Toy, education companies introduce characters to reflect social diversity

Autumn born with a missing limb, left, is in front of the Autumn‘s House [Photo provided by Lego Korea]

The toy and education industries across the world is seeking to reflect diversity and inclusion in their products to help children learn and adopt socially important topics by naturally playing with them and this effort is receiving a positive response from children.

According to a survey conducted last year by Lego A/S of 25,000 children from 35 countries, including Korea, 73 percent of respondents said that there were not many toys looking like them, with 80 percent hoping there would be more looking like them. This shows that demand for toys and contents that reflect diversity will continue to rise.

Leading multinational toy companies Lego and Mattel Inc. are aiming to overcome prejudice on gender, race and disability by introducing diversity elements in their products. Lego is putting the value of diversity and inclusion at the forefront by expanding the main characters of its popular series Lego Friends on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of its launch this year. The newly released Lego Friends is on sale in Korea from this year and its TV episodes will air starting next month.

Lego’s new Friends features diverse characters include Autumn, one of the main characters and an adventure-loving child born with a missing limb, a grocery store worker with vitiligo and a florist with Down’s syndrome. In addition, its dog-themed products feature a dog in a wheelchair.

Since the release of the female scientist series in 2014, the toy company has expanded the range of diversity within its products by introducing mini figures in wheelchairs and figures for the visually impaired and guide dogs.

Young Toys Inc.‘s animation, Secret Jouju Best Friends [Image captured from Young Toys homepage]

This year, Mattel released its new Chelsea doll, Barbie’s little sister, with a curved spine and a removable back brace, in an effort to raise awareness of scoliosis, which often occurs in growing children aged 10 to 15, and to eliminate prejudice against assist devices. Last year, Mattel also introduced Barbie dolls with hearing aids, wheelchairs and more.

Young Toys Inc., a Korean toy and content company, launched an animation, Secret Jouju Best Friends, in October last year, which featured characters with various skin colors, personalities and dreams, and released toys with the characteristics of each character.

Leading educational contents for children are also introducing characters reflecting the diversity. Korea Educational Broadcasting System’s long-running children’s program, Ding Dong Dang Kindergarten, introduced four new characters through an overall reform conducted last year for the first time in 40 years. Haneul, who uses a wheelchair but likes sports, Mari, a multicultural child, Hari, an athletic girl, and Joa, a literary boy, are all characters who break down stereotypes.

The famous British animation Peppa Pig, which is also well known in Korea, often features scenes of Mandy Mouse, a mouse in a wheelchair, having fun with other animal friends. In 2020, the animation studio released Peppa Pig Perfect Birthday Party Set containing Mandy Mouse and the main character Peppa Pig figures.

Another British children’s television series, Thomas & Friends, introduced a new character Bruno with autism last year. The U.S. children’s program Sesame Street, which is also popular in Korea, also unveiled its new character Ameera last year who uses a wheelchair and forearm crutches due to a spinal cord injury.