This preference is reinforced by positive feedback from parents for gender normative behavior.