Too many children continue to not see themselves in the products they play with and read on a daily basis.
So Black-owned businesses ― among them, an independent bookstore and a tableware company ― have sprung up in recent years to help better serve Black kids and their families.
HuffPost Parents has compiled a few of our favorites that your kids will be sure to love, from toddlerdom on up.
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Colorfull Plates
HuffPost US
Mom Robin Oloyede started Colorfull Plates in 2017 after her son announced he wanted to be an astronaut and she could not find any Black astronaut toys for her son to play with. Now Oloyede makes the BPA-free, shatterproof tableware in a variety of STE(A)M professions. Prices start at $10 for smaller items and can go up to $52 for a full set of plate, cup, placemat and bowl. Buy them here.
Malaville dolls
Malaville
Created by international model Mala Bryan, this South Africa-based company creates six dolls in different shades of brown and with a variety of hair curls, coils and textures (the company also released a doll with albinism in 2017). Prices start at $19.99. Buy here.
Weird Enough Productions
Weird Enough Productions
Nonprofit Weird Enough Productions created a comic called The Uncommons. The story? "Five unlikely outsiders must save each other to save the world." Weird Enough's founder, Tony Weaver Jr., told HuffPost that the lack of diversity in children's books took a toll on his self-esteem as a kid. Check it out here.
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Blended Designs
Blended Designs
Blended Designs is a Florida-based Black-owned family business that creates everything from travel bags to lunch boxes, all with inclusivity and creativity in mind. Its backpacks start at $29.95. Buy them here.
Oh So Paper
Oh So Paper
Created by a U.S. Coast Guard veteran and self-proclaimed "stationery addict," Oklahoma-based Oh So Paper sells everything from notebooks to enamel pins to stickers. Buy them here.
Puzzle Huddle
Puzzle Huddle
Puzzle Huddle, started by a young couple, aims to allow all children to see themselves in their toys. The company offers puzzles appropriate from toddlers on up. Buy them here.
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Brown Toy Box
Brown Toy Box
Terri-Nichelle Bradley started Brown Toy Box as a way for Black children to see themselves represented in many aspects of STEAM-based play, from books to games, like Astronomy Bingo for $18.99. Buy it here.
Little Likes Kids
Little Likes
Washington, D.C.-based Little Likes makes memory games, puzzles and placemats for kids 6 and younger. The placemats come as a set of four for $21.99. Buy them here.
Brave + Kind Book Shop
Brave + Kind
Brave + Kind is a Black-owned brick-and-mortar bookshop in Decatur, Georgia, that also sells a wealth of diverse children's literature -- as books and bundles -- on its website. Check it out here.
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