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THE ACTIVITY On the Playground: Identifying Similarities and Celebrating Differences Use this illustration to spark conversations with your child that celebrate the many similarities and differences in people’s appearances. LESSON On the Playground: Identifying Similarities and Celebrating Differences There are many ways people are different, and those differences make us special and unique! But there are also many ways that we are the same, both in how we look and what we like to do. TIP On the Playground: Identifying Similarities and Celebrating Differences This is an activity you can also easily do when reading picture books or watching a TV show with your child, or even when you’re together in your neighborhood. TO BEGIN On the Playground: Identifying Similarities and Celebrating Differences Explore the illustration. Encourage your child to identify the similarities and differences that they see. Ask: Can you find two kids throwing a football back and forth? It looks like they are having a lot of fun together! What are some ways they are the same or similar? What are some ways they are different? INCLUDE YOUR CHILD On the Playground: Identifying Similarities and Celebrating Differences Pretend that you and your child are in the illustration. Compare yourselves to the people in the picture:
• Point to who is like you. What do you think you share in common?
• Can you point out ways these kids are different from you? Let’s talk about what you notice.
• Can you find a child who has brown skin? Tan skin? What color skin do you have? ADDRESS ASSUMPTIONS On the Playground: Identifying Similarities and Celebrating Differences Try pointing to kids, one at a time, and asking questions like: Who do you think this child’s grown-ups are? Do you see them?
Tell your child that there are many types of families, and parents and children may not always look the same. All types of families are special and beautiful! DISCUSS MELANIN On the Playground: Identifying Similarities and Celebrating Differences When talking about differences in skin color, you can use it as an opportunity to explain the science of melanin:
• Do you know what makes skin color the way it is?
• People have something called melanin in our bodies. Melanin provides “pigmentation” (or color) to our hair, skin, and eyes.
• The more melanin someone has in their body, the darker their hair, skin, and eyes will be. Create a Story On the Playground: Identifying Similarities and Celebrating Differences Pick pairs of people on the playground and make up stories about them! This can help children “get to know” other people who may be similar to and different from themselves. You might start the story and encourage your child to finish it, or take turns telling stories. As you tell the story, you can naturally incorporate similarities and differences, including skin color. Here are a couple ideas to get you started: STORY PROMPTS On the Playground: Identifying Similarities and Celebrating Differences • There are two children in the sandbox. They look like they are [playing/fighting/sharing]. How do you think they feel? What do you think they are saying to each other?
• This girl with long braids loves playing with trucks. She takes her truck everywhere! How do you think she is feeling? Does she look like she is feeling lonely? Do you want to go play with her? Why or why not? TAKEAWAY On the Playground: Identifying Similarities and Celebrating Differences There are so many different people in the world — and each of them is a potential friend! We are all unique and special. Isn’t that amazing? If everyone were the same, it would be pretty boring. We can celebrate each person for who they are!