Multicultural resources for 2 year olds

[Kimmy050983]

Ofsted has been and one of the main issues she had was my lack of multicultural things.

can anyone recommend some books/toys/ shop for resources for 2 year old children?

Thank you!

[sarah707]

Oh for goodness sake I'm sorry but I don't think you could get much more multicultural than a German childminder in england!

Here's a good thread...

http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/fo...=multicultural

[Kimmy050983]

thanks sarah!

I told her we sing german songs , spanish songs (lived in spain) and we have lots of german books.

no they want to see resources

thanks for the link

Kimmy x

[mufftie]

theyre never happy
amongst other ethnic dolls i managed to get hold of an ethnic rag doll with downs syndrome if that dosnt work what will who knows

ive also got an internet radio which is fab as having 2 polish girls i play a polish childrens radio which all the children love not just the polish

[pinkbutterfly]

I have made a big picture of all different children. Just looked for some images on the net and printed them off then laminated. I also have pictures of random groups of children playing scattered around the house (on the walls). I noticed children like to look at them and some (I would say over 2s) like to 'find' themselves and family members on those photos. You can make your own books if you don't want to spend money at the moment.
For little ones ELC Happy Land has some great figurines. You can just buy the people by themselves without the whole set. I have even seen a child in a weelchair before christmas at ELC.
My daughters received some Chinese and Indian outfits from Santa last Christmas (clever Santa).

[teacake2]

I was told on my last inspection that I did not have enough nor did I have enough things showing disability. Now one of the children I was looking after has quite severe disabilities, ie couldn't crawl, walk, talk, we dealt with different agencies who visited my house regularly and so the other children all took part in his physio, speech therapy etc. Also with regard to the multicultural side of it, he was absolutely petrified of anything different, he hated any dolls, pictures showing people who were not the same colour as him (he was 18mths), if we went to CM drop in we had to move all the things out of the way, or move him to a different area. I explained that while he was awake I moved the things so as not to upset him but when he was asleep or gone home then the things were available for the other children if they wanted them. This was not good enough for OFSTED though, and when I argued that I was not doing the best for him she said that I was at fault and that she would note it. As he got older he forgot his anxieties and now has no problems.
Sorry for the long rant, but it really gets to me still.
Teacake2

[Bitsy Beans]

Definately go for ELC Happyland - it's lovely stuff and has the added bonus of being multicultural.

I've got a few puzzles that are multicultural, the Balamory books are good for this too if you can get hold of some.

[Kimmy050983]

thanks everyone

I have to say that i do not buy plastic toys new (as I am trying to be eco friendly , we mainly have wooden toys), but i will have a look on ebay for some second hand happyland. it´s not the type of toy i like for my son as we mainly have natural toys, but if it makes OFSTED happy

wonder if i could knit some multicultural dolls?

do they do duplo figures with different skin colours? that´s one plastic toy we do have! LOL

[maisiemog]

You'll be more multicultural than you realise. I found that when I really started looking at my resources!!

Look in your story books, bet they have black and asian children in them. Jigsaws usually do to!!

I use the little people stuff for multiculturalism, and diversity as they have some kids in wheelchairs and people from around the world.

Also crafts are a good way of getting mulitculturalism in. Go online and search for some colouring sheets of people in wheelchairs (the lady on balamory is in one and coloured her in!) and so on. Get the kids to colour them in and stick them in their LJs with something about how you talked to the children about disability etc

[mummyof3]

I was so lucky my ofsted inspector never even looked at what resources I had or commented on my 'lack' of anything. She said the children are happy and that was all she was concerned about.

I was really worried as I don't do fire drills I explained why as I have little one that used to go over things in his head and then repeat them to mum and was a little worrier. I decided it wasn't worth doing them for fear of scaring him. She agreed (as he sat asking her over and over again what she was doing, why she was here, what she was writing etc) she then marked me up for focusing on a childs individual needs and putting them first

I think some of these inspectors are just there to make our jobs as difficult as possible. I really don't think children need disability toys or multicultural toys all over the place the children I have here and my own don't see colour or disability they just see the person!

[Bitsy Beans]

Well if you prefer wood then Toys R Us sells these

http://www.toysrus.co.uk/Toys-R-Us/T...Ethnic(0055978)

[Kimmy050983]

Brillant , thank you Bitsy Beans! will get them!

[guest4]

I have a few books that cover this:
The skin I'm in
Don't call me special
Mama Zooms
Mr Pam Pam and the Hullabaloo
Boxed In

got a couple of them at local boot sales.....
also have a couple of really old copies of the National Geographic Magazines (20p at the library) kids love finding pics in their, it covers all sorts!!!!!

Tracey x

[Bridey]

I went through a load of old magazines recently and cut out pictures of people looking happy and people looking sad for an activity on emotions. The people were from different ethnic backgrounds and there were some in a wheelchair. Perhaps you could do something similar to create of box of people from different backgrounds or perhaps start a scrapbook of pictures of people that can be added to and used to look at or discuss.

[Penny1959]

Prehaps someone should tell that inspector (and the others described in this thread) to do some research about Equality issues.

For under 2's - yes I agree there should be images in books / posters and puzzles - but what they need to get a grasp of is 'similarities and differences' as that is what they need to understand - that some things are the same and somethings different - and one thing is not better than another.

So - the fruit they eat, the colour of their eyes, the clothes they wear, the make up of their family, the animals in the farm set (wooden or plastic), the empty boxes they play with - in other words - everyday things.

The biggest resource is the ADULT and how they explain things / give opportunities for discussion. You can have all the resources in the world and still not be inclusive.

Children need to develop the 'thinking skills' needed to approach any situation they find themselves - so for example - first time see a person in a wheelchair - 'that person is different because ... but the same because ... and we are both people' These skills take the 'fear' of the unknown / new out of a situation - and discrimination is often caused by peoples fear of 'different'.

Children also need the skills to ask questions if they need to to help them understand things that are different.

Sorry a bit of a rant - but equality is something I am passionate about - something that I am luckily enough to have attended training led by disabled people and by those who have experienced discrimination due to their religion / skin colour/ lifestyle and so on - who all agree that inclusive practice is NOT about multicultrual resources - it is not about long waffly policies - it is not about worrying if have the right words - it is about positive attitude and recognising similarities and differences.

Penny