Along with parents, it’s our job as teachers to foster acceptance and understanding of others. To you achieve that goal, I’ve put together a list of my favorite tools and toys that celebrate diversity for preschool and kindergarten.
You should use a lot of these items in your classroom every day! Having these tools visible in your classroom shows that every person is valued and important. It is crucial for every student to identify people who look like them. Students love seeing things they can relate to all over the classroom in the forms of books, games, toys, and displays on the walls of the classroom!
By embracing others’ cultures, genders, race, and abilities, we foster acceptance and help students develop empathy, an open mind, and love for one another. Be intentional when you select the items in your classroom. Celebrate the differences in each other because that’s what makes every person amazing and unique! If we do not expose our students to things that are different than them, how are they supposed to understand, respect and accept others?
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Favorite Collections of Diverse Tools and Toys for Preschool and Kindergarten
Collection of Diverse Games & Puzzles
Multi-Cultural Family Puzzle Set
This set of puzzles includes an array of diverse families in puzzle form. There are 6 puzzles in this set; a perfect addition to a classroom.
Melissa & Doug Children of the World Jumbo Jigsaw Floor Puzzle
I love the shape of this puzzle and that the people of the world are holding hands in unity. It provides little learners with a little bit of a challenge!
Children of the World Multi-Cultural Puzzle
This puzzle has a variety of shapes that represent children and animals from continents around the world. It also comes with a storage case to keep everything in its place.
Another amazing puzzle that is a must for younger learners to promote inclusive language.
I Never Forget a Face Matching Game
Match different children’s faces with this game. It’s a fun memory game for the math or library center.
Hang these posters on the walls of your preschool room to celebrate children of different cultures and backgrounds.
Families of the World Poster Set
These posters picture families from around the world. It includes 8 posters of families that are each unique and show different family structures.
This map is full of information including capitals, flags, and fun facts about countries around the world. Kids can learn together or on their own. Little learners need to be exposed to maps and basic map vocabulary like water, land, ocean, mountain, river, and lake.
Put a world globe in your classroom to show students where countries are located around the world. This globe also lights up in the dark! Using maps and globes is a great way to begin to teach geography to little learners. In kindergarten, basic exposure to maps and globes is often a social studies standard.
Give little learners a pair of maracas and watch music connect them to a beautiful culture.
Add a little rhythm to the day with a Konga drum. The outside of this drum displays kids from around the world. Listening and using instruments from other cultures is a must for every early childhood classroom.
Collection of Diverse Pretend & Block Play
Tools & Toys
Multi-Cultural Pretend Food Sets
Choose from a variety of multi-culture pretend food sets. Here are some of my favorites! Maybe they will help your little learners try some new foods, and also learn about foods their friends eat at home.
Using baby dolls with different skin tones for pretend play is a must for the dramatic play center. Their heads turn, their arms move, and the diaper comes off. Don’t forget the baby clothes for these baby dolls!
Here is another great everyday item to use in your classroom. Let your little learners put on a puppet show or act out stories found in their favorite books! We LOVE using puppets for class meetings and to act out different problem-solving solutions.
This set of DUPLO mini figures is fantastic! It includes multi-cultural families. What a great addition to your DUPLO collection!
Use these family play sets in your classroom dollhouse. There are different sets to choose from, or you can purchase the larger set that includes a bunch of different dolls.
Friends with Diverse Abilities Figure Set
This set of figures celebrates people with different disabilities. Take the opportunity to answer your students’ questions when any arise.
Add a little structure to the blocks center with this set of blocks. They have some nice details including columns, steps, and arches! Homes and buildings look different all around the world. Give students the opportunity to explore different types of architecture with these blocks!
Collection of Diverse Arts & Crafts
– These need to be in the art center EVERY DAY to show students every skin color is important and valued!
Multicultural Crayola Crayons, Crayola Markers and Multicultural Oil Pastels
You NEED a packs of multicultural crayons and markers in your art center so students can see different skin colors represented. They allow kids to draw with a skin tone that is similar to their own! It’s so beautiful for your little learners to make a personal connection! Crayola will be releasing a larger multicultural pack soon, and I can’t wait. Lakeshore Learning also has its People Colors Crayon pack. I use it in my classroom and LOVE IT!
You can also add multicultural paint to your classroom art supplies.
Multicultural Construction Paper
Perfect for construction paper crafts! These would be great to use with the community helpers theme too! I also found THESE kid cut-outs of various skin tones and THESE face cut-outs that would be perfect in the art center.
Stamps from around the world! This set has 24 stamps and includes countries such as Egypt, Greece, Vietnam, and so much more. 
These would be fun to include in the writing center, art center, or even the dramatic play center for a travel theme.
By embracing others’ cultures, genders, race, and abilities, we foster acceptance and help students develop empathy, an open mind, and love for one another. Be intentional when you select the items in your classroom. Celebrate the differences in each other because that’s what makes every person amazing and unique! If you want to learn more about Anti-Bias Education and teaching, this book is a MUST to have in your professional development library. We need to empower all children and families!
Need more books with diverse characters? Check out my favorite books that celebrate diversity HERE!
Love these collections of diverse tools & toys? Pin this image!
Want to check out more of my favorite things for little learners? Check out my Favorite Things Blog Series with over 15 different favorite things lists (and growing)! If there are any favorite things for a theme you need, just let us know so we can create it for you.
