Promoting Diversity in Play

We’re all individuals

Young babies are fascinated by faces from a very early age, for example, focusing their attention on the simplest drawings resembling faces, as well as on the real faces they see in their daily lives. They also soon become intrigued by seeing reflections of themselves in mirrors and enjoy playing simple peep-bo games with their carers. However, some may also become anxious or apprehensive when coming across something ‘new’, such as someone wearing glasses or with a beard. It’s therefore clear that, from a very early stage, children start to develop a sense of their own individual identity, and start to become aware of some of the similarities and differences between themselves and others.

For children to have a positive sense of themselves, and to develop strong relationships with others, it’s crucial that they are able to recognise what makes them unique, and to value the similarities and differences they have with other people. Valuing the diversity of each individual, and the families and communities which they come from is therefore really important in helping to support each child’s personal, social and emotional development. In turn, this contributes to all other aspects of their learning and development.

Children are learning all the time through their environment and their experiences. Play is therefore be very important in helping them to develop positive attitudes to diversity between individuals, and between different cultures and communities. For example, a variety of toys, books and play materials can help them to recognise and respect:

• people with a range of hairstyles, skin tones, clothing and homes reflecting different ethnic groups and communities. These include books such as ‘Handa’s Surprise’, matching games such as ‘Never forget a face’ or a variety of dolls’ clothes such as a sari or shalwar kameez. These help children begin to understand the similarities and differences which make us all individuals.

• different kinds of music, musical instruments, foods, and celebrations which reflect different cultures, lifestyles and beliefs. For example, using a wok set or playing ‘bakers’ with a selection of different breads can help children to begin to understand some of the different ways in which we cook and eat; song books and recordings from around the world enable children to enjoy different rhythms and sounds and begin to recognise aspects of different celebrations.

• that both males and females do a range of jobs in the home, e.g books and puzzles showing ‘dads’ preparing food or caring for children and ‘mums’ mending the car or gardening. Encouraging both girls’ and boys’ interest in pretend play with items such as tool benches, vacuum cleaners, dolls and push chairs, helps them to begin to ‘act out’ a range of roles, including dealing with ‘technology’ , taking responsibility for their surroundings and caring for other people. All of these are essential for their future learning and personal development.

• that both women and men have a variety of jobs in the community, such as police officers, fire fighters or medical staff. For example, dressing up clothes such as tabards, helmets and medical kits encourage both boys and girls to ‘act out’ different roles and help to avoid stereotypical attitudes, e.g that firefighters are male and nurses are female.
  

• elderly people taking an active role family and community life, e.g. when using small figures representing different age groups in dolls house play children and adults with different abilities working, being with their families and playing. Such play materials might include dolls house figures with a wheelchairs or mobility aids, or books and pretend play ‘props’ helping children understand that many people benefit from ‘aids’ such as glasses
  

Through their play, and through shared use of books and stories, children are able to build on their own previous experiences at home and in their own familiar community. In addition, books and play materials all provide opportunities to extend children’s ideas by introducing things that they might not see elsewhere, such as images of people living on narrow boats, or wearing unfamiliar styles of clothing. Incorporating these things positively and naturally helps children to be confident of their own identity, respectful of other peoples, and aware of everybody’s potential to make a positive contribution to the world around them.