by Erin McKelle

It’s that time of year again- the holiday season! While this season often brings about cheer, happiness, and togetherness, there can definitely be some challenges. If you have cousins, nieces or nephews, siblings, or any family at all, you’re probably aware of the nightmare that is finding presents. I remember being young and everyone I knew asked me what I wanted for Christmas (it didn’t help either that my birthday was 2 weeks prior) and they always seemed completely lost. That, plus the fact that so many toys and other stuff for kids reinforce gender stereotypes, can make shopping a nightmare. But don’t worry, you have options! Here are just a few:

Reading Material:

Tom Tom Magazine: Drums  are often seen as a “masculine” instrument, and I can attest to the fact that there aren’t a lot of girls drummers, even in school music programs (I was one of the few I knew!). Drumming was something that really first opened my eyes to gender non-conformity and was a great introduction to the world of music.  I really enjoyed it, and it gave me an education in music that has served me throughout my life. I read this magazine back during my drumming days (someone gave me a subscription for Christmas one year) and it’s really fantastic. I remember most, if not all, drumming publications I read being male-centric and this magazine was different. It showed me that girls can be badass drummers! Wanna go all out? Think about getting her some lessons as well!

You Are Among Friends: Advice for the Little Sisters I Never Had: This book is a great buy for that “I’m not a girl, not yet a woman” teenager in your life. You Are Among Friends is a collection of advice that is rooted in empowering girls to stay true to themselves and love who they are when society is breeding insecurity and self-hate. As someone who grew up with no siblings, I really would have appreciated a book like this. Most people assume that advice books like this are something that goes in one ear and out the other, but I can tell you that in many cases, girls aren’t getting this stuff anywhere else. Most of the messages that girls receive are centered around beauty, fashion and boys, which creates a very narrow view of girlhood and doesn’t account for any other experiences they might be having. Also, parents usually have a hard time giving advice that isn’t loaded–they are parents after all.

Full Frontal Feminism by Jessica Valenti. This is a great introduction to feminism for teen girls–it was one of the first feminist books I ever read! Jessica covers a wide range of issues and breaks it down in an easy to understand, fun, and relatable way.  This would really be a great buy for any young woman who likes to read!

Or, check out our Feminist Reads Challenge! Click back through the tag to see what books the SPARKteam likes, loves, and recommends.

D.I.Y.:

Make coupons! No longer just for that time when you forgot it was Valentine’s Day, DIY coupon books are really fun gifts and a fun, creative way to spend some quality time together. If you aren’t artistic or don’t know where to start, look at this guide for inspiration!

Make a mixtape. Music is a great gift for people of all ages, and making a personal playlist is a great way to show someone that you’re thinking of them. Create a theme for the music (girl power, anyone?) and mix up the usual playlist fare by recording a personal message as one of the tracks. You can also make a graphic or design using any photo-editing program (Picasa is a great, free option!) so that it looks like an album–maybe even throw in an album booklet of pictures!

Create a Zine! Zines, or crafty homemade magazines (often of the feminist variety!) can make a really great, personalized gift! One idea is to make it a collection of memories and include yearbook photos, ticket stubs, baby pictures…get creative!

Toys:

Goldie Blox:  This company had a video that recently went viral (and then had some legal troubles) so it’s likely they’re already on your radar. Goldie Blox creates engineering toys for girls and wants to take down the stereotype of girls being both incapable and uninterested in STEM. A downside to Goldie Blox is that by making toys specifically for young girls, they are too in many ways reinforcing the gender binary–but many people wouldn’t see other construction sets as a great present for a girl, and this alternative makes that possible.

Queer Book Committee Coloring Books:  If you know a young girl who likes to color (or probably any girl under age 5), these gender-neutral coloring books will make a great gift! These can be great tools to get them questioning things they probably have already been socialized to know about gender and sexuality. Titles include “Girls Will Be Boys, and Boys Will Be…” and “Sometimes a Spoons Runs Away with Another Spoon.”  I really love how political these coloring books are without being intimidating. You can purchase these coloring books at the author’s Etsy shop. No time for shipping? Many small independent bookstores carry these titles–give your local one a call and ask!

Shopping for holiday gifts can be a daunting task, but try to use it as an opportunity to encourage girls to do things that they may not otherwise have been encouraged to do. Be political and refuse to buy Barbie or Bratz this holiday season!