“Miss Amy, how come Cleveland is a different color than me?” “Mr. Tim, how come Manuel doesn’t talk like me?” We’ve all been there…we have all been with our kids when they have asked a potentially uncomfortable question in front of a new child.

Have you noticed the demographics of your neighborhood starting to change? One of the most exciting aspects of church growth is the diversification of the population. However, this can also be one of the most frustrating things for teachers of young children. Even in today’s cosmopolitan world, children are still used to being around children who look like them and talk like them. We, as adults, know that this is not a true picture of society, nor is it a true depiction of the Kingdom of God. How do you, as a teacher of young children, help teach about the value of diversity and help avoid the uncomfortable situations mentioned above?

The best way to help children both understand and accept diversity is to teach them about different cultures before it is even an issue. It is essential to help children recognize differences, but not to fear them. The following are some easy and practical suggestions that you can do today to help the children you work with:

Focus on the similarities of the children. They all go to school; they all eat throughout the day; they all have interests and abilities. To teach this important lesson, play the game “I Never” where the children sit in chairs arranged in a circle with one fewer chair than people playing. The game is started with one child standing in the middle saying “I never” followed by a simple statement. For example, “I never ate Chinese food.” In this case anyone who has eaten Chinese food must then move to another chair. The goal is to be in a chair, not in the middle. This game will allow you as the teacher to point out how many things your students have in common.

Encourage the children to share aspects of their life that make them different. If you have a child from another culture, ask them to bring something in that they want to share with the others. Some examples would include bringing food, a game, or music from their culture. This is also a great way to get parents involved in the class.

Try this simple activity: Give every child an orange. Have them draw a face on their orange, give it a name and spend some time with it. Have each child tell something about their orange that makes it special. Now have the children peel their oranges and put them in a bowl in the middle of the table; shake the bowl around. Ask them to get their orange out of the bowl. Of course, they will realize that they cannot identify their orange because they all look the same. The point to be made is that all of the oranges are the same on the inside, much like people.

Do not be afraid of the questions and comments your students may have. Encourage everyone to talk together about their questions and be sure you come to a conclusion that accepts diversity and celebrates the many things that make each of us special.

The most important part of teaching children about diversity is to come back to what really matters: that God made each and every one of us exactly as God wanted us. God loves each of us and desires for us to do the same. Have fun learning about differences and celebrating the many things that make us who we are.

Brittany Rasmussen Mackey graduated from Baylor University and moved to Atlanta to teach inner-city children.  While teaching she earned a Master's degree in Urban Policy Studies from Georgia State University and is currently the Executive Director of the Andrew P. Stewart Center, an inner-city community center in Atlanta.