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Teaching children to recognise and celebrate diversity and difference is essential to healthy development, because it not only helps children be more accepting of others, but to also accept themselves and their own strengths and weaknesses. These resource books include picture books that are suited to reading with toddlers right through to older elementary/primary students. It includes books exploring differences in gender, race, religion, language, appearance and abilities. I feel this tool would be great for families and schools to incorporate into their life.

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Teaching children to recognise and celebrate diversity and difference is essential to healthy development - it not only helps children be more accepting of others, but to also accept themselves and their own strengths and weaknesses. This collection of picture books about diversity is about recognising what makes you special, celebrating being who you are, and celebrating the uniqueness of all those around you - family, friends, and those in the wider community.

This is a big and diverse list. It includes picture books that are suited to reading with toddlers right through to older elementary/primary (and dare say, even middle school) students. It includes books exploring differences in gender, race, religion, language, appearance and abilities.

If you are unfamiliar with a particular title, or would like more information, each book listed includes links to an Amazon or Book Depository page (these are affiliate links) where you can find further information and age recommendations.

I think this might just be one of my all-time favourite booklists in our Best Books for Kids collection!

50 Picture Books About Diversity & Difference

Froggy Green by Anna Walker
A fabulous first book for talking about differences with toddlers and preschoolers, Froggy Green was on high rotation with both of my children when they were small.
Available: Book Depository

We Are All Equal by P. Crumble
A gentle, joyful introduction to equality to share with your youngest book lovers.
Available: The Book Depository

It's Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr
Whatever your shape, size, colour, family makeup, likes or dislikes, in classic Todd Parr style we are reminded that it's perfectly okay to be uniquely you!
Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates
This simple, stunningly shared story about an umbrella with room to shelter all provides a beautiful conversation starter for important topics including inclusion, diversity and tolerance.
Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The Same But Different Too by Karl Newson
A wonderful book exploring the countless differences, big and small, between us all - with excellent rhyming text and beautifully vibrant illustrations. A great read aloud for younger children.
Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Booklist continues below.

by Renee Fogorty
A wonderful story demonstrating that prejudice can occur both within and between cultural groups, as Mary, a young, fair skinned Aboriginal girl, finds her place thanks to the wisdom of a community elder teaching the young people that identity transcends skin colour and that family, community, country, culture and spirituality is what being Aboriginal is really about.
Available: The Book Depository

The Colors of Us by Karen Katz
A celebration of the many different colours of skin from an artist's perspective - Lena is going to paint a picture of herself. She wants to use brown paint for her skin. But when she and her mother take a walk through the neighborhood, Lena learns that brown comes in many different shades.
Available: The Book Depository

A Kids Book About Racism by Jelani Memory
This book takes a complicated topic and makes it accessible to children. A great resource for facilitating conversations about race and racism.
Available: Amazon

My Two Blankets by Irena Kobald
An award winning story sharing how people can live together despite coming from the most diverse backgrounds: one of hardship, deprivation and want, the other a place of peace, abundance and prosperity, with important messages of hope, acceptance and friendship.
Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Picture Books about Diversity list continues below.

Not All Princesses Dress In Pink by Jane Yolen
Princesses come in all kinds and girls can jump in mud puddles and climb trees, play sports and make messes-all while wearing their tiaras... or not!
Available: The Book Depository

by Robb Pearlman
Pink is for Boys reframes the stereotypical blue/pink gender binary and empowers kids to express themselves in every colour of the rainbow, encouraging both girls and boys to enjoy what they love to do, whether it's racing cars or playing baseball or loving unicorns or dressing up!
Available: Amazon

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
"There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you." This award winning, positive and affirming book about the many reasons you might feel different, and starting in a new place when you know no one, and so much more. A great picture book for kids right up into middle elementary/primary grades.
Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

All the Ways to Be Smart by Davina Bell
A sweet, rhyming ode to all of the different ways a person can be smart - not just book smart but clever at making crafts or drawing pictures, or dancing, or even being brave.
Available: The Book Depository

Children's Books about Diversity list continues below.
For even more great books for kids supporting the development of social emotional skills - everything from making friends to bullying, check out our books about friendship collection.
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Christie Burnett is a teacher, presenter, writer and the mother of two. She created Childhood 101 as a place for teachers and parents to access engaging, high quality learning ideas.

