Our Family House

This week, the students were excited to see a new addition to our classroom. This is our "family house".  I am trying to not call it a doll house, so it has a better chance of becoming a gender neutral toy. So far, it is attracting both boys and girls, which is great to see.

I purchased this for our room for a reason - beyond being a fun activity for free time. It is a great way to begin a discussion of "What is Family?" The figures that live in the house come in different ages, genders, and skin colors. This morning, I picked up several mixed figures (a white grandpa, an Asian child, and an African American dad for example) and asked, "Is this a family?" The responses varied from - "No! It's too small!' to "Yes, it could be. In some states boys can marry boys and girls can marry girls!". We will have many such discussions in the coming months as we explore identity as it relates to where you live, and who you call family.