DIVERSITY! this new game shows children we are not all the same, and it is ok.
If parents often talk to their children about safety, social behaviours, and good manners, all topics of two previous games from 4bambini (DON'T PICK YOUR NOSE! and WATCH OUT! also available on http://www.4bambini.com ), diversity is often a forgotten topic. Yet, by age 2, babies are able to recognize skin color differences. By age 3, they can understand the disabiities in people. How can we help our children react to many children today being overweight? Is it laughable that some kids are not eating meat? Why don’t all kids celebrate Christmas? We are often so worried to act improperly or say the wrong thing in public and offend someone that we shy away from the topic with our children. Yet, many of us this week will send our children to school where there is plenty of diversity awaiting them. Should they go unprepared?. Just look at some statistics:
• 40% of the US population is now obese (www.usatoday.com)
• 13% of the population is left handed (source: www.left-at-
• There are an estimated 43 million individuals with disabilities in the United States. (source: Congressional Committee findings for ADA, www.ada.gov)
• 1 out of every 11 persons have hearing impairments (source: SHHH and Hearing Journal, www.shhhaust.org)
• 1 in 417 persons are visually impaired, 1 in 2,000 are legally blind. Does your child know how to recognize one?
• There are more than 4,300 faith groups worldwide today (www.adherants.com)
The game DIVERSITY! addresses all these issues, and many more, in a way which is both fun & graphically pleasant for the kids. It cover religious diversity, social diversity, physical diversity, and more. The games tries to make diversity a normal fact of daily life and prepares the children to very real situations by asking simple questions associated with simple drawings of always the same two kids in different settings.
The game consists of a set of 36 questions and 6 decks with 6 answers each. Each question and each answer is illustrated (see sample) in a way which is easy to understand for children without dramatizing. Each question and answer and the corresponding illustrations were thoroughly tested by parents, teachers and psychologists to make sure the right words and phrasing were chosen to ensure maximum effectiveness.
How to play?
Very simple! The 36 cards are put face down, one is chosen and the question is read. The players look for the answer on the board they have and the one with the right answer covers it with the card and then draws the next question. The winner is the person who has all its board full first. Please note that many children at this age will not be able to read yet, so the first two rounds need to be played with an adult, but very quickly, all the questions and answers will be memorized by the children and an adult will not be needed (or even wanted) anymore. The game also has a number on each card and answer to simply the search.
The game is endorsed by the supermodel Tereza Maxova who, through her foundation created in 1997, offers extensive support and care for abnadonned children. Through a network of 200 infant and children houses, the foundation takes care of more than 16,000 children. More information on Tereza Maxova and her foundation can be found on http://www.terezamaxova.cz
The game was created by Tania le Moigne, founder of 4bambini (http://www.4bambini.com), for her son Arsene whom she wanted to help with Safety issues but with whom "Don't do this!" and "Don't do that" was not an effective teaching method. The illustrations are the work of Jana Fernandes, a graphic designer and illustrator living in Canada and specialized in children's drawings (More on Jana Fernandes at www.firstperson.ca)
Where to buy the game?
The game is published by 4bambini editions and can only be purchased online at http://www.4bambini.com for 15.99 euros, roughly 12 british pounds or 24USD.