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50 Picture Books About Diversity & Difference

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Teaching children to recognise and celebrate diversity and difference is essential to healthy development - it not only helps children be more accepting of others, but to also accept themselves and their own strengths and weaknesses.

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That’s not fair is a phrase repeated by preschoolers all the time! But a child raising issues of fairness provides a unique opportunity to teach kids to stand up to bias and injustice. This website gives great ideas on how to teach kids about preventing bias in their classroom and when they are out in public. You can find different books that point out unfairness in them and then have discussions with your students about how it isn't fair and creates bias in the books. This tool has many anti bias readings for ages 0-5.

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Anti-Bias Reading Activities for Kids Ages 0-5

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There’s no easier way for kids to gain empathy, and to truly learn about others than through a book.

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The girl in this story sees it happening, but she would never do these mean things herself. Then one day something happens that shows her that being a silent bystander isn't enough. This is a great tool to use even with talking about being anti-bias and not wanting to be the one that watches over students get picked on due to their skin type or cultural background. I feel this book is a great tool in incorporating teaching to stand up for yourself in the classroom.

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Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under.

Get Started

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online access fun thousands children great kids ebooks books

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Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under. Get Started

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Absolutely fantastic blog on how this kindergarten teacher exposes the kids to diversity and talks about race, skin color, different languages people speak. This is a great tool for showing all the different ways you can teach similar and different in your early childhood classroom. We need to learn and develop language, revisit stories, and learn friendship skills based on an understanding of similarities and differences. Bring it all back to the beginning!

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When I teach my Kindergarten students about diversity, I begin by giving them language they can use to understand differences and communicate with one another with respect.

Too often, adults avoid talking about skin color and race with young children, particularly white parents and white educators like me. The well-meaning ones who avoid the conversation tell themselves (despite considerable evidence to the contrary) that by not talking about skin color and race, children will simply not notice those differences and be naturally inclusive with one another, communicating "human" to "human."

The truth is, children notice differences from a very young age and, without deliberate and careful guidance by the adults around them, children are prone to developing misguided ideas about these differences, both because of in-group favoritism, and because of the stereotypical or biased images and messages children receive about people of color as they grow. All children need this kind of explicit instruction and open conversation, as this is an essential part of supporting all children's identity development.

My students, of all races and backgrounds, spend the first few months of school immersed in what one of my student's once labeled, "Same/Same/but Different." As we explore all the ways we are similar and different from one another, the students gain a foundational understanding of what makes us "same/same/but different". They also learn how to communicate across these differences with respect.

They learn about melanin and where skin color comes from.

They learn about different hair textures, colors, and ways of taking care of different kinds of hair. They learn to ask before touching one another's hair.

They learn about different family structures.

They learn that there is no such thing as boy colors, activities, and things, and there is no such thing as girl colors, activities and things.

They learn to ask questions rather than make assumptions about one another's identity, whether it be race, gender, ethnicity, etc. They learn there's a lot we can't tell by looking at one another.

They learn that diversity, in all forms, makes communities stronger.

And, when they learn about ongoing social problems such as racism, they learn to identify with allies and anti-racist models, of all races and ethnicities, and the importance of working together to solve ongoing, huge, social problems.

Kindergarteners participating in an exercise in which they look at, talk about and compare their skin colors.

In my classroom, we begin with stories and language. Kindergarteners learn best through repetition. Each time we use the language and re-visit a story around social problems, they are able to go deeper in their thinking on the topic and develop new understandings.

Over the years, I have become aware that this deep teaching around the topic of diversity has led my students to become more empathetic, and more likely to be what we call a "change-maker" - to take action when they see injustice or inequity around them.

Grown ups need skilling up when it comes to our understanding and communicating about race and racism. Many of us, especially white people like me, aren't encouraged to deepen our understanding of how race operates, nor are we encouraged to talk about racial difference and racism. That ignorance and lack of sophistication hurts us all and has devastated communities of color.

That's why we need to begin where we begin in kindergarten. We need to learn and develop language, revisit stories, and learn friendship skills based on an understanding of similarities and differences. We need to start at the beginning to have any hope of making real change.

