I need your honest opinions. I am doing a cake (donated) to a 2nd Grade Pool Party for my son's class and the adjoining 2nd grade class. There will be approx. 75 people there. I am doing some figure modeling for this cake. A different scene on each side of the 2 tier cake with a pool on top.
1. soccer
2. Camping etc.
My questions is this - I am caucasian there are various ethnicities in his class. I was thinking making the kids (models) in couple different skin tones, but would someone be offended by my rendering or would they be more offended if all the kids were light skinned. I could go either way on this and wanted some input. Again this is for a free cake.
TIA
Judi
multi-ethnic is the way to go for sure
high chance of offense if only do one skin tone (unless of course and figures are purple w/ pink polka dots)
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is there time/a way to supply colored fondant and let the kids make their own little figures to put on the cake?
or...
instead of figures -- what about just faces (circles of fondant) -- these too the kids could make.
They will be too busy playing and swimming to do something like that and would probably get mainly the girls. This is one of the first cake I'm doing for some people other than family. First figures too..... 
Great ideas. I'll save them for another project.
Judi
I would probably do different skin tones, I don't really think anyone would be offended either way, but that way you cover your bases.
I made a cake for my pre-schooler's teacher (in my photos), and I was sure to put all the kids' faces, ethnicity included, on the cake. The teacher appreciated it very, very much! I think by including several skin tones you will not go wrong, and in fact, people will probably appreciate your consideration!
<S>
I'm a teacher also, and I'm making an end of the year cake for my class. Definately multi-skin toned is the way to go! Doing only one skin tone most likely would offend some, IMO. Sounds like a wonderful cake!!
I was just talking with a lady the other day about this subject. We felt it was very appropriate to put the color of skin to match the family or the people that the cake is going to.
we are both cake decorators and we come from different ethnic backrounds.
We have both made cakes for each others race and felt it appropriate to place the correct skin color on the persons on the cake. Good luck.
If all else fails ask the teachers.
I agree with the multi-skin toned idea. I am hispanic myself, and I think it is always nice to see something that makes you feel included.
Definitely do the multi-cultural. If you have African American children I would lean toward a middle range complexion (just my preference). Not too light..and not too dark.
DEFINITELY multi-cultural. Believe me, you'll probably do more offending by not including the others. Plus the others wouldn't feel left out and a great lesson to be taught. Even in make-believe, we all can play together
Coming from a multi-racial background and living in a very diverse community, it is great to see varied races represented on your cake. I am planning to do a cake for my son's class and I am going to do various skin tones as well as different hair colors also. I am thinking about using fondant and vanilla wafers for faces.
I think back to just television shows alone and not so many years ago, when all you saw were white faces unless it happened to be a western or Tarzan film. No one of color ever saw anyone on the screen who looked like them. Even Kung Fu had David Carridine protraying an Asian male. So I think the children would be thrilled to have diverse figures on the cake and I have a feeling each one will be picking out the one that most resembles them.
Different skin tones would be best; but I don't think second graders would be "offended" ... I don't think they are at an age where they would think twice about it!
2nd graders may not feel offended, but they would notice that not one of the figures looks like them and would feel left out or sad... it's those EARLY messages that form your view of the world... if all you see is caucasion this and caucasion that, well, what are you going to think? You could think "I'm invisible, no one thinks about me" or worse....
I usually try to stay away from using REAL people on anything -cards, notes, signs, etc. because it's IMPOSSIBLE to get everything...
Melissa
Here's a hypothetical... You're caucasian, so you automatically think of making all the figures white, which is what American culture has ingrained in you. What if you were black? Do you think it would occur to you to make all the figures black even if all the children are not? Probably not.
I applaud your thoughtfulness. Whenever I do a cake with people, I always ask the customer what ethnicity the person of honor or the guests are. I never assume anything.
Here's a hypothetical... You're caucasian, so you automatically think of making all the figures white, which is what American culture has ingrained in you. What if you were black? Do you think it would occur to you to make all the figures black even if all the children are not? Probably not.
I applaud your thoughtfulness. Whenever I do a cake with people, I always ask the customer what ethnicity the person of honor or the guests are. I never assume anything.
This is EXACTLY right! That is exactly what most american's think and do!!!
I remember when I was in high school my mom had a college friend who had a baby. This lady was black... My mom went to buy a congrats on the baby card and didn't find a SINGLE card with a baby on it that was anything but a white baby! (this was 20 years ago in Iowa, but in a univesity town that had "Some" minority groups)... She had NEVER noticed before how WHITE everything was.... I think it was my mom being in college while I was in Jr. High and High school that really opened my eyes to a LOT of things.
Melissa
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