what should I buy??

[jumpinjen]

Hi,
I'm abit blinded by all the amazing multi-cultural toys and resources out there and I can't decide what i sould realy get with my limited pot of money.... I have two lovely soft bodied dolls that are black and asian skin tones, but what else could I have that sort of blends in with the usual toys???

Jenni x

[miffy]

Books, jigsaws, food or cooking utensils??????

Miffy xx

[Angela234]

Maybe books "Handa's surprise" is a good one

Puzzles

Puppets (ebay)

Large piece of material "sari"

Small world people

There are a lot of things around but can be expensive books and puzzles don't cost too much, i got a lot of ebay including a lovely multiclutural wooden drop out puzzle with child in wheelchair.

Angela

[tulip0803]

I love ebay for this kind of stuff.

I have some dressing-up outfits bought off ebay shalwaar kameez and salwar kameez real Asian outfits for boys and girls.

There are lots of different types of play food available now. I have a pizza and I have a chinese wok with bowls,spoons and chopsticks

I got a countries and costumes game off ebay and my children enjoy it. shows national dress of lots of countries. It has 3 cards for each figure legs, body and head and can be played in lots of ways depending on the age of children (pairs, matching, funny figures etc).

I got some disability figures off ebay too.

[angeldelight]

You could do it all fairly cheap to start with

Do topics about different countries etc with lots of colouring pics and craft work

You can find lots of information around the forum or on the internet

Look at cookery pages on the internet and you might get some good ideas for different food that you could make with the kids that are made in different countries

It takes ages to get things together - car boots are great and cheap

Angel xx

[sarah707]

World map on the wall, charity shop books featuring different skin tones, colouring pencils and paper in skin tones, bitty body pictures for the wall www.makingfriends.com, cut outs from magazines of faces as a collage display...

Don't forget disability as well - balamory stuff is good for that and books, jigsaws etc.

[Pudding Girl]

Hi,
what else could I have that sort of blends in with the usual toys???

Jenni x

Do you have a £stretcher near you? I bought a beany baby type bear wearing a sari and bindi, it was about £2, so a bargain!

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/3733/ss851053pq3.th.jpg (http://img208.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ss851053pq3.jpg)

I got a little salwaar kammeez from a charity shop, my mindee's mum is obsessed with Africa and has given me some traditional shawl things, I have jigsaws and books etc with all kinds of people on, I have people crayons, black ( and white) dolls and happy people, chinese soup spoons, bowls and chopsticks ummmm.... thinking.....oh sarongs are good for multitude of things including saris, and making baby slings lol

I tend to stay away from the overtly "look at me I am multi cultural!!" stuff, and just integrate it all so it's normal, that make sense? Rather than make a big deal of it by keeping it seperate

[jumpinjen]

Hi,

some great ideas there... thank you all!!

Yes I am trying to include things subtly that the children will like to play with, without screaming 'LOOK AT ME I'M EQUAL OPPS'!!!!

I'm on a tight budget so the start small ideas were lovely, and I can do a round of the pound shops too!! I think the bear is LOVELY... one of those one off things you'll never find again maybe!!!!

I'm off to a good start now though, so thank you again!!

jenni :)

[avril]

Don't forget your musical instruments these are always a favourite with the children, the shop The Works sells these very reasonable 1.99 - 2.49.

Happy spending :D