Bee You Kids, which produces disabilities dolls and dolls of different races, has started a collaboration with Boreal Kids Co.
Boreal Kids Co. sells new and used baby, kids, maternity and women’s clothing, also toys and supplies for young children. The distinct dolls have now been added to the inventory.
“Represent people that want to play with… and that people can see themselves in their toys, I think it’s important,” said Amy Allan, co-owner of Boreal Kids Co.
Allan said her business and Bee You Kids are sampling the market response to these diverse dolls. They are hopeful about expanding their offerings based on customer feedback.
Andile Pfupa, owner of Bee You Kids, highlighted the need for inclusivity in the toy industry. She touched on the importance of these diverse dolls not just for children who look like the dolls but also for those who don’t.
“Even if a child doesn’t have Down syndrome or vitiligo, it’s important for them to be aware that there are people like that in the world and even like at school,” said Pfupa. “You’re going to meet people of different ethnicities, so I feel like when you incorporate dolls that are of all ethnicities to a child, they’re more likely to treat people much better because they understand — they’re aware that they’re just people.”
Pfupa’s journey into the toy industry started from a personal need. She was unable to find dolls that resembled her niece in any stores in Edmonton. This lack of representation was not just limited to her personal experience. She noticed that there were no Asian or First Nations dolls available either. This realization sparked her idea to start a company that not only offers dolls representing different ethnicities but also includes dolls representing people with disabilities. Thus, Bee You Kids was born.
“The dolls start at $60 and up,” said Pfupa. “The cost of manufacturing and that these materials are still rare and costly as most doll factories where created initially to cater to Caucasians so the materials for dolls of colour and disabilities is still fairly new.”
However, she believes that as more people buy these dolls, the price will get lower.
Pfupa went on to explain the unique features of some of the products that they offer. One of the dolls has vitiligo, a skin condition characterized by loss of pigment. The doll was hand-painted after studying a person with vitiligo to ensure the representation was accurate.
“Each doll is unique, with distinct freckles that are never painted the same way twice,” she said.
The baby dolls are anatomically correct, which Pfupa believes can help children identify inappropriate touching and use the correct words to describe their body parts. This can be crucial in legal situations where a child’s testimony is taken more seriously if they use the correct terms, she noted.