Buying a toy for a child is a shot in the dark. There’s just no telling what they will love and what will get cast aside. Gifting toys to kids can be a series of well-intentioned, but expensive mistakes.
The average child loses interest in a new toy in just 36 days, according to a British Heart Foundation survey. Even toys they’ve begged and pleaded for can be forgotten. One in five kids gets bored with the latest “must-have” after less than a day, according to the survey.
Parents will be familiar with the clutter all of this creates. Whether a child loves something or is indifferent to it, they probably won’t let you throw it out. More gifts every Christmas and birthday just add to the pile.
But what if you could borrow a toy for a child instead of buying it? Your child could bring the toy home, try it for a few weeks and then return it. Then borrow another one. They get to experience all of the excitement of a toy, new to them, and you don’t waste your money.
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This is exactly what Carrickmacross Toy Library offers. This not-for-profit charity was established in 2020 in the Co Monaghan town by a small group of parents with “a strong belief in the power of play, and a commitment to reducing waste and unnecessary consumption”.
The idea was to facilitate loaning toys and play equipment in exactly the same way that a library loans books. Getting to try multiple different toys without having to buy them has plenty of advantages, according to Toy Libraries Ireland, the representative body for a growing number of toy libraries here.
Families can save money by borrowing toys that are quickly outgrown instead of buying them, says Toy Libraries Ireland. Children have access to potentially hundreds of toys that they might not ordinarily have the chance to play with.
Families get to discover new toy brands and types of toys too. Toy library volunteers can advise them on new ways to play with toys they are already familiar with.
Toy libraries support toy rotation too, says the association – the idea is that children with fewer toys enjoy a greater quality of play. Fewer toys also means less clutter at home.
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Toy libraries are also good for the planet. The toy industry is one of the world’s most plastic-intensive – some 90 per cent of toys on the market are made from plastic. Once they reach the end of their life cycle, most cannot be recycled into anything else.
Nearly 80 per cent of all toys end up in landfill, incinerators or the ocean, according to Toy Libraries Ireland.
Toys are often heavily packaged too. Outsize boxes and plastic mounting are deployed to make many toys appear more impressive than they are. So, whether a new toy gets played with or not, there is usually a lot of waste.
Set up and run on a voluntary basis by individuals and community groups who are passionate about high-quality, sustainable play, toy libraries are helping families to save money, cut down on clutter and reduce waste.
The Carrickmacross toy library, which started as a basic “click and collect” service, has grown to become a valued community resource serving members in counties Monaghan, Louth, Cavan and Meath, from a dedicated unit in the town’s shopping centre.
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Members can choose up to four toys for up to three weeks at a time. They can bring these back and swap for new toys. If there isn’t a waiting list, they can renew the toy to keep it for longer.
As well as access to hundreds of toys, members enjoy “stay and play” and themed pop-up play sessions there too. Children learn to take care of toys and to share with others, so toys aren’t taken for granted, say the organisers.
You’ll find toy libraries at the Carrig Centre in Ballincollig, Cork, in Ongar community centre in northwest Dublin, and in the Flemington centre in Balbriggan too, says Toy Libraries Ireland. You might have spotted some pop-up beach toy libraries this summer too.
If you don’t have a toy library local to you, why not consider setting one up? Toy Libraries Ireland has put together a “how-to” guide providing practical information for getting your community toy library off the ground.
By doing so, you could play a part in reducing plastic waste, giving back to your community and finding your tribe too.
