Toy Stir Fry Set Represents Diversity to Children

While it is important to teach children valuable lessons throughout their lifetime, we often fail to realize what they can begin to grasp at a young age when placed in to the right concept. During the recent Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, I was given an opportunity to do just that with a group of youngsters ages 2-6. Having spent many years within classrooms of the Renton School District I was aware that children develop at their own pace and by the age of 2 could put together simple words, count, help clean up, notice differences… when a conversation with one young girl believing she could not complete a task “because her brain did not work like everyone else,” broke my heart, I knew the holiday discussion was the perfect opportunity to put that notion to rest.

Sitting in a circle I seized an opportunity to make our talk interactive. The group discussed the reason we missed school one day the week prior. We described the snow and how vast amounts made it difficult to travel within some areas. The conversation then turned to the current week and having another day off. Upon receiving the response that it was due to a holiday, I pressed for more information when one child stated it was “because of Martin Luther King.”

I was pleasantly surprised to hear their little voices fill the room with excitement, and their responses of who Martin Luther King Jr. was and descriptions of some of the things he worked towards doing for all of us. Surrounded by a diverse group I explained that we could all now live in the same neighborhoods, become friends, attend school together, and share dinner together. With that I pulled out a box that previously contained a toy stir-fry set I had purchased from Amazon. Quickly getting to work I spread a pillowcase over the top of the box to represent my special tablecloth for my friends. Questions were asked about the wok I placed in the center, and many recognized woks from their home. I shared more of the conversation with the group about “my friend,” feeling as if she could not do something, because she wasn’t the same as everyone else. However, as our meal was prepared, I asked several children to come up one by one, select a vegetable from our table display and to drop it in our wok. Once the wok was filled with vegetables, it was time for me to stir it. I called another child to make a selection between the two utensils on our table to determine what we would cook with. A spoon was chosen instead of tongs, and I held this up for all to see. Prior to stirring everything again, I reminded the children that it was so interesting because many were given the opportunity to come up and help prepare our meal by making a selection of what would go in it, but no one came up and selected the same thing. Someone else had decided what our pretend tasty meal would be cooked with. Everyone had a choice, and these choices led everyone in a different direction. However, before all was completed -I needed to demonstrate something more important to them that would truly bring an idea to the forefront.

Looking in to the wok at the colorful array of food I asked the children “would this meal be the same if I took out the carrots?” They thought for a moment, and then said “No, because the carrots are gone.” I elaborated more, and stated “the carrots add a special taste to the meal.” One by one we took out different vegetables and discussed what would happen. Repeating the idea that flavor contributed by that ingredient would be removed if it were no longer in the pot. The final thought which I could see the understanding click on their faces, “ We all bring something to the table. Sometimes we may not be as fast, or as good at a certain work, sport or other activity but we don’t have to be. Who we are is good enough with whatever contribution we have made.” Thank you Martin Luther King Jr.