[amanda1982]

Hi everyone,

My sons school is having a multicultural day next week and they need to dress up from another country.

Does anyone have any suggestions where I don't really have to go and buy a whole new outfit for this. I can't think what to dress him in.

It also has to be practical and it is cold here at the moment.

TIA

[jules77]

Do schools still do this sort of thing? I find it rather tokenistic as it is inevitably stereotypical outfits that children wear.

You could always dress in some everyday clothes and say he was from [take your pick of country].

I would have no clue otherwise!

[la di dah]

Dress him in Levis and some Uggs and send him as an American who's wearing their plain 20 dollar pants and their pleased-with-themselves 200 dollar boots.

[Beltie]

Oooh, there's lots of easy ways to be culturally inaccurate and borderline offensive.

Wrap a wide checked/tartan scarf around his waist and thighs and say he's Scottish.
Wrap a wide plain scarf around his waist and thighs and say he's Tongan.
Wrap a wide striped scarf around his waist and thighs and say he's Malaysian.

Good luck.

ETA: if he's not into scarf skirts you could cut a hole in the middle of a wide scarf and throw it over his head and he's instantly Mexican. So many options, as long as you have a good selection of wide scarves....

This post has been edited by Beltie: 22/06/2012, 11:48 PM

[alxase]

National dress is a bit hard, lots of people have mixed heritage and identify foremost as Australian so what can they wear except what they wear on a normal day!

They could go in bushranger wear, or possibly something iconic like surf lifesavers. A drizabone and an akubra maybe? Or they could wear the outfit of another culture, maybe a Scottish kilt or an African Masai sash and jewellery. I think the point of the day is too learn about many cultures, so to dress as something from another culture might help them to get the most out of the day.

Personally, i'd rather have a food multicultural day, where you have to try all the different flavours of the world, much more exciting!

[suline]

I remember being sent to school with a scarf around my head, because I was a gypsy. Ha people were confused. I love my mum.

[mindy05]

I sent DS once in black pants, his sister's black and white striped tshirt and a straw hat. he was a venetian gondolier.

[JRA]

Do schools still do this sort of thing? I find it rather tokenistic as it is inevitably stereotypical outfits that children wear.

I agree, I nearly find it offensive.

Wear normal clothes and say you are from: china, japan, thailand, england, US, you name it.

[Wishing2011]

It's a bit of fun girls. Why would u get offended over that? I certainly wouldn't.

I like the gondola idea :-)

[fairyflossfart]

Do schools still do this sort of thing? I find it rather tokenistic as it is inevitably stereotypical outfits that children wear.

The high school near us has a multicultural day every 2yrs I think it is. They have so many different dancing exhibitions, as well as parents from different cultures coming in and running food stalls, so the food is really good. The kids love it and it raises a lot of money(lots) for the school.