Fair trade in the classroom: Teaching kindness beyond the playground
Why Fair Trade matters in education
Every day in schools and early learning centres, educators are guiding children to be fair, kind and thoughtful. These aren’t just “classroom rules”, they’re big life lessons. And with World Fair Trade Day, a global celebration of the people and principles behind the Fair Trade movement, held on the second Saturday of May each year, it’s the perfect opportunity to reflect on the kind of world we are shaping with our students and learners. A world where empathy, equity and ethical choices matter.Fair Trade is one way we can make fairness real. It means choosing resources that are made in ways that support people - ensuring safe working conditions, fair pay and ethical production. It means teaching children that the things we buy have stories behind them. Beautiful, human stories.When educators choose Fair Trade resources - a hand-felted fruit, a woven basket, a multicultural doll - they’re not just picking beautiful, high-quality items, they’re creating opportunities for conversations, hands-on learning and real social impact.
What is Fair Trade and why does it matter?
Fair Trade is about ensuring dignity and sustainability for the artisans, farmers and makers behind the products we use every day. Through Fair Trade initiatives, over 2 million farmers and workers across 7 countries have benefited from improved working conditions and fairer trade practices. While challenges like forced labour and unsafe working conditions persist in some parts of the world, choosing Fair Trade products supports a system that prioritises safety, equity and opportunity for producers and their communities. 
Artisans from Tara Treasures crafting.
At MTA, we’re committed to ethical sourcing and transparency across everything we do. You can read our Modern Slavery Statement here. It outlines the steps we’re taking to ensure the products we offer are made with dignity, not exploitation. We’re proud to work with some of the incredible organisations who are out there doing the work, ensuring the products in your hands are made with heart. Meet the makers: Stories behind the products
When educators shop with us, they can feel confident knowing we’ve done the homework on who makes what and how. Today, we’re sharing the stories of two of these incredible suppliers and the stories behind their creations.Let’s look at two of the inspiring Fair Trade partners we’re proud to support, hear the stories behind their creations and explore how their work can enrich your learning environments.
Tara Treasures: Felt with heart
There’s something undeniably magical about felt play pieces. The soft textures, the bright colours, the way they promote imagination in young minds. But behind each felt vegetable, finger puppet or Aussie animal set from Tara Treasures is something even more powerful.
Tara Treasures founders, Jag & Jooli, and family.
Nestled in the highlands of Nepal, Tara Treasures was founded with a vision: to provide women with fair, safe and sustainable work opportunities while reviving a rich tradition of needle-felting. The results are incredible, bringing imagination and ethics together in the most beautiful way with vibrant felt toys like the Felt Farm Animals Set, perfect for storytelling, role play and interactive learning, and puppets and story sets like this classic Wombat Stew Finger Puppet Set that bring stories to life through interactive and imaginative play opportunities.But behind the whimsical colours and playful designs are stories of empowerment. The artisans at Tara Treasures, many of whom are women, are paid fairly and work in safe, supportive environments. The result? Toys that are not only stunning and engaging for children but also carry deep meaning and dignity behind their creation.
" Our artisans are mothers, daughters, breadwinners. When they felt with their hands, they are also building homes, sending children to school and standing tall."
- Tara Treasures’ Founder
Tara Treasures eco-friendly materials and sustainable production methods used by artisans
Tara Treasures uses only 100% natural wool sourced from New Zealand
EYLF Links: Outcome 2.1 - “Children develop a sense of belonging to groups and communities and an understanding of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary for active community participation.”
In Practice: Use the Australiana Set of 25 Finger Puppets to introduce children to different Australian animals, places and cultural symbols. Invite children to choose a puppet and create a story about its "home," how it lives, and who helps care for it. This supports empathy, connection to place and conversations about respect and community roles.
Teaching Tip: Add labels like "Fair Trade" or “Handmade in Nepal” to your learning corners and let children help research what those words mean. It’s a great springboard for global citizenship even in the early years.
Siham Craftlink: Crafting hope across continents
Made by hand, made with loveFurther across Asia, communities in Vietnam and Laos are using traditional skills to carve out brighter futures. Siham Craftlink connects these communities with educators and ethical buyers around the world, providing access to safe income, skill development and community projects.
