Buying toys
As advertising became more common and children's lives changed, they became more involved in choosing -- or at least asking for -- their own toys. Children also, of course, bought their own toys when they had the money to do so.
Over the course of the 20th century, American children took more and more control of their own toys and entertainment. With mandatory schooling and the banning of child labor throughout the country, children suddenly had significantly more time to play. Changing technology also exposed children to a wider variety of potential toys. Radio and later television produced programs directly aimed at children, and, in turn, aired ads pushing products that appealed to children specifically.
Toys also changed in response to social trends and developments. Electric toys became widely affordable in the 1920s and '30s and have remained a staple ever since. Planes and tanks have been introduced to toy soldier sets, and toy trains have become more sophisticated and realistic in almost perfect parallel to the advances in consumer electronic technology. Dolls have gone from primarily training girls to be mothers and homemakers to reflecting the world in which children find themselves.