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Same/Same/but Different. Creating an inclusive kindergarten.

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When I teach my Kindergarten students about diversity, I begin by giving them language they can use to understand differences and communicate with one another with respect. Too often, adults avoid talking about skin color and race with young children, particularly white parents and white educators like me.

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There’s no single correct way for raising inclusive, race-conscious, non-prejudiced kids, but there are certain ways to help in their development. This tool is great for the community to have for parents that have kids ages- 3-4 years old. Around this time, kids are more curious about ethnic and gender differences. The activity that is suggested is to supply a child with modeling clay in a vast array of colors and ask the child to make faces in every skin tone they can think of, then have them mix up the clay to make new colors.

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This story is part of From The Start: A Parent's Guide to Talking About Racial Bias, a series created in partnership with Johnson's®, Aveeno® Baby, and Desitin®. We're here to help parents tackle the difficult task of talking to their kids about race. With a topic this big, it can be hard to even know where to start - so we've teamed up with experts who have real answers to parents' questions.
There's no single recipe for raising inclusive, race-conscious, non-prejudiced kids, but there are certain ingredients to help in their development. In the 60 to 70 years since child psychologists have been studying the question, they have amassed a list of possible ingredients that are so varied as to be overwhelming. A far easier question to answer is what ingredients make up the mindset of a young kid's brain. It is built over time, and starts before they're even walking.

By 6 months into existence, babies are making rudimentary distinctions or preferences about colors and shapes. Shortly after that, by age 1 to 2, they are mixing in notions of fairness and compassion, AKA the "me first" phase. Sprinkle on a healthy amount of natural bias around ages 3 to 4. This will color their choices on everything from food to gender. Then by age 5, all of these ingredients come together in a blender with mastery of mobility, language, plus big improvements in comprehension skills, and voilà: A typical 5-year-old kid.

Based on this recipe parents can decide what kind of child they want to raise, and where and when to intercede, to make sure their child has the best chance of becoming a compassionate human with a sense of fairness and a kaleidoscopic worldview.

Here are just a few seemingly-simple games and activities that pack a tremendous punch in helping to shape such traits in our kids:

Ages 0-1: Open Their World

The first step toward an anti-bias journey is filling that child's world with a vast array of sensory experiences. Choose books that include faces in all shades. Fill your speakers with music from around the world. When playdates are safe, ensure that your familiar group isn't highly homogenous. And don't forget to demonstrate compassion and openness in your own interactions with other parents. At this age your little one is observing your every move

The more you open children's worlds, the more you expand their worldview. That could be as simple as going grocery shopping in a different neighborhood or as complex as taking them to cultural festivals or demonstrations. Ensure your child sees diversity as a part of everyday life: It will create a well-rounded status quo, and help them more clearly recognize and take action against injustice later in life.

Around age 2, children begin to really take notice of different physical features - some studies have even pointed to this age as when subconscious racial discrimination is first detected. This means it's time to instill in them the concept that things that look different can often be the same.

Sorting games involving multi-colored variations of things like beans, rice, or balls can teach kids that the same things can be different colors. Or you can hit them with the element of surprise: Take eggs of various colors and ask the child to tell you what's different about them, then, have the child crack the egg to reveal it's the same inside. A similar concept can take a more delicious turn with the addition of food coloring and treats.

Play dress-up: Ask a kid about their favorite things-books, foods, songs-then have them change clothes or dress up in a costume. Ask them the same questions again to show that they're still the same person no matter what they look like, then find a way to relate that back to the differences and similarities they see in individuals.

Ages 3-4: Explore Difference in Art

Around this time, kids are more curious about ethnic and gender differences. Luckily, this is also the time when a child's artistic impulses begin to emerge, allowing art to become part of anti-bias activities.

Supply a child with modeling clay in a vast array of colors and ask the child to make faces in every skin tone they can think of, then have them mix up the clay to make new colors. Similarly, ask them to paint themselves and their friends, paying attention to skin tone and challenging them to mix colors to get different shades - have them start with a light clay and add a brown/darker clay and vice versa.

