1. English primatologist Jane Goodall is best known for her expertise on chimpanzees and her work on animal welfare issues. Your animal-loving kiddo can “study” chimpanzees just like Goodall, with the Jubilee plush toy (named after Goodall’s favorite childhood toy) and read all about young Jane and her toy chimp in Me…Jane by Patrick McDonnell. $50 plush, $17 book.
2. American chef, author, and TV personality, Julia Child was one of the first women to host a cooking show on television, making French cuisine accessible to households across the nation. Little chefs-in-the-making can be a star in their own kitchen with the Pop-Oh-Ver stove set, which has a clever canvas design that easily turns a standard chair into a kitchen playset. Age three and up, $40.
3. After being rejected by countless medical schools because of her gender, Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States, proving that women can be doctors too. Inspire your own daughter to study medicine (or at least pretend) with the Pottery Barn Kids doctor kit, available at the Park Meadows location. Age two and up, $31.
4. The Mexican artist known for expressing herself through self-portraiture, Frida Kahlo explored gender, race, and identity in unseen ways through her art, ultimately becoming a feminist icon. The Barbie Inspiring Women Series Frida Kahlo doll inspires the next generation of young girls to paint their own reality through play. Other women in the series include Amelia Earhart and Katherine Johnson. Age six and up, $30.
5. As the first American woman in space and the first African-American woman in space, Sally Ride and Mae Jemison respectively set the stage for the female astronauts of today. Your child can suit up for liftoff à la these legends in the Melissa & Doug astronaut role play costume (ages three to six, $30). Or, get the whole family involved by building your own spacecraft and “exploring” outer space with the Lego Women of NASA set. Age 10 and up, $25.
