Move Over Mom, Dad's Buying The Barbies This Year

The New York Times is reporting Mattel and other toymakers are marketing girls' toys to fathers, many of whom are doing the holiday shopping these days. In fact, for the first time in Barbie's 50-year history, Mattel has introduced a Barbie construction set.

This new marketing scheme reflects not only that dads are shopping as much as if not more than moms, but that parents want their girls to develop their spatial skills, which would ultimately help them compete with boys for careers in math, science, engineering, and technology jobs.

But have no fear, traditionalists. The sets made by Megablocks are pink, and the construction choices include fashion boutiques, mansions, and ice cream carts.