20 Diverse and Multicultural Toys That Foster Inclusivity in Kids
The best books, toys, puzzles, dolls, and games that celebrate differences.
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We all want to raise open-minded, inclusive children, and experts agree that one way to foster anti-racist attitudes in kids is to make sure they experience books that touch on race, as well as toys, and media that features characters of different backgrounds. By stocking the playroom with opportunities to learn about different ethnicities and cultures, kids get a leg up in exploring the world around them; they can learn about different customs in countries over the globe, and start to do some armchair traveling without having to pack a suitcase. It's a more well-rounded experience overall.
These 20 diverse and multicultural toys foster inclusivity, and they're also super fun too. Some feature beautiful illustrations of children from around the world. Others feature mix-and-match toys that let kids build their own characters and communities. Some tell the stories of real-life people who've accomplished great things throughout history. Some games foster empathy, so kids can learn to feel for others, even if they look different. And some others are good for a snuggle — something we all want at the end of the day,
Basket of Babies Basket of Babies
Why snuggle one baby doll when you can snuggle six? The dresses on these diverse dolls are removable, so your kids can care for them by rocking them, hugging them, and getting them all dressed. Ages: all ages
Peaceable Kingdom Friends and Neighbors: The Helping Game
The creators of this game aim to build empathy and compassion: The cooperative game gives players tokens for helping out the different characters on the board. It teaches kids to recognize and name different emotions and give others a boost if they can. Ages 3+
Little Simon Once Upon a World Collection
The Once Upon a World Collection puts a new twist on tried-and-true fairy tales by illustrating each one in the style of a different country. The set includes Snow White (Japan), Cinderella (Mexico), Rapunzel (India), and The Princess and the Pea (Russia). There's also a Little Mermaid book, not included in the set, that's done in a Caribbean style. For fans of the idea, the Penguin Bedtime Classics does something similar, adding diverse illustrations to stories like The Wizard of Oz or Jack and the Beanstalk. Ages 2+
Make way for Mia! She's a singer who loves the spotlight and always has the coolest outfits. Mia is part of The Fresh Dolls line of fashion dolls, which are known for cutting-edge clothes, natural hair, a range of skin tones and sculpts with realistic facial features and body proportions. Ages: 4+
eeBoo Never Forget a Face Memory Matching Game
Not only does this game tests kids' memories for faces of children from around the world, the back of the came box identifies each home country, so you can use it as a jumping-off point to explore different cultures. There are 24 countries in all. Ages 5+
Mudpuppy Little Feminist Mini Memory Match Game
Real-world women like Maya Angelou, Malala Yousafzai and Rosa Parks among others, are the subjects of this cute and brightly colored memory game. As your kids make matches, you can tell them about the real accomplishments made by these impressive women. Ages: 3+
RELATED: 15 Books About Race and Racism for Kids to Start the Dialogue at Home
Get your little ones traveling to different countries and learning about different cultures without leaving the house. This book set, which comes in its own carrying case, comes with four stories — How Hippo Says Hello, How Gator Says Goodbye, How Tiger Says Thank You, and How Penguin Says Please — translated into eight languages, each with a pronunciation guide. Ages 2+
Creatable World Creatable World Deluxe Character Kit
Creatable World fashion dolls are so fully customizable, they don't even come with a name or gender; your kids are free to fully imagine the dolls' stories, and switch them up as they see fit. Each of the five dolls comes with a short and long hairstyle and enough clothes to create more than 100 looks. Ages 6+
Kids are endlessly fascinated with nesting toys. This set of five cloth dolls is snuggly, and each layer features an image of a child that looks a little different from the last one — no more of the matchy-matchy matrushka dolls. To get to the next layer, kids have to undo a bow, button, or zipper, so it works on fine-motor skills, too. Ages 2+
Marvel Education Friends With Diverse Abilities
These six sturdy, vinyl toys depict people with differing abilities. They're meant for kids ages 3 and up, but if you want something similar for even littler ones, Lakeshore Learning's similar set can be used by kids as young as 6 months. Ages 3+
The Wonder Crew was designed to offer both the adventure of an action figure and the emotional connection of a stuffed animal — a great option for boys who may otherwise not be encouraged to care for or empathize with a doll. There are four different superhero buddies, and you can also get different outfits to dress them in. Ages 3+
Crocodile Creek Children of the World Jigsaw Puzzle
With just 36 pieces, kid can take a jigsaw tour of 18 different countries and see the different ways kids look and dress. It's a big one, measuring 20" x 27", so kids can really take a good, detailed look at each country. Ages 3+
We're way past the era of having one "fleshtone" crayon. Now, Crayola's multicultural set comes in crayons, markers, and color pencils, and they represent a range of skin tones. (See also: Faber-Castell's World Colors crayons, pencils and clay.) They're perfect for using on coloring books like The Big Book of Faces. Ages: 4+
Kaplan Early Learning Children Around the World Wooden Figures
Fill the dollhouse with wooden figures from different cultures around the world, and let the adventures begin! The set includes 17 nearly-three-inch-tall figures who could be equally at home mixing in with blocks as they would with action figures. Ages 2+
Don't just teach kids the alphabet — use it to pump kids up! The affirming alphabet cards by Darlying & Co have positive messages like "G is for Genius: I have so many genius ideas."
Little Likes Kids specializes in toys that capture diverse scenes, from a puzzle featuring families of different backgrounds playing together in the park, to another of kids doing double dutch outside of a house, to a "day at the barbershop" memory game. This jumbo floor puzzle is tough enough to be manhandled by preschoolers. Ages 3+
This soft, cuddly, rosy-cheeked doll is 16 inches tall (the perfect size for toddler snuggles!) and comes with three scarves for dress-up (pink, blue, and purple). Ages 6 mos and up
These tiles have letters on one side, and then the American Sign Language representation of that letter on the reverse. Kids can practice stringing them together and spelling out words. Ages 2+
Princess Cupcake Jones Princess Cupcake Jones Plush Doll
Princess Cupcake Jones was created by author Ylleya Fields, who was hunting for books to read to her eldest daughter when she was 2 and found a very limited selection of modern African American characters. Now, Princess Cupcake Jones is a doll that has her own book series, with titles like Princess Cupcake Jones and the Missing Tutu, Princess Cupcake Jones Won't Go to School, and Princess Cupcake Jones Saddles Up! Ages: 3+
My Family Builders My Family Builders 48-Piece Set
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
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