Dolls and action figures also offer up opportunities to display a variety of physical features and clothing to help children develop a sense of equality and inclusivity. They also provide parents a window into how a child sees differences, especially with toddlers who like to group toys together. If you observe a child grouping and favoring white princesses and leaving out the princesses of color, for example, it's a good time to ask the child why they're treating one princess differently than others and how they'd feel if it happened to them.

Ages 5-6: Encourage Fairness, Equality, and Celebrations

With the sense of fairness now coming to the fore, kindergarten-aged kids begin to understand the impact of bias and prejudice more succinctly. They are quick to call out right and wrong, take stands, and push back.

This is a great time to implement role playing into activities. Follow up a book on diversity or civil rights by asking a child what they would do in a similar situation, and present alternative scenarios where they can put themselves in others' shoes in a safe place. Have them confront stereotypes and guide their conversations, and ask them how they'd make things better.

It's also a great time to introduce extrasensory learning, and holidays and celebrations are a great way to start. In the winter, particularly, a vast array of concurrent holidays from around the world offer up a chance for children to share their traditions and explore similarities and differences along with food and music. Meanwhile, sharing traditions from disparate cultures in a fun way can help kids get excited about learning customs they might not otherwise understand: For example, a talk about Juneteenth could start with introducing a taste of Red Velvet cake, with the treat offering an entry point to talk about the history of discrimination, slavery, and injustice.

Consider every conversation and experience as a way to shape a better tomorrow and raise a child eager to make the world a better place: Not a post-racial society, but one where the full human spectrum is cause for celebration.
For more stories, videos, and information on talking to our kids about race, click here.

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This story is part of From The Start: A Parent's Guide to Talking About Racial Bias , a series created in partnership with Johnson's®, Aveeno® Baby, and Desitin®. We're here to help parents tackle the difficult task of talking to their kids about race.

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This article is a great reading tool that leads to discussions surround empathy and anti-racism in the school districts. It all starts when we as educators are willing to lean into the difficulty and discomfort of social teaching and embrace the complexities that surround topics like race, equity and social justice that all began in 2020. Awesome blog about how educators can help lead this situation in schools.

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Will we as educators blaze a new trail or continue on the paths of injustice? An open letter to my colleagues.
Dear Fellow Educators,

I don't have to tell you, the demands on us are great. We juggle planning and grading; we strive for our students to show academic growth; and perhaps, most importantly, we push ourselves to create inclusive classrooms where our students can do more than become just founts of knowledge -- spaces where they can grow in empathy and compassion towards one another. At times, these lofty aspirations can feel daunting. But I wholeheartedly believe that if we truly want to see a better, more just world, the work begins now -- and with the children that we teach each and every day in our classrooms. After all, they'll eventually be the citizens, artists, innovators, and policy makers of tomorrow. So we must ask: will we be complacent and let them continue down the current paths of injustice we see within our country or will we empower them to blaze new trails of growth, healing and justice?

How do we start on a new path?
Such a goal, or even moral responsibility begs many questions, mainly: How can it be done?

The reality is that the work of promoting empathy and tolerance begins the moment we, ourselves, are ready to face it and tackle it with as much passion as we put towards improving their scholarship. It starts when we as educators are willing to lean into the difficulty and discomfort of social teaching and embrace the complexities that surround topics like race, equity and social justice in 2020. Children need far more than academic prowess to succeed in the world. It's our job to help them navigate social situations and to dismantle the systems that make it difficult for students to understand and show love and respect towards one another.

Accept implicit bias to create change
First and foremost, before we can confront intolerance with children, we must confront it within ourselves. For me, being a member of the LGBTQIA community and in an interracial marriage, I believed that I completely understood the challenges of being a member of a marginalized group and that I wasn't capable of subscribing to painful stereotypes. This thinking stayed the same until I began participating in training with my colleagues where I listened to the experiences of other educators, and even shared my own. It's imperative that we learn from one another, collaborate on solutions, and most importantly, take the time to engage in necessary conversations around racism and the inequities that exist in America's education system. I now accept and better understand implicit bias because, whether we like it or not, we live in a world that feeds us harmful and often dehumanizing ideas and generalizations about specific groups. So we must recognize and dismantle our own unconscious biases because they affect our perceptions of our students. Dismantling these falsehoods (or at least noticing that they exist and working towards undoing them) gives us the ability to break down the cycles and systems that discriminate against and oppress many of our students.

Normalize diversity to thrive in a multicultural world
After beginning the work within myself and accessing valuable resources, I spent much of this past school year with the notion that we cannot simply celebrate diversity, but we must also normalize it. Normalization for children helps them grow into adults who accept and thrive in a vibrant, multicultural world rather than fear it or resist it. We can hope that children who are taught how to be open-minded, collaborative, and accepting become adults who possess these same characteristics. When multiculturalism is recognized and prioritized in our classrooms during children's most formative educational years, naturally the ability for them to empathize and practice anti-racism is done sooner than later in their lives. It's unacceptable for college or the workplace to be the first space where a person faces, learns about and works alongside someone of a different race, sexuality or belief system.

Change thinking and remove ingrained systems
Making the commitment towards equity and anti-racism at school involves a shift in thinking, changes in practice and removing policies and systems that create barriers. Our journey is one of continual growth, learning and improvement. As a first step, we can actively diversify our storybooks, read-aloud texts, and canons of literature to reveal the lives of Asian, Black, Indigenous, LGBTQ, Jewish, Latinx and Muslim characters. We can acknowledge annual holidays outside of the Christian tradition. And we can evolve our teaching practice to include digging into (rather than avoiding) open conversations when we witness bullying and microaggressions; validating the opinions and emotions of students when they experience both the joys and trials of their individuality; participating in different alliances and student unions for the students that don't feel represented within the school community at large; talking to our students and families about their school experiences; communicating with school administrators about improving school policies around equity and providing teachers opportunities for continued professional growth and learning.

Expand diversity learning throughout the year
The best part of this work is that it's not "seasonal," but rather all-encompassing. Specifically, the teaching of Black history must not start and end in the month of February and should not be limited to the topics of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement, just as Asian, Latinx, or LGBTQ history is not linked to an isolated month of the year or to one notable individual within that specific culture. Further, the best education around these cultures highlights the historical obstacles, but more importantly, the joys and triumphs too. Similarly, it doesn't have to exist apart from your academics as a separate entity -- it can be intentionally woven into your academic lessons to both supplement and enrich them. Always consider and offer your students alternatives to the prevailing, dominant narrative because this is often the white narrative which sometimes carries incorrect notions of supremacy that are tied to systemic racism.

To achieve equitable systems in the world, start in the classroom
With all of this in mind, I accept and do this work the best that I can and with as much energy and fidelity as I can bring given the highs and lows of a typical school year. Even with the challenges, I would argue that if we want equitable systems in the world, we must create equitable systems and conditions in our classrooms first. Intentionally becoming a better model, initiating more anti-racist interaction, and creating room for all of your students to bring something personal and valuable to the table are easy ways to get the changes started. We must accept that we as teachers are agents of change in the minds of students, parents, colleagues and the community. I've seen how even a small shift in our practices can make a monumental difference. We as teachers must own our impact, embrace this work and break away from the systems that diminish the diverse students we serve. With that power, I invite you to join me so that we can know better, be better and do better by all of our students together.

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prioritizing empathy and anti-racism in schools

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Prioritizing Empathy and Anti-Racism in Schools | PBS Education

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Will we as educators blaze a new trail or continue on the paths of injustice? An open letter to my colleagues. Dear Fellow Educators, I don't have to tell you, the demands on us are great.

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Angus loves sparkly things but when he wears a beautiful necklace from his gran he is teased by his classmates. Crushed, he loses his love of shiny objects.

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Using some of these books and incorporating them into your classroom will help students have a more positive sense of identity and allow them to feel confident about themselves and be more open-minded when meeting other people. Telling our students there are girls’ things or boys’ things, reinforces gender bias and what is right or wrong for them to do or like. These books here help eliminate that!

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Visual schedules are used commonly in special education classrooms for students that need to see where they are going or need to be. A visual schedule communicates the sequence of upcoming activities or events through the use of objects, icons, words, or a combination of tangible supports. Visual schedules are designed to match the individual needs of a student, and may vary in length and form. Lastly, it helps make the child or adult become more independent. Great tool for those that need it!