Siham Craftlink Founder & Director, Pam, with artisans at the YWCA Craft Centre, Bangladesh.
One standout? Siham Craftlink, in collaboration with their artisan partners at Artisans Effort in Kolkata, helped fund the building of an entire school in Asansol, India, a rural community where access to education was limited. Alongside this, Siham continues to support inclusive training for artisans with disabilities and create opportunities for women in remote villages to share their skills with the world, preserving cultural traditions while building better futures.Each hand-stitched doll, storytelling set or woven basket carries a piece of that story.
" We don’t just sell crafts. We are restoring dignity. One loom, one stitch, one smile at a time."
- Siham Craftlink Team
Artisan in Kolkata working on new designsEducators can use these pieces, like the Muyan-Bara Aboriginal Family to engage students in meaningful cross-cultural learning. High school students exploring global economics or sustainability can dive into the Fair Trade model, while primary students might compare traditional weaving patterns from around the world.
Australian Curriculum v9 Links:
Year 4 HASS: “The diversity of Australia's first peoples and the long and continuous connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to Country/Place.”
Year 7-8 Geography: “Human wellbeing and development; trade, aid and sustainability.”
Year 10 Business Studies or Economics: “Ethical business practices and global supply chains.”
Classroom connection: Siham’s Fair Trade Dolls are wonderful for exploring culture, diversity and belonging.
Classroom Idea: Have students trace where a product comes from, mapping its journey from maker to classroom. What does it pass through? Who touches it? How is that different from a mass-produced item?
Teaching Fair Trade: From playroom to high school
Fair Trade fits beautifully into many parts of the curriculum. From imaginative play in early childhood to geography and business studies in secondary school.Every product from our Fair Trade range is an opportunity to teach values. Whether it’s a set of felt storytelling figures from Tara’s Treasures or a handwoven textile from Siham Craftlink, these items are a gentle yet powerful way to show children that their choices, even as learners, can contribute to a more just world.
They encourage:
Empathy: Connecting with real people in other parts of the world.
Curiosity: Asking where things come from and why it matters.
Responsibility: Valuing ethical choices over cheap convenience.
🟡 Early Childhood
EYLF Learning Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world
EYLF Learning Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world
Role play with Australian Indigenous Food Set to explore food culture.
Practice counting and sorting with Felt Stacking & Sorting Kit.
Explore identity and belonging with Multicultural Dolls.
🟢 Primary School
AC v9: HASS, Geography, Science, Sustainability
AC v9: HASS, Geography, Science, Sustainability
Set up a mini “Fair Trade Market” using Recycled Sari Dori Bowls and felt foods.
Investigate where products come from and how they’re made using Fair Trade Wooden Trees or Ocean Play Mats.
Map out artisan stories from Nepal, Vietnam and beyond.
🔵 High School
AC v9: Geography, Business, Food Tech, Global Studies
AC v9: Geography, Business, Food Tech, Global Studies
Analyse global supply chains and ethical consumerism. Who makes what and under what conditions? Use real classroom products as case studies.
Explore sustainable textiles with felted and handcrafted pieces. Encourage reflection on everyday consumer choices. What do we support when we buy?
Research global education access and discuss social enterprise and ethical business models, using Siham’s school initiative as a case study.
One small choice, a thousand ripples
For many educators, buying classroom resources isn’t just about cost or colour, it’s about values. Whether it’s a felt apple, a woven basket or a multicultural doll - every Fair Trade item is a chance to show students what kindness looks like beyond the classroom. It’s a way to connect little learners with big ideas. And it’s a quiet but powerful reminder the choices we make, even in our learning environments, can change lives.By choosing Fair Trade, you’re:
Aligning your classroom with values like fairness and empathy.
Starting meaningful conversations about global citizenship.
Supporting real people, real families and real futures.
Get involved this world fair trade day
Looking for easy ways to integrate Fair Trade into your learning space?Start a conversation with your students about where things come from.
Share how your classroom supports ethical choices with us using #FairLearning2025