A friend of mine’s six-year-old daughter just composed a letter to Stan Lee asking if he would create Spiderman stuff for girls, because she LOVES Spiderman. How cute, right? Does anyone know if these items already exist? I’ve been searching without any luck. Thanks!
Junk food clothing (like you get at the Gap and Old Navy) might be a good place to try. We’ve bought pink and purple girly Superman and Batman ones there, and Wonder Woman too.
Our daughter just plays with the regular action figures, but she’s only 3 so I guess it hasn’t occurred to her that they’re “boys’ toys”.
Oh, she’s too young yet but a comic series to keep in mind is “Spiderman Loves Mary Jane” - the junior high girls my husband teaches love it!
What would constitute “Spiderman stuff for girls” as opposed to just “Spiderman stuff”?
I’ve seen Spiderman themed costumes, T-Shirts, lunchboxes, schoolbags, gumboots, Lego kits, action figures, and other toys… and the thing they have in common is Spiderman artwork / iconography. I can see more boys than girls being interested in these… but the items themselves aren’t really gendered… except perhaps the costumes… and that’s 'cos like… well… Peter Parker, not Patricia Parker, right? 
If a girl likes Spiderman, then the costume is fine for her. If she’s concerned about being Peter Parker, she can be Peter Parker’s little sister, Patricia Parker. Yes, it isn’t marketed that way, but why should we let society pigeonhole people into little distinct groups?
Why can’t a girl like Spiderman and play with trucks?
Why can’t a boy like playing with the Suzy Homemaker Oven?
Why can’t a girl like football?
Why can’t a boy want a pink bicycle?
Well, the last one is because it made his daddy very uncomfortable…
When my oldest son was 3 years old, he wanted a tricycle for his birthday, and I bought him a Big Wheel. As I was assembling it, I noticed that the color scheme was white and pink. Strange color combination, I thought, for what I assumed to be a gender neutral toy.
When I took out the decals and noticed they were all a bunch of hearts and rainbows, I suddenly realized I picked up the “girl’s model” and not the boy’s model". The boy’s model (on the box) is dark blue and black with flame decals. While the girl’s model is the already mentioned white and pink with heart decals.
I suddenly found myself in a very strange position for a liberal: It really shouldn’t make any difference to me what color my son’s bike is. I mean, “Free to Be You and Me” and all. Why can’t boys like pink? Why does pink have to be a girl’s color. Why is society making these gender based baseless distinctions? If my son wants a pink bike, why can’t he have one? Why should society push you into these roles?
But, deep down inside, I can imagine my son as he got older having a thing for Broadway show tunes and Judy Garland. And, it would all be my fault because I let my son ride a Pink and White Big Wheel when he was 3 years old. And, I got a double dose of guilt: The creamy nugget layer of guilt because I bought my son a pink and white Big Wheel, and the outer Crispy Chocolately outer layer of guilt because I felt guilty for feeling guilty about the whole thing.
Well, my son wanted his bike, and he didn’t seem to care about the color. I put on the decals, but I did draw the line at the pink hearts. I trimmed then into little circles. He loved it and rode around in it for years.
In the end, the pink tricycle didn’t make any difference. My boy grew up into a full fledge geek who likes Star Trek and studied Physics and Chemistry in school and he took absolutely no interest in Broadway show tunes.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
If I recall correctly, there is a “Spidergirl” series which stars the “current” spiderman’s daughter (it was technically cannon, before someone put Joe Q. in charge anyway). Plus the “Marvel Ultimate” alternate universe has a literal female spiderman; that is to say a clone of Peter Parker which had the DNA fiddled with to make a female Peter Parker with all his memories* (and added mammaries**).
There’s plenty of distaff counterparts for Spiderman floating about.
*Hurray for comic book science.
** I make no apologies for that pun.
I absolutely agree that both genders can play with all toys. Just curious… The comic books are along the lines of what I was looking for. Thanks!
The kid in the OP is six! There’s not that much estrogen in the water supply!
Anyway, as for toys and clothes, I agree she can just wear the boy’s versions. Which reminds me – my daughter’s grown out of her most recent Marvel Heroes shirt. Off to the Target!
–Cliffy