How to Use a Pretend Play Family in Multicultural Therapy

Quick answer

Use a pretend play family as a structured invitation for the child to assign roles, build scenes, and tell stories about family and culture. Start with open-ended exploration, then gently introduce cultural elements the child raises, and close by reflecting on what the child chose to show you.

Step-by-step: running a multicultural family-figure session

1. Set up a low, open play space: Place the family figures on a low table or floor mat with a few simple props—a block house, a cloth, a small basket. Keep the arrangement uncluttered so the child can see all eight figures at once. Common mistake: arranging the figures in a neat family line before the child arrives, which suggests a 'correct' grouping and discourages exploration. Check that every figure is visible and reachable from the child's seated position.
2. Invite the child to choose and place figures: Say something open like, 'These are families. You can choose who you want in your family today.' Let the child pick up, move, and group figures without direction. Common mistake: asking 'Which family is yours?' too early, which can put a child on the spot about identity before trust is established. Notice which figures the child leaves out; that choice is often as informative as the ones they pick.
3. Follow the child's story and reflect it back: As the child plays, describe what you see without judging: 'The grandmother is holding the baby.' If the child introduces cultural content—food, language, holidays, names—reflect that too: 'They are making a special meal together.' Common mistake: steering the story toward a lesson about diversity instead of letting the child lead. Keep your reflections short and factual; one sentence is usually enough to invite more.
4. Introduce a cultural prompt only if the child opens the door: If the child mentions a tradition, a language, or a place, offer one related prompt: 'What might they be celebrating?' or 'Who in this family speaks the language at home?' Use the figures to act out the answer. Common mistake: introducing a cultural prompt from your own agenda when the child is focused on something else, which breaks the play frame. If the child ignores the prompt, drop it and return to their story without comment.
5. Close by naming what the child showed: Before putting figures away, summarize one or two things the child did: 'You put the grandparents right next to the baby, and they stayed together the whole time.' Ask if there is anything they want to change before the family goes back in the box. Common mistake: skipping the closing reflection, which leaves the child without a sense that the play was seen and valued. Let the child put the figures away themselves if they want to; the ending is part of the play.

Product facts

• Pretend Play Family, Hispanic: Contemporary 8-piece family with grandparents, parents, and children; tallest figure about 5 inches, baby about 1.75 inches. The intergenerational mix lets a child show caregiving across three generations, and the small baby figure is easy for little hands to place in a cradle or carrier.

  

• Pretend Play Family, African American: Contemporary 8-piece family made of durable vinyl, with the same size range as the Hispanic set. Durable vinyl stands up to repeated handling and cleaning between sessions, so the set can be used across many children without showing wear.