Lovely multicultural toys, books etc.

[drspouse]

I've been on the lookout for things for our DCs (one is white and one is mixed but obviously I want our white DC to see that having brown skin is a good thing too) and I thought I'd share some things I've found and see what else people had found too.

Our nursery had a nativity set from Lanka Kade which had brown faces on people OTHER than the wise men, and this company also has a lot of dolls, and also some nice bits for kids' rooms e.g. astronaut, fairy decorations. I'm definitely going to get the nativity set for next Christmas and I think a doll for at least one of the DCs.

Chilli Melon do cards for both adults and children with Asian or black faces (many of the Asian ones are religious but there are quite a few that are more general and would work for many children with brown skin who don't have Afro hair).

I am currently on the look out for puzzles that have children of different ethnicities in the pictures as most of the ones with people on have just white people. Ditto things like card games/matching cards (both of ours are preschool age).

There are also quite a lot of good lists of books but I will leave it here for now and see what other people have to add? Some of our favourite books are Everywhere Babies, a Baby's Day book that came from Bookstart (there's one baby that looks exactly like our DC and the other DC gets very excited about this!), Ezra Jack Keats books, and Global Babies. There are a lot of books about lovely Afro hair too which we may get one or two of but that's not what either of the DCs' hair is like so it will be more of interest than personally a good example.

[HeadDreamer]

It's not book and puzzles. But ikea has multi-ethnic dolls. They are 'sexless' too and can be dressed up as a boy or a girl!

www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/categories/series/21132/

[drspouse]

I've seen pictures of those but haven't been to Ikea in ages, I think we need a selection next time I go!

[Sammy3]

My DC are older now but DD1 loved the Usbourne Happy Families card game which has different ethnicities. She adored the pictures and spent hours playing with them as if they were dolls/figures. We actually only played real card games with them a few times compared to how much she played with them on her own. She's not much of a board game person even today.

[drspouse]

Oh that looks great!

I think we'll have a loooong list for our next family birthday now...

[pinkmagic1]

For older girls the 'My Generation' dolls are lovely. There are lots of different skin tones and hair types to choose from.

[glenthebattleostrich]

Have a look at the childminding shop, eyp and other suppliers for childcare settings.

[SqueegyBeckinheim]

I remember DD getting My Two Grannies (pictured) out of the library, and a quick look on Amazon it seems that Floella Benjamin has created some other pictures books on the theme of mixed families.

[BikeRunSki]

Hape do an African American dolls house family, and a Caucasian family, although not a mixed family.

[INeedACheeseSlicer]

Barefoot Books have very good books, stories from lots of different cultures, and the illustrations of their picture books reflect lots of different ethnic backgrounds.

[drspouse]

glenthebattleostrich That's a great suggestion, I don't really think of looking at childcare suppliers normally.

I did find this Lego Duplo people set at an educational suppliers but I'm not completely sure I can buy from them, but I'm looking out for a set on Ebay that doesn't cost £100

[maracuya]

I bought my DD's Christmas gifts from Gnaana, and I have her birthday present picked out from there as well. It's books, toys, decor items, etc. with a focus on bilingualism for children of Asian descent, so they have stuff for several Indian languages.

[mumzuki]

This is a really useful thread - thank you drspouse for starting it. I'm searching for a book of traditional fairy tales illustrated with non-white characters, if anyone knows of one? TIA

[Sotaku]

This one is great. We also had a series with traditional fairy tales with non-White characters as well so I'll try to find them and post here.

[Sotaku]

It was the Jump at the sun fairy tales. They're also out of print but seems you can get them from other sellers.

[Sotaku]

Had to drop a DC before I could finish what I was writing. I noticed this book from a link on that last series. I'm sure we had this from that series. They also have one book in the series which appears to have oriental character illustrations.

[Sotaku]

I meant drop a DC off.

[Sotaku]

Last one I spotted from that series.

[SavoyCabbage]

Nick Sharratt's Goldilocks.

[PeaceLoveAndJaffaCakes]

We have another Bookstart book called Sometimes I Feel Sunny which shows lots of ethnicities.

[PeaceLoveAndJaffaCakes]

Oh and there's a new series on CBeebies atm called My Family, which has all different sorts of families, one being mixed race.

[arandomname]

drspouse I love Lanka Kade stuff!

We got one of their multicultural rag dolls from Kids Like Me at Christmas and DD loves it - Kids Like Me has lots of multicultural toys and other stuff.

Also, this is a great multicultural book for toddlers (not a fairy tale, just lovely I think) More More More said the Baby.

[drspouse]

Just coming back to this for some birthday present ideas and realised I forgot to mention The New Small Person which is a new-ish Lauren Childs book. I don't know if she has more Elmore Green books.

[golfmonkey]

Ready steady mo by mo farah - lovely for toddlers

[drspouse]

I got my DCs "Whose toes are those", it's a current favourite and "Whose knees are these" is on its way to stash for Christmas.

[drspouse]

Anyone got anything on their Christmas lists?

I got DD this book mainly because she does like her vehicles and it's harder to get a girl's book about them, but it is just right for her colouring.

But after getting it I realised it's aimed at a little girl who's getting a new baby sibling so we'll have to explain that's not happening!