Let’s go back to 1992, I’ll set the scene:
It’s a brisk January morning (I’m not sure if it was brisk, but I’m setting the tone and it’s January so… yeah) and it’s my third birthday. The living room is littered with toys, a Sylvanian village set up and the best thing of all: a My Little Pony and Care Bear free for all.
I loved My Little Pony, loved combing the hair, washing them, playing make believe… it was a classically early 90’s “girlie” thing. Adam was a secret My Little Pony and Care Bear lover, but back then it wasn’t really considered something that boys could like.
Now though, we’ve evolved, the ponies have evolved with us and it’s my 4-year-old son and his little sister who embrace the magic together.
One of the things I’ve always want to inspire in the kids is that they can play with whatever they want to and that we don’t do gender roles or gender bias in our house. Lately, and rather sadly, Toby has started to tell me that My Little Pony is for girls, passing over his beloved Ponies to Edith to inform her that she can have them now, because she’s a girlie. It makes me so sad that he feels he can’t play with the ponies he once loved – perhaps it’s just a case of growing out of them, perhaps it’s more. I wrote a whole post about it which you can read here but recently there has been a turn of events and I wanted to share it with you!
When we last went to the cinema an advert came on for the new My Little Pony Movie and I had a very small, very engaged little boy on my right, who hunkered into me and whispered: “Mummy, can we go watch that?”
Well yes baby, yes we can.
So, to YouTube he went. Trailer after trailer, with Edith getting more and more intrigued in what her brother was watching. Argos has recently released a series of new My Little Pony toys, centered around the movie and full of excitement and fun.
Edie has fallen madly in love with the My Little Pony Movie Sea Song, insisting that every time she pushes the button on the shell everyone dances and rolls their arms in a bizarre and highly amusing 70’s style disco maneuver! Toby likes My Little Pony Twilight Sparkle and Spike set best because he loves the dragon and he’s always been a twilight sparkle fan.
In a way this love of My Little Pony seems to have brought the two of them closer together again. I’ve noticed that the kids are missing each other when they have all been at school, missing their companionship and the freedom to play together. When Toby comes home, Edith instantly starts shrieking at him “mine, mine, mine” when he touches any toy, takes a drink from his beaker, or plays with anything – a jealously and a typical two-year-old trait, but when it comes to the My Little Pony toys (ahem, excluding that My Little Pony shell that she wields to force us all to dance) she actually wants to *play* with Toby, they make believe, they bounce the ponies around and they seem to bond, preciously.
The My Little Pony Movie is due out on the 6th October! #ad
Oh I adore My Little Pony and love that they’re still being loved. Gorgeous photos.
It’s lovely when they come out of the ‘mine!’ phase and start to really play together, glad the toys helped!
My Little Pony played such a huge part of my childhood and this brings back so many memories. I also obsessed with Care Bears too!
Who didn’t love Care Bear amiright?!
My mummy used to play with My Little Pony and she remembers the pink sludge from the first VHS film. We think my little pony is for everyone especially the Lightening flight team boy characters from the TV series that Rainbow Dash aspires to! Can’t wait until the film comes out!
It’s going to be ace isn’t it?
I’ve never grown out of My Little Pony 🙂 And my son loves them too!
Snap!
I just love My Little Pony, I can’t wait for the new movie!
It will be the one movie I’m actually happy going to see for the kids haha!
It sounds like this movie it is going to be a success among the children. I don’t have any so I didn’t hear about this movie before, but I bet it’s going to take the children in a world full of adventure and excitement.
It absolutely will! They LOVE movies like this 🙂
This brings back memories of my childhood…used to love my little pony x
Me too x
I think kids for now are very fortunate. So many beautiful toys that are made for their generation. During my time, I always have barbie as a toy. This little pony are so cute! The kid in me alway want to have it.
I know – me too!
Oh that’s adorable! My two are 11 months and 2, and it’s strange to think that my youngest will be shouting ‘mine!’ at his older brother in a year’s time, getting his own back! I loved My Little Pony when I was little.
I love it too (still haha!)