Terri-Nichelle Bradley started Brown Toy Box as a way for Black children to see themselves represented in many aspects of STEAM-based play, from books to games
Our mission is to normalize Black excellence and create prosperous career pathways for Black children through STEAM education, cultural representation and educational play.
Brown Toy Box is working to make STEM/STEAM accessible, culturally representative and fun for Black children. Launched first as a subscription box, Brown Toy Box is working to scale the company to include apps, a full online retail shop, children’s products, and digital content, all designed to cultivate critical thinking, curiosity, cultural pride, and confidence.
Brown Toy Box was founded to help parents of children of color find toys, books, gifts and games that reflect them culturally. As a mother of 4 little brown children it was always frustrating going from store to store and website to website looking for dolls and books that reflected who my children were. From that frustration Brown Toy Box was born.
Each box contains fun and engaging toys, books and games that feature brown children in all their awesomeness. It was also very important to me to curate products not only from big brands and toy companies but to be mindful to leverage Brown Toy Box in a way that introduces black and brown toy designers and authors to this audience.
We are so proud of what we have coming. We hope that you will join us in affirming children and creating brown toy boxes all over the world!
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY CULTURALLY CURATED? WHY IS THAT NECESSARY?
Simply put, if you don’t see it, you can’t be it. Therefore, we are intentional about curated our boxes and marketplace in a manner that helps parents and educators easily source toys, books, games and hand-on projects that help children to see themselves represented in STEAM.
All of our boxes include a book on a Black trailblazer or child hero, a hand-on project for children to test and learn, and some other fun activity or edible, along based on a specific STEAM theme.
Aspirational inspiration of course! Every themed box includes a culturally representative book featuring a Black biography or fictional hero who has achieved greatness in the specific area of theme.
Themed boxes also include a hands-on activity or experiment, and a toy (Grades K-2) or other activity (Grades 3-6).