Black toys

[chibchibpapa]

What are everyone's favourite black toys? I have a few dolls but I'm struggling to find a wider range of different types of toys eg a snakes and ladder board or small plastic figures with a range of skin tones.

These are all so great. Thanks!

I once bought my daughter the manon doll and made such a huge fuss about how it was such a beautiful colour that she assumed I was obsessed with it and now makes me sleep with it every night. Have now learned that I need to play it cool whenever I'm introducing toys with melanin into her life.

On Netflix Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous has a black boy as one of the main characters & The Deep has POC too.

@chibchibpapa

These are all so great. Thanks!

I once bought my daughter the manon doll and made such a huge fuss about how it was such a beautiful colour that she assumed I was obsessed with it and now makes me sleep with it every night. Have now learned that I need to play it cool whenever I'm introducing toys with melanin into her life.

OP that is hilarious! Honestly can’t stop laughing, I’m just imagining your DD, ‘You take it mummy, you sleep with it”.

May I recommend trying the educational sites? Eduzone.co.uk have a range of white, black, Asian and mixed race dolls as well as other resources.
Lottie dolls also have black dolls. They've just brought out a Mari Copeny activist doll.

Laura Henry, who wrote Jo Jo and Gran Gran, is a well-known early years expert. She's done a lot of professional training courses and consultancy as well.

Isabella (M&S) discontinued I think

Ava rag doll from (Jojo Maman Bebe) it's customisable and one of my go to Xmas presents for new nieces. It always seems to be sold out in November (sigh) so get in early.

Barbie on the left

Nana Yaa doll on the right

www.etsy.com/uk/listing/551362917/black-african-doll-nana-yaa

https://sorenshouse.co.uk/products/olli-ella-holdie-folk-fleur

https://sorenshouse.co.uk/products/plan-toys-doll-family-1 (constantly sold out )

Link for the Ava doll

https://www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/d6621.html

We've struggled with non doll toys too @chibchibpapa especially books! We just tend to get animal themed stuff. They changed the works 10 for £10 offer so they're in bundles and I wish we stocked up on books to giveaway for family.

UK big retailers definitely are far too slow catching up with black demand. Maybe it's a good thing though for black owned small business though as it definitely encouraged us to be less lazy/typical with our shopping.

A couple of books DD has are:

Look Up! https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0241345847/ref=cmswwrcppapiii_cITDFb9S047HZ

Ada Twist, Scientist: 1 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1419721372/ref=cmswwrcppapiii_MITDFbZXTMG3W

Lidl were selling some black dolls about a month ago. They may still have some in stock where you are.

I know of someone who bought a knitted doll from a woman selling in Touchwood shopping centre. Also IKEA used to have a black male baby doll

www.thetoyshop.com/baby-pre-school/3-4-years/Nella-The-Princess-Knight-Transforming-Figure---Princess-Knight-Nella/p/534454

Nella doll on sale at the entertainer!

The animated movie Home? We had fun watching.

www.cissywears.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Doll

Cissy Wears does lots of dolls (plastic and fabric ones). There is a shop near Kings Cross in London.

I'm alarmed to admit that I have never clocked how few male characters are black in children's TV. That's a real worry and it makes me wonder why black female characters are represented so much more frequently than black male ones?The cynic in me suspects there are a lot of racist perceptions around black boys being played out here.
I'm going to look more closely from now on.

A few TV shows with main characters that aren't white.
Bits and Bob.
Elena of Avalor.
I'm sure in PJ masks Catboy and Owlette aren't white.
And there a male black character In She-ra showing on Cbbc and netflix.
Theres a few others, cant think of the off the top of my head.
Miraculously ladybug has a diverse cast. Ladybug herself is mixed race. Her mum is chinese and dad white. The other male main character is white. But all their friends are very diverse.

We were gifted this book by black British author and illustrator. Lovely story as well https://www.waterstones.com/book/look-up/nathan-bryon/dapo-adeola/9780241345849?awaid=3787&utmsource=redbrain&utmmmedium=shopping&utmcampaign=css&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI22eR5fuH7QIVE5OyCh0K7A0uEAQYAyABEgLS8DDBwE&awc=3787160556073555b542c2f5166692ded4c2ab3ab42974e

Lanka Kade are good for a representative range of skin colours and we got a (very expensive) Lego Education Duplo people set that was also more representative.

Our Generation Dolls are good.

They are an American brand so they have a wide variety of dolls including black/ hispanic, etc.

They have a lovely range of clothes and accessories too

For example www.ourgeneration.co.uk/product/malia-and-pet-poodle/

Ooh look at this one: she is a doctor!

www.ourgeneration.com/shop/dolls/meagann-doctor-doll

Books.. Handa,s surprise and handa,s hen. The story set in Kenya. Mama panya,s pancakes. Another African based story. (can,t say which country.) meat me at the cross roads. (I think it,s south African.)
Amazing grace.
Lima,s redhot chilli.
I love my hair.
Eat up Gemma.

All for pre-schoolers.

There’s a major character in Captain Underpants who is a black boy. He’s called George Beard. Captain Underpants is on Netflix and the books are brilliant for reluctant readers.

I can do some good books with black leads:

Billy and the Beast
Billy and the Dragon
Do not take your dragon to the library
Ada Twist scientist
Dave and the tooth fairy
Anna Hibiscus
Little leaders, little lives
Izzy Gismo
Snowy Day
Over and under

My son was happy when Miles Morales became Spider-Man