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9 Unique Ideas for Making Cultural Diversity Fun for Kids

Kristin Buchtel

I love sharing tips and inspiration with parents, especially from other parents and sources! Welcome a Noteworthy Parenting Guest Blog! Be sure to check out the author bio at the end of the post. There ares affiliate links within the post linked to the author.

Let's be honest. Most kids don't have a clue what you're talking about when you say "cultural diversity." And getting them to embrace a different way of doing things? Not likely.

But here's an idea. Since kids are usually more willing to try new things they consider fun, why not make cultural diversity fun? To help, we filled this article with some (realistic!) fun ideas to get you started. 

Note: All activities below are geared toward elementary school-aged kids (5-11). That said, you know best about your own child's capabilities so feel free to tailor our suggestions to your child's maturity level.

  1. Food: Instead of a normal Tuesday taco night, make it fun with miniature world toothpick flags. Let your kids decorate their food before they dig in. If they like the idea, ask them for suggestions for other international food (pizza, waffles, Chinese dumplings, etc.) so they feel like they're part of the fun. 

  2. Books: Fill your family bookshelf with kids' books about other cultures. Common Sense Media has a great selection of fun diversity and inclusion books for all reading levels. 

  3. Language: Whenever you use terms like "deja vu," be sure to mention the language it comes from (French). You could take the concept further by explaining that lots of foreign language terms are embedded in the English language. For example, the word 'cookie' is a Dutch word, 'ketchup' is Chinese, and 'cartoon' is Italian. Be sure to praise your child for using words from other cultures in their daily language (this will hopefully encourage them to learn more). 

  4. Music: One of the better ways to make music fun for kids is to play a music game with the music of a world country playing in the background. Here is a link to free songs from around the world. Or you could plan a meal from another country while playing that country's music. Get creative!

  5. Clothes: You could wear clothing from another culture, but it doesn't have to be an entire outfit. Even if you're just wearing your robe, mention that American robes originated from Japanese kimonos. Or if you're wearing a raincoat/poncho - remember to call out South American waterproof clothing. 

  6. Art: Give your child a piece of paper and colored pencils (or crayons) and ask them to draw a diversity flower (or a train or whatever). If your child is really into art, suggest they make a collage of different cultures around the world. Origami? Sidewalk chalk art? Check out these world craft ideas from Pinterest. 

  7. Trivia: Most kids are fascinated by weird facts - go figure! Hopefully facts from other cultures will be equally captivating. Take a look at this world trivia for kids website. 

  8. Memory game: Have your kids create cards of international flags and then make it a game for them to name the country represented on each card. Here's a link to a resource for the cards: Country flag cards. Yes, the cards can be printed, but kids might have more fun using colored markers/crayons to draw the flags on the cards. You could point out the different countries (represented by the flags they draw) on a map or globe, so your child has a sense of where the countries exist on our planet.

  9. Virtual travel: Traveling to foreign countries on the Internet has gotten so realistic (plus it's free!)—it's almost like you're actually there. What kid isn't fascinated by castles and palaces in other countries? Here’s as link to a collection of world tours for kids. Also, your could do a search on YouTube for "virtual world travel for kids" - there are tons of choices.

Of course, there's more to do to teach your child the value of diversity. But any of the activities above will plant the seeds to help your child learn more about world cultures. Remember, the whole point is to make learning about other cultures fun!

Note: You can find most of the resource materials for the activities mentioned above for around $5 at your local party or art supply store, Dollar Store, Etsy, or Amazon. 

More Resources:


My Bio:

Trish Allison is a career writer and the founder of DEI for Parents. The goal of DEI for Parents is to help parents and caregivers raise equality-minded kids by incorporating diversity and inclusion values into daily home life.

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