Beyond FUN: Multicultural Kids

Entrepreneur Nancy Moody, mom to two adopted daughters from China, founded Multicultural Kids to fill the growing need for educational products that teach children about their diverse world and their unique place in it. Her colorful site offers products “reflecting more than 50 races, countries, or cultures,” and features books, videos, music, carfts, puzzles, dolls, giftware, and teaching materials. Classroom teachers, home-schooling parents, and daycare providers working with children from preschool age through grade two will find many helpful resources here. Ordinary parents (like yours truly!) will, too.

“Young children are so receptive to learning about themselves and others,” Nancy Moody notes. “If we can expose them to diversity at a young age, we are certain to foster an appreciation of the differences in people, as well as the similarities.” Diversity-related topics such as self-esteem, adoption, differently-abled kids and, “most importantly, the unconditional love that a parent feels for their child, regardless of how a family is formed” are also featured in the Multicultral Kids selection of products.

My favorite: the eight-pack of large multicultural Crayola Crayons with a rainbow of skin tone colors. I’m also intrigued by the bilingual versions of popular fairy tales: Sleeping Beauty (La Bella Durmiente), Little Red Riding Hood (Caperucita Roja), Cinderella (Cenicienta), The Little Mermaid (La Sirenita), …. This site goes on and on!