“Are you Ecuatoriana or Mexicana?” It’s a question we ask our daughter every once in a while (her answer varies depending on whether she’s feeling more love for her Mexican mom or her Ecuadorian dad…) As a Latina parent in the U.S., I’m always looking for products or services that can help me connect my kids to their Latinx roots. I thought I’d round up a few kid-friendly Latinx businesses that do just that! After all, there’s no better time than Hispanic Heritage Month to help kids (whether Latinx or not) learn a little more about Latinx culture and heritage.
- Sol Book Box – Sol Book Box makes the list of Latinx businesses for kids of course! Had to include it here because it’s designed expressly to get Latinx kids and Spanish language learners excited about reading, Spanish and Latinx culture! Each month, customers receive a meticulously curated, hardcover picture book in Spanish. We want to make sure reading is fun and not a chore, so all of our books come wrapped like a present. The best part of the subscription model is having a chance to unwrap felicidad once a month :). (And then read, love, repeat until the next month!).
- Vince & Soph – Vince and Soph is run by Angelica, who I met on my very favorite app (Instagram obvs). While trying to dress her kids in something other than clothes about monster trucks (for her son) and ballerinas (for her daughter), she was inspired to create pieces that are fun, sweet, and reflect a multicultural heritage. We own several Vince and Soph pieces, and while I love seeing my girls in their “Mija” shirts, I must say my very favorite is seeing their dad in his “Papa” tee! Heart eyes forever.
- Amor y Cositas – This shop is run by a mom of twins whose passion for crafting, making, and giving led her to create a business sewing blankets made out of Mexican sarapes and sherpa. She felt (like many of us Mexican moms in this country) that it was important that kids embrace and understand their heritage. So now she uses sarapes, recognized throughout the world as being from Mexico, to craft durable and beautiful products.
- Filanthropik: Threads of Humanity – Fourth on our list of kid-friendly Latinx businesses, Filanthropik sells huaraches for kids, handmade by artisans in Guatemala. This husband + wife team is wonderful because as a social enterprise, they pay what the artisans deem is a fair price. The owners also donate a portion of the proceeds to organizations working to alleviate poverty in Guatemala. The huaraches are darling, and so are the women’s boots accented with pieces of Guatemalan huipil (who says the kids get to have all the fun?!).
- Shop Hola Amigo – I found Madison, who founded Shop Hola Amigo, on Instagram, and we quickly discovered that we live pretty close to each other and have a good friend in common. Sooo we met up with our kids at Chik-fil-A (as you do) to discuss all things bilingual parenting and Spanish immersion education. Madison designs super cute classroom management and teaching aides in Spanish, which work equally well for teachers or for mamis (her Día de los Muertos poster/activity for kids… so good).
Any Latinx-owned businesses with good stuff for kids that you love? Let me know, I’m always on the hunt for more!