Nerf Wants To Give Girls Foam-y Weapons

Your little princess isn't all about the tiaras and baby dolls anymore. A bow and arrow, however? That's more like it.

Thanks to the popularity of The Hunger Games' Katniss Everdeen, Divergent's Tris, and Brave's Merida, young girls are increasingly looking to entertain themselves with archery, action figures, and other traditionally boy-oriented toys. And companies like Nerf are happy to give them what they want.

From candy-pink bow and arrows to bad-ass Barbies, these playthings are a far cry from dainty tea sets and teddy bears. Though some critics oppose the overtly girly pink packaging, some moms say the toys strike the perfect balance for their daughters. "That’s who she is — girly and sparkles and loves to sneak my makeup, but loves the hero and being in charge,” one tells the Times of her budding warrior princess. It brings up an interesting conversation. While no one likes being "marketed" to using traditional gender stereotypes, maybe by adding some more typically "girl-friendly" signifiers, like color and designs, girls who might not think of themselves as heroes can begin to play. In other words, this may be a clever way to get girls thinking about action games. Or it can be just another "Bic For Girls," scenario, too.

Click through to see some of the biggest toys conquering this trend. (New York Times)