Our growing list of Black-owned businesses covers lots of things for adults, from housewares to clothing to beauty. But if you’re looking to shop Black-owned for the little ones in your life, we’ve got you covered too. Whether you’re looking for children’s books by a Black author, some cute T-shirts for someone’s birthday, or even a skateboard from the first Black-woman-owned skateboard company, we found the best gifts for every type of kid that happen to be from Black-owned brands and businesses. To make it a bit easier to sort through, we organized this list by category: toys and games, apparel and accessories, and books.
Toys and Games
Little Likes Kids was founded by Kemi Tignor, a mom who wanted to make sure the toys her son was playing with reflected him and his real-life experiences, and they make toys that are both beautiful and educational — like this memory game that’s just hard enough for a toddler.
Little Likes Kids also sells puzzles, including this 72-piece one that might be a tad easier to piece together than the parents’ Areaware gradient.
We’ve been fans of Blk Mkt Vintage, a Brooklyn-based store selling Black antiques that often double as the perfect gift, since their opening last year. The little sports fanatic in your life will be delighted by these vintage basketball figures — featuring players like Kareem Abdul Jabar and Michael Jordan — that’ll also teach them some history about the game.
For the youngest “plant parent” at home, this kit from Kids Coloring Co. will help them start a vegetable garden. In no time, they’ll have cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, and basil to contribute at mealtime.
Serena Williams brought her daughter’s doll Qai Qai to life in 2018 with its own animated Instagram account, which now has more than 260,000 followers. Last fall, the doll finally became available for purchase, and now your kids can have their own Qai Qai too.
Parents and babies alike will appreciate this non-toxic teething ring from Evergreen Baby, a company started by two moms who wanted to create a one-stop shop for eco-friendly baby products and apparel from Black-owned businesses.
We found a lot of great gifts for kids at Kido, a Chicago-based shop owned by Keewa Nurullah and her husband Doug. If you’re local, you can purchase for in-store pick up, but you can also have your items delivered. No matter how you shop, you’ll have access to their perfectly curated shop that focuses on representation and inclusivity, and just really nice looking toys and decor like this boombox plush that can be colored in with washable markers.
The littlest one on your list will appreciate this teething mitten from Blk+Grn, a marketplace of Black-owned beauty and lifestyle products.
Yinibini Baby is a Washington, D.C.–based shop for kids and babies. It sells clothes as well as toys like this narwhal stuffed animal that would make a great addition to your little one’s collection.
These hand-poured crayons are perfect for the kid with an ecoconscious parent. They’re nontoxic and made with just soy and beeswax.
Goodee, a curated marketplace showcasing minority artisans from around the world, mainly sources housewares, but we found a few cute plushies in its children’s section. This doll looks like it’s straight out of an animated movie.
If you’re under a time crunch, or just need something to entertain the kids now, this set of diverse paper dolls, designed by Paper Play Wonder, can be printed out almost immediately after purchasing, meaning you can get right to playing.
Lily Adeleye is the CEO of Lilly Frilly. She’s also just 6. So there’s a pretty good chance your 6-year-old will also love her buttery slime — complete with “surprise” cupcake charms.
Bring the fun inside with the help of this hopscotch mat from Darlyng & Co., a kids’ company started by Black husband and wife team Carl and Tara Darnley.
Along with maybe some knee pads and a helmet, you can introduce your child into the world of skating — which happens to be a great socially distant activity — with this skateboard from the first Black-woman-owned skateboard company Proper Gnar.
Books
This notebook might help spark some much-needed motivation for kids still schooling from home.
The Amazing Adventures of Aya & Pete is a travel book series written by mother-daughter duo Serena Minott and Asha Gore. Much like Aya (and her stuffed sloth Pete), Asha traveled the world at a young age and is bringing other kids along for the ride. In this particular book. Aya and Pete explore the Big Apple.
This New York Times best seller was also recently featured on Oprah’s Book Club — and was recommended to us by Truss and Matthew Winner of The Children’s Book Podcast for our list of books about race to read to your kids. It defines racism, helps the reader analyze their own prejudices, and offers ways to disrupt racism.
Also featured on our list of books about race to read to your kids is this one by Ilyasah Shabazz. Shabazz is the daughter of Malcolm X and here tells the story of his childhood.
This book, written for kids ages 3 to 7, follows the journey of Winston, a city kid who gets transported to the Caribbean island of Tobago where he encounters the mythical characters of the island.
If you wish you could gift the avid young reader in your life all of these titles, perhaps it’s worth considering a Just Like Me Box subscription. Each month they will receive a themed box of African-American children’s books and educational tools. (A previous box for kids 4 to 8 included Money Monsters: The Missing Money by
Okeoma Moronu-Schreiner and Black Girl Magic by Mia Harris.)
Apparel and Accessories
From Black-owned Brooklyn boutique BedstuyFly, these colorful sweatshirts are perfect for the city kid on your list. It also comes in orange.
All the clothing and accessories at Yinibini Baby are screen- or block-printed by hand, like this very adorable lion sweatshirt that’s available in sizes 3 months to 2 years.
In addition to toys, Kido also sells a lot of clothing and accessories, like these on-trend (and seasonally appropriate) tie-dye knit beanies.
The little kid in your life will have so much fun playing with these glitter hair clips from Marche Rue Dix, a Brooklyn café, shop, and nail salon. A unicorn is just one option — there’s also a dinosaur, sun, cupcake, rainbow, and many more.
If they’re more into scrunchies, this sparkly sequin set from Lily Frilly is the perfect alternative.
Melanie White’s unisex children’s jewelry line was inspired and named after her own daughter, AnnDrew Marie. Many of the pieces are customizable, like this bracelet that comes in a variety of finishes from sterling silver to 14-karat gold, and in sizes to accommodate newborns all the way up to preteens.
This tie-dyed long-sleeved shirt comes from Jasmine Walker’s kids’ clothing line King and Lola, which sells a mix of new and upcycled items for kids of all ages. (And yes, there is a version of this T-shirt for adults, too.)
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