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Many children on the autism spectrum benefit from routines and structure. But how do we, as parents, provide this structure for them? It's really easier than you think when you use free visual printables for autism.

In fact, all it takes is a little bit of repetition and you'll have created a functional daily routine and schedule for your child in no time at all. Still confused as to the how and the why? Or maybe you just want to start simple?

I've got you covered there too with my free printable daily schedule for autism- designed to help you with setting up a functional routine at home.

Why use a daily routine schedule printable?

Sweet B, because of her autism, is a very visual person.

We use visual schedules for her at home and she also uses them at school. Additionally, she uses PECS (the Picture Exchange Communication System) to communicate at both home and school. Because of this I wanted to try out a new visual schedule for her, in hopes that we would be able to begin using that one at home instead.

Thus, the daily routine printable that you see here was created! This was one of the firstprintable packs that I created and remains one of my favorites.

Visual schedules are so important for my non-verbal daughter. So I have made it a goal, here at Kori at Home, to make and share free printables for autistic children to help fellow moms, caregivers, and educators. It ties in to the main mission and vision for what I do.

My friend Kim over at Natural Beach Living also has an amazing resource for daily visual schedules for kids.

After stumbling on Edu-Clips, I knew I was set.

The variety in the set was just what I was looking for and I figured that if I just printed in black and white, we would be okay. We're still making the transition over to this schedule as she was used to a different one, but the transition is going mostly okay.

When it comes to starting a daily schedule for autistic children, sometimes you'll want to start simple and build from there.

Can I use this as a daily routine for a 9 year old?

This schedule was meant to be adapted for any age. It can be used for a pre-reader or for a child who is looking to increase their independence. So yes, I would say with some modification and repetition that yes you can use this for a 9 year old.

In fact, I think using this for a 9 year old greatly helps to increase their independence in creating a routine that works best for them. It helps to take the chaos out of the morning, after-school, and evening portions of their day. Combined with other elements of my free Visual Schedule toolkit (download below), you can combine more parts to create a routine.

Can I use this as a daily schedule for kids at home?

Absolutely yes! That's really what it was designed for in the first place. The morning routine cards are better suited for children who are already in school. Though with the preschool day or homeschool schedule (which you can find in the Visual Schedule toolkit), you can easily swap out and replace those elements as well.

And even though this says it's for Autism, you could also use this with a non-reader or any child who thrives with visual schedules.

You can also use this as a visual schedule for a toddler or preschooler.

The main point of it was just to have a starting point for creating and implementing visual schedules.

What's inside the Daily Routine Printable

The printable pack includes:

* Morning chart, evening chart, blank chart, and routine cards. Also included are suggestions for use outside of a visual schedule.

* By downloading this printable, you are agreeing to my Terms of Use

* I would love to know what you think if you've downloaded this set!

* If you have suggestions for future printable packs, please let me know! I'm open to suggestions.

To get started with visual schedules, download the Autism Family Life Toolkit for Parents of Autistic Children

What's inside the Visual Schedule Toolkit:

Be on the lookout for a brand new version coming out soon! And if you simply cannot wait that long, I also have a Personal Schedule printable pack for sale in my shop! This printable packs takes the best of my printable schedule concepts and adds on.

Looking for more transition aids? Be sure to check out these simple transitional strategies for autistic kids.

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Free Printable Daily Schedule for Children on the Autism Spectrum

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Many children on the autism spectrum benefit from routines and structure. But how do we, as parents, provide this structure for them? It's really easier than you think when you use free visual printables for autism.

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I chose this because it celebrates families of all kinds. It is a My Family Builders activity done with Magnetic Family members. Giving kids the opportunity to see themselves in the books that they read and the activities that they play is so important. It’s never too early to teach kids that all families are different, and that love is what makes people into a family.

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No two families are alike. Some families have 1 parent. Some families have two moms or two dads. Other families may have stepparents or several generations living under one roof. Each family is unique, and it is important for kids to learn that love is what makes a family. Thankfully, there are lots of amazing books and products available now to help kids learn about all of the different family dynamics out there. Today, I'm thrilled to introduce you to a company that wants to teach kids about different families through play. I also gathered a list of some of the top books to help kids learn about what makes a family,
Standard Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission from purchases you make through the links in this post. I received a copy of the product and payment in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Celebrating Diverse Families Through Play

MyFamilyBuilders is a toy company that aims to create toys which recognize all kinds of families. When founder Eze Karpf couldn't find a toy that represented his friend's multiracial family, he set out to create a line of toys that would allow families to feel represented in the toys they are sharing together. We were lucky enough to try out their latest product, the MyFamilyBuilders ™ Magnetic Mix & Match Wooden Shapes.

