As the holiday season draws near, I cant help but wonder if lack of awareness and a fear of what is different from us has helped perpetuate much of what we see going on in the world.

Even as the world grows more connected and we travel more, we still seem to move around in relatively insular circles. One of my biggest sources of frustration as a mother has been finding suitable toys and books for my daughters that help bridge cultural gaps and teach them about our culture as much as about others.

So this year, with an almost youthfully optimistic energy, I went on a Christmas shopping spree for all the special kids in my life hoping to find gifts that promote global awareness and cultural understanding,

I realized soon enough, however, that its hard to find multicultural stuff for kiddos! And what I did find was either poorly designed or quite generic.

But there is hope! There are many people out there who see the benefit of introducing our kids to the beauty of other cultures, languages, and places and they have started creating books and toys to cater to this need.

In case you are also struggling to find these kinds of gifts, here is my list of ideas for kids from babies to hipster tweens that will hopefully help spark some curiosity about world cultures.

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Jai Jai Hooray Indian Mythology Flashcards