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Toy Libraries: Lending a Smile

You can rent just about anything these days: books, cars, videos (ok, well, maybe not so much anymore)… but how about toys? While toy libraries haven’t quite caught on yet in America, they’re all the rage in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Here’s how it works: parents buy a yearly membership to their local toy library to check out a toy for a period of time, similar to a book from a library. Once the time period is up, the toy is returned to the library, cleaned, and put back on the shelf for the next child. Pretty cool, huh? Not only do toy libraries promote learning and cognitive development through play, they also keep unwanted toys out of landfills and save parents tons of money!

Here in America, folks seem to be warming up to the toy lending concept. A librarian at the Ottendorfer branch of the New York Public Library in the East Village decided to loan out an American Girl doll, Kirsten Larson, along with her corresponding storybook. The unofficial doll lending program became immensely popular and has since expanded to include several other American Girls, which normally retail for upwards of $100. Offering children the opportunity to play with a toy their parents might not be able to afford is yet another reason toy libraries are catching on. Click here to find a toy library near you!

Photo: Toypedia, a toy library with branches in Gurgaon and South Delhi, India.

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