Play is not frivolous or a way to fill in time. For children PLAY IS THE WAY they learn and develop. The Toy Library
Federation of New Zealand believes that all children have the need and right to play.
Step inside a Toy Library and you’ll find toys to encourage many types of a child’s development: physical (fine and gross motor skills), social (toys that encourage empathy and sharing), emotional (losing at a game helps with self-regulation) and creative (making, dressing up).
And of course the toys are fun!
Learning through play is crucial for positive, healthy development, regardless of a child’s situation. Run by local
communities for local communities, the 190 toy libraries throughout NZ aim to keep fees low so that is PLAY is
accessible for all.
Thanks to the fundraising efforts of their members, toy libraries constantly update their toys to keep up with latest
trends AND they have classic toys that have been popular with children for generations.
Toy Libraries give children the opportunity to work out for themselves what interests them – and if that fad for
dinosaurs only lasts five just take the toys back!
Children grow and develop quickly and the toys they played with every day six months ago soon lie abandoned and taking
up space. This is where toy libraries are perfect – they always have the right toys for a child’s development and
families don’t need to buy, store or dispose of them.
Toy libraries cater for children ranging from 0 to up to 10 years, so being a member of a toy library helps children to
be creative, engaged, lifelong learners.
With many families needing to have both parents working outside the home, it’s easy for parents to feel pressured to
come up with fun things to do together. A visit to the toy library can provide a fun, stress free outing. Select some
toys that encourage independent play and some that the family can all play with together - and at a tiny fraction of the
cost to buy them.
Toy Library Awareness week is 27 May - 2 June and is a great time to check out your local toy library.
Contact Cheryl Comfort or Katherine Viskovic
National Co-ordinator Co President
support@toylibrary.co.nz katherine.viskovic@gmail.com
Toy Library Federation of New Zealand
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