Toys like me and you: Children’s voices, representation, and anti-ableist pedagogy in early childhood
Background: Creating a more inclusive world requires more than just the presence of inclusive resources; it requires pedagogies that support critical dialogue about disability and belonging. Toys that represent disability have been recognised for their potential to support children’s inclusive understandings. However, research on how children engage with such toys in early childhood education (ECE) settings remains limited. Further, while toys can reflect dominant social values, children do not passively receive their intended meanings; they reinterpret meanings as they engage with the toys.
Aim: To explore how three early childhood teachers (ECTs) planned for, introduced, and reflected on toys representing disability in preschool classrooms, and how their pedagogical decisions supported children’s meaning-making about disability, access, participation, and inclusion.
Method/approach: The study was conducted across three ECE centres in Sydney, Australia, in collaboration with three ECTs. Through cycles of planning, implementation, reflection, and re-planning, the study examined how toys that represent disability could be used in ECE to promote inclusion and anti-ableism. Ethical approval was obtained from Macquarie University, with teacher and parent consent, and ongoing child assent.
Results/findings: The toys did not foster inclusive understandings simply by being present. Instead, they functioned as provocations for critical pedagogy. Three major shifts emerged: from relying solely on the toys to intentionally planning for questioning, reflection, and creative problem-solving; from focusing on ‘awareness’ and ‘difference’ to exploring barriers, access, and participation; and from framing inclusion as ‘being kind’ to understanding it as ongoing anti-ableist practice. Engagement was playful and creative, but also non-linear and sometimes contradictory.
Conclusion: Representation opens important doors, but intentional pedagogy shapes what learning is possible.
Implications for children and families: Children are active meaning-makers who can engage critically with ideas about disability and inclusion when given meaningful opportunities.
Implications for practitioners: Anti-ableist practice requires time, space, and ongoing support.
Keywords: toys, disability representation, early childhood education, inclusion, anti-ableism, play, critical pedagogy
This presentation relates to the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: