Diversity Kidz

Diversity Kidz improves belonging and inclusion for racialized and marginalized Canadian children by increasing the diversity in the donated toys and books and better matching those toys with children in need. Children’s view of what is normal, in part, is shaped by the toys they play with and the books they read. Unfortunately, many children’s products donated reinforce stereotypes and bias in our society, and racialized and marginalized Canadian children do not see people who look like them represented in their toys and books. Without representation, racialized and marginalized children often feel othered, different, or that they don’t belong. Another common practice in traditional toy and book drives is allocating items based on gender and age, resulting in well-intentioned, but harmful gifting. Imagine a Black or brown 6-year-old girl who is ridiculed for her skin colour and curly hair at school, yet her Christmas gift is a blond, white doll, or an 8-year-old boy who is differently-abled and uses a wheelchair unwrapping a soccer ball in front of his family. These ‘mis-gifts’ can be hurtful micro-aggressions that create a challenge for children in truly expressing gratitude or experiencing joy during the holidays. Diversity Kidz runs a diverse, toy and book drive, and we work with existing organizations to improve their toy and book drives. We combat those ‘mis-gifts’ by gifting toys and books based on a child’s interests, rather than gender alone, for more meaningful, inspired giving that is received with true gratitude. We also encourage donors to consider diversity before donating items which enable us to help foster inclusivity and belonging in children. Research has shows the more diversity a child experiences in their childhood, the more empathy they have for differences in others, and it is likely to remain empathic as they grow older. Everyone can give a gift of belonging and inclusion. Please donate a diverse toy or book today!