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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Diversity Artifacts For Dramatic Play
EAP 05:40 AM 12-08-2012
What do you have that the kids love? I have the Melissa and Doug sushi and dolls but need to add more for FCCERS.
Angelsj 06:50 AM 12-08-2012
Not sure if it fits, but I have duplo people that the children love to play with. They come in a variety of ethnicities, but also in out of the norm roles, such as female construction workers or doctors.
Doll house with different families (particularly larger families living together like grandparent or aunts and uncles.) I like to buy two or three families, and put them out in varying groups. For example, I will put out a family with an African american father, a blond/blue eyed mom and hispanic children, and a grandmother. It has sparked some discussion with school aged children, particularly since most of mine come from such families (mixed ethnicities.)
I do have some mexican/puerto rican foods in the play center as well.
Perhaps some dress up clothes from many cultures?
Doll house with different families (particularly larger families living together like grandparent or aunts and uncles.) I like to buy two or three families, and put them out in varying groups. For example, I will put out a family with an African american father, a blond/blue eyed mom and hispanic children, and a grandmother. It has sparked some discussion with school aged children, particularly since most of mine come from such families (mixed ethnicities.)
I do have some mexican/puerto rican foods in the play center as well.
Perhaps some dress up clothes from many cultures?
EAP 07:23 AM 12-08-2012
Originally Posted by Angelsj:
Not sure if it fits, but I have duplo people that the children love to play with. They come in a variety of ethnicities, but also in out of the norm roles, such as female construction workers or doctors.
Doll house with different families (particularly larger families living together like grandparent or aunts and uncles.) I like to buy two or three families, and put them out in varying groups. For example, I will put out a family with an African american father, a blond/blue eyed mom and hispanic children, and a grandmother. It has sparked some discussion with school aged children, particularly since most of mine come from such families (mixed ethnicities.)
I do have some mexican/puerto rican foods in the play center as well.
Perhaps some dress up clothes from many cultures?
Our doll house is in another area (diaper changing has its own mini toy area to be in compliance for sanitation and near a hand washing sink), but I love the idea of diverse family's for that area. Did you make your own dress up clothes ? I made a smock from African fabric and don't mind making more things.Not sure if it fits, but I have duplo people that the children love to play with. They come in a variety of ethnicities, but also in out of the norm roles, such as female construction workers or doctors.
Doll house with different families (particularly larger families living together like grandparent or aunts and uncles.) I like to buy two or three families, and put them out in varying groups. For example, I will put out a family with an African american father, a blond/blue eyed mom and hispanic children, and a grandmother. It has sparked some discussion with school aged children, particularly since most of mine come from such families (mixed ethnicities.)
I do have some mexican/puerto rican foods in the play center as well.
Perhaps some dress up clothes from many cultures?
MarinaVanessa 09:17 AM 12-08-2012
You can post "picture frames" (posters) on the wall near your dramatic play area with photos of children around the world.
You can also add costumes (or bits of costumes) from around the world. I have a flowered blouse and matching skirt regional to mexico for the girls and a mariachi hat and red neck bow for the boys, native american costumes (a sexual), lederhosen (spelling?) costume for boys and a dirndl costume for girls and asian smock and pants. Most of this stuff I get from yard sales and thrift stores but some have been old holloween costumes of ours, some have been given to me and some (like the native american costumes) were made by my mom (my sister and I wore them when we were kids).
You can aldo just add decor and accessories of things from around the world to your dramatic play area like chop sticks, furniture style of a country (a provider frind of mine has the sweetest colorful table set that she brought back from a trip to mexico) but you can make colorful tissue flowers with the kids and put them in a vase, asian paper lanterns.
I think overall adding the costumes for me was the easiest way to go. You can buy them and they can be pricey but they're so much fun and if you know someone that can sew and has a little extra time you can buy the fabric and have some made for you or do what I do and snatch these up at yard sales and thrift stores.
You can also add costumes (or bits of costumes) from around the world. I have a flowered blouse and matching skirt regional to mexico for the girls and a mariachi hat and red neck bow for the boys, native american costumes (a sexual), lederhosen (spelling?) costume for boys and a dirndl costume for girls and asian smock and pants. Most of this stuff I get from yard sales and thrift stores but some have been old holloween costumes of ours, some have been given to me and some (like the native american costumes) were made by my mom (my sister and I wore them when we were kids).
You can aldo just add decor and accessories of things from around the world to your dramatic play area like chop sticks, furniture style of a country (a provider frind of mine has the sweetest colorful table set that she brought back from a trip to mexico) but you can make colorful tissue flowers with the kids and put them in a vase, asian paper lanterns.
I think overall adding the costumes for me was the easiest way to go. You can buy them and they can be pricey but they're so much fun and if you know someone that can sew and has a little extra time you can buy the fabric and have some made for you or do what I do and snatch these up at yard sales and thrift stores.
MarinaVanessa 09:29 AM 12-08-2012
Oh I forgot because I wasn't looking at it.
Here's something that you can do and make yourself.