This set of magnets includes 60 pieces, which allow for up to 6800 possible combinations! The pieces include a mix of heads, upper bodies and lower bodies in different sizes including various skin tones, hair colors and heights. There are also pieces that include wheelchairs. I do wish that there were pieces with gray or white hair to accommodate grandparents or older parents. However, for a starter set, it covers a lot of bases! It even includes a little cat and dog which were my daughter's favorites (of course!). It also comes with a nice storage bag which is helpful for keeping all the pieces together. I also love the little magnet which reminds kids to be who they are. Such an important message for kids to learn and embrace!

Safety & Quality

I am the mother who is always worried about magnets. So I was thrilled that these pieces had the magnets along the entire back of the wooden shape, so there aren't small pieces that could detach. The designs are also painted directly onto the wood with nontoxic water based paint, so they are durable for small hands. This set is labeled for 3 and up due to small pieces, but my 2 year old really enjoyed playing with them too (under supervision).

This set is a great way to introduce kids to diversity and start a conversation about differences. MyFamilyBuilders also offers block sets and wall stickers, giving families even more ways to play together. I highly recommend checking out their products and introducing your kids to other types of families.

Recognizing that All Families are Unique

Giving kids the opportunity to see themselves in the books that they read and the toys that they play with is so important. It's never too early to teach kids that all families are different, and that love is what makes people into a family. I love that diverse families are being celebrated by companies like MyFamilyBuilders. Check out these awesome read-alouds for more ways to celebrate what makes a family.

One Family was written by George Shannon and illustrated by Blanca Gomez. This spin on a counting book shows kids how families can be large or small, and can be made up of people of all different races, ages and genders. But they all make up one family.

Stella Brings the Family was written by Miriam B. Schiffer and illustrated by Holly Clifton-Brown. This sweet story follows a little girl named Stella who is worried about the Mother's Day party at school. She has two dads, and she doesn't know who she should invite. This adorably illustrated book reminds readers that a lot of people can make up a family, and that love is the most important part!

Heather Has Two Mommies was written by Lesléa Newman and illustrated by Laura Cornell. Heather loves the number two, and she loves her two mommies. When Heather goes to school for the first time, she and her classmates learn that not all families are alike.

Celebrating all kinds of differences

The Family Book was written and illustrated by Todd Parr. This book celebrates families who are different in all kinds of ways. From big differences to small ones, this book reminds us that all families are unique, and that all of us share love.

My Family Tree and Me was written and illustrated by Dušan Petričić. This book tells the story of both sides of a young boy's family over many generations. Reading the book from the beginning shows the father's side, while reading it from the end introduces the mother's side. The middle of the book shows both sides of the family in a two page spread. This book shows how families develop over generations, and how everyone in the family is connected.

Who's In a Family was written by Robert Skutch and illustrated by Laura Nienhaus. This colorful book shows many ways that families can be different. It also shows how families are made up of the people who love you most.

All Families Are Special was written by Norma Simon and illustrated by Teresa Flavin. When they find out that their teacher is about to become a grandmother, all of the kids in the class want to share about their own families as well. This book covers a wide array of family dynamics, teaching kids that all families are unique.

Celebrating What Makes Your Family Unique

MyFamilyBuilders provides kids with an opportunity to play with toys that resemble the unique individuals who make up their family. These open ended toys also allow for families to have an important conversation about similarities, differences and what makes a family. With everything going on today in our country and in the world, it is more important than ever to encourage the next generation to celebrate diversity and embrace our differences!

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Celebrating Diverse Families | Babies to Bookworms

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No two families are alike. Some families have 1 parent. Some families have two moms or two dads. Other families may have stepparents or several generations living under one roof. Each family is unique, and it is important for kids to learn that love is what makes a family.