EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

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Acknowledgement Liz Hodgman

Many Childminders struggle to find resources that portray positive images of different cultures, abilities and gender. We have put together a few ideas that we have found useful and are free or not expensive.

Television Programmes

Penny Pocket from the CBeebies hit show ‘Balamory’ is a wheelchair user and the programme shows that disabled people can be fully integrated into the community.

‘Something special’ - The language used throughout each programme is supported by Makaton signs and symbols and is designed to be understood by children in the early stages of language development. Children using some Makaton signs or symbols will find these really useful and will be able to learn new signs too.

Both these shows have additional activities for pre-school children on the Cbeebies website, including downloads and games. Lots of toys and books are available from the TV shows as well.

Food

Use food as a way of introducing different cultures.
Food tasting sessions and using different utensils, such as chopsticks and woks, provide opportunities to discuss different countries and ways of living.

Collect your own food containers and make a play supermarket.
Whilst playing shops take the opportunity to talk with the children about the different food types and which countries they come from.

Make a collage of food from different countries by cutting up supermarket magazines.

Make up a restaurant as a play area. For example for a Chinese restaurant provide a menu from your local restaurant or takeaway, bowls and chopsticks, Chinese decorations that the children have made etc

Homemade resources
Why not make your own resources for Equal Opportunities and get the children to help you.

Personalised place mats, or messy play mats!
Cut out pictures of children from different cultures and with different abilities from magazines and catalogues. (The ELC catalogue is great!) Look for pictures that are non-stereotypical, for example girls playing with a train set and boys playing with the dolls or toy kitchen. With the children’s help arrange the pictures on paper. The ‘picture’ could include the child’s name to personalise it. Then laminate. The children will then be able to easily identify their own mats when it comes to helping to lay the table and they will have a collage of images reflecting positive images.

Scrapbook....All of us

Make up a scrapbook with the children. Have pages that reflect and celebrate people’s similarities and differences, this could be skin colours, types of clothes, hair types, food, cultural and religious artifacts etc

Games

Make your own games of snap, lotto or dominoes using images downloaded from the internet. Alternatively use the children in your setting, they will love playing a game that is all about themselves and their friends!

Provide mask making implements, pens, crayons etc in skin tone colours. Paper is now available in skin tones and felt hands and feet for collages. Provide children with a mirror and encourage them to do a self-portrait. Talk to the children about their pictures, their similarities and their differences.

Make a family tree with each child. Ask parents to help with providing information and photographs.

Dressing up clothes and role play
Provide materials such as sari material so the children can make their own clothes by draping them around themselves. You may be able to purchase small remnants quite cheaply.

Have different cooking and eating utensils in your toy kitchen, such as woks, chopsticks, chapati tin and a dechki (Indian cooking pot)

Books

Most modern children’s books are multicultural, however finding books with positive images of disability can sometimes be a little harder. Here are just a few titles that you might find useful:

Music
Music is another excellent way of introducing different cultures. There are some beautiful traditional musical instruments available to purchase and CDs of music from around the world to dance or play along to.

Celebrating Festivals
Celebrate festivals from different religions and cultures. This may involve food, crafts or music.
Websites such as http://www.dltk-kids.com/ provide a wide range of craft ideas
for different festivals and celebrations.
Download a free Multicultural Calendar
(2007-08)
http://www.parrotfish.co.uk/calendar.htm

Mama Zooms

by Jayne Cowen Fletcher

Are We There Yet?

by Verna Wilkins, George McLeod, and Lynne Willey

Don't Call Me Special: A First Look at Disability

(First Look at Books) by Pat Thomas and Lesley Harker

Boots for a Bridesmaid (Paperback)

by Verna Wilkins and Pamela Venus

Topsy and Tim make a new friend

by Jean Adamson and Gareth Adamson
 

Susan Laughs (Paperback)

by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross

How can I help children learn about equality of opportunity and inclusion
in my setting?