You can also print color pictures of children from around the world and add a label to it and name that child a traditional name from that country and give them a pretend phone number. Laminate the printout and hole punch it and put it in a binder or tie them all together with yarn or ballon string. Put it next to a small table with a play phone and it can work as a telephone book for "all of our friends". (easier way)
I do something similar but instead of printing the pictures on paper I find pictures that are the same shape as real pictures off of the internet, save them to a thumb drive and take them to get developed like real pictures. Then I add the label (a white or colorful blank address label) and write the child's name on it and add a phone number. I type up the name of where that child is from and a brief description of what the country is like, foods, etc and glue it to the back. Then I take it to get them laminated. I found a small photo album with rings (like a little binder) that was just a little bigger than the pictures themselves so I hole punched the pictures and added in there. I have more pictures too like of community helpers (police, firemen, nurse, doctor etc), some of family members (a grandma, grandpa, mommy, daddy, sister, brother etc) and I even add some of the daycare kids themselves. It's something that you start small with and over time you add more to it. It's really a great idea. I wish I had it here today to a photo of but it's on loan with some of my costumes.
Here's something that you can do and make yourself.
You can also print color pictures of children from around the world and add a label to it and name that child a traditional name from that country and give them a pretend phone number. Laminate the printout and hole punch it and put it in a binder or tie them all together with yarn or ballon string. Put it next to a small table with a play phone and it can work as a telephone book for "all of our friends". (easier way)
I do something similar but instead of printing the pictures on paper I find pictures that are the same shape as real pictures off of the internet, save them to a thumb drive and take them to get developed like real pictures. Then I add the label (a white or colorful blank address label) and write the child's name on it and add a phone number. I type up the name of where that child is from and a brief description of what the country is like, foods, etc and glue it to the back. Then I take it to get them laminated. I found a small photo album with rings (like a little binder) that was just a little bigger than the pictures themselves so I hole punched the pictures and added in there. I have more pictures too like of community helpers (police, firemen, nurse, doctor etc), some of family members (a grandma, grandpa, mommy, daddy, sister, brother etc) and I even add some of the daycare kids themselves. It's something that you start small with and over time you add more to it. It's really a great idea. I wish I had it here today to a photo of but it's on loan with some of my costumes.
kitykids3 09:44 AM 12-08-2012
You can get block play figures that are the different ethnicities of whole families from babies to grandparents and even some with wheelchairs etc.
I got those last year that helped.
Also, different ethnic foods (even as simple as pizza is italian food, etc.). Plus, I have a little basket of books in each center that relate to that center and I make sure there are diverse selections.
A couple different ethnicities of baby dolls.
I got those last year that helped.
Also, different ethnic foods (even as simple as pizza is italian food, etc.). Plus, I have a little basket of books in each center that relate to that center and I make sure there are diverse selections.
A couple different ethnicities of baby dolls.
Angelsj 07:32 PM 12-08-2012
Originally Posted by EAP:
Our doll house is in another area (diaper changing has its own mini toy area to be in compliance for sanitation and near a hand washing sink), but I love the idea of diverse family's for that area. Did you make your own dress up clothes ? I made a smock from African fabric and don't mind making more things.
If you are handy with sewing you could make your own. (I am not..lol) I find stuff at yard sales or thrift stores. Don't forget about things that are not necessarily culture, but also gender role stereotypes. Having books or photos around that show female construction workers...etc. Our doll house is in another area (diaper changing has its own mini toy area to be in compliance for sanitation and near a hand washing sink), but I love the idea of diverse family's for that area. Did you make your own dress up clothes ? I made a smock from African fabric and don't mind making more things.
I really love the phone book idea. So much could be incorporated into that. A community calling book with diverse photos to call would be amazing.
melskids 09:59 AM 12-09-2012
Disabilities count for diversity too.
A wheelchair for a doll, discount school supply has small dolls with disabilities for the blocks or doll house, add braces or crutches in the dramatic play props, that sort of thing.
I have a doll that lost an arm, so I sewed the arm hole closed, and also sewed some special clothes with the sleeves cut off.
On another doll, I did this.... http://pattyanne.net/2011/11/how-to-...nts-for-dolls/
A wheelchair for a doll, discount school supply has small dolls with disabilities for the blocks or doll house, add braces or crutches in the dramatic play props, that sort of thing.
I have a doll that lost an arm, so I sewed the arm hole closed, and also sewed some special clothes with the sleeves cut off.
On another doll, I did this.... http://pattyanne.net/2011/11/how-to-...nts-for-dolls/
MarinaVanessa 06:06 PM 12-09-2012
Originally Posted by melskids:
Disabilities count for diversity too.
A wheelchair for a doll, discount school supply has small dolls with disabilities for the blocks or doll house, add braces or crutches in the dramatic play props, that sort of thing.
I have a doll that lost an arm, so I sewed the arm hole closed, and also sewed some special clothes with the sleeves cut off.
On another doll, I did this.... http://pattyanne.net/2011/11/how-to-...nts-for-dolls/
Ohhh I love this idea. SO simple and I wouldn't have ever thought of it. I'm doing this to one of our dolls!!Disabilities count for diversity too.
A wheelchair for a doll, discount school supply has small dolls with disabilities for the blocks or doll house, add braces or crutches in the dramatic play props, that sort of thing.
I have a doll that lost an arm, so I sewed the arm hole closed, and also sewed some special clothes with the sleeves cut off.
On another doll, I did this.... http://pattyanne.net/2011/11/how-to-...nts-for-dolls/
SunshineMama 08:21 AM 12-10-2012
This wont help you immediately, but whenever i have a friend going out of the country, I ask them to bring me an authentic dress or hat, clothing, etc. Last year, my friend visited Ethopia and brought back some great articles of clothing. It is a great topic of discussion for the kids and they love dress up. you could probably Etsy or Ebay some diverse clothing.