WHAT IS A TOY LIBRARY?

What is a Toy Library?

The Main Aims of a Toy Library

Leisure Libraries

Why is Play Important?

Why Toy Libraries?

Benefits of Toy Libraries

Types of Toy Libraries in South Africa

A Brief International Perspective on Toy Libraries

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WHAT IS A TOY LIBRARY?

A TOY LIBRARY is a service that provides access to a collection of play materials including toys, games, puzzles, activities, educational aids and general play equipment. Generally, the service is open to members of the public including families of children with and without special needs, ECD centres, schools and the youth.

Toy libraries operate in any of three ways:

  1.   The play materials are borrowed by the members for a certain period of time and are then

         brought back and exchanged for others. The toy librarian can advise the members about

         suitable toys and will demonstrate how to use the toys if necessary.

  2.   Members play with the equipment at the library.  A toy library in a rural area is featured in the

         picture. The toy librarian, Mr. Shadrack Tshivhase, has no room inside for the children to play,

         so they play outside with the toy library toys.
         For another example of a “drop-in” toy library select the Resource Centre button on the home

         page.

  3.   Mobile toy libraries take the toys to the members.  South Africans have enormous difficulties

         with transport. We should have more mobile toy libraries like the one in the Free State,

         featured in the picture. This service is offered by the Ntsoanatsatsi Toy Library. The toys are

         demonstrated to the teachers before leaving them at the centre for up to 4 weeks.

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THE MAIN AIMS OF A TOY LIBRARY

 Educational – Active Learning Libraries usually serve young children in the foundation phase providing play equipment that helps to develop important skills. However, they can provide material for youth and even adults e.g. games that develop entrepreneurial skills, improve thinking skills etc.
These libraries focus on the educational aspect, with enjoyment and fun being a vital, but secondary objective.

 Recreational – enjoyment and social interaction are the primary objectives but learning also takes place. These libraries are seen as a resource that assists in the healing process for children suffering from various types of emotional trauma. Toy libraries also help to combat the stress suffered as a result of homelessness (street children), violence, war, being an aids orphan etc. Medical staff, dentists etc. have found that children who play at a toy library while waiting for their appointments exhibit reduced stress levels. Teenagers can also benefit from access to interesting, stimulating and challenging activities.

 Quality of life – these libraries serve

        Children with serious illnesses either in hospitals or in places of care
        Children and adults with severe disabilities

Many toy libraries combine all three aims.

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LEISURE LIBRARIES

A LEISURE LIBRARY is a service that focuses on recreational activities and games for adults, especially for disabled adults, those from disadvantaged backgrounds that have never known the joy of play materials, people in prison and the elderly.
The youth can also benefit – leisure libraries provide interesting and challenging activities that can positively counteract negative symptoms of boredom such as drug and alcohol abuse, crime and sexual abuse.

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WHY IS PLAY IMPORTANT?

        Play helps children to develop physically, mentally, socially and emotionally
        Children learn through play by imitating, exploring, and inventing (creating), solving mini

            problems and co-operating. Toy Libraries promote ACTIVE LEARNING.
        Play entertains and challenges children and adults. It is a valuable antidote to the stressful

            times in which we live

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WHY TOY LIBRARIES?

        Suitable play materials encourage the development of a child's abilities – toy libraries try to

            be inclusive.
        Many low - income families are not able to provide their children with adequate learning

            opportunities.
            They may be unable to send the child to any form of pre-school centre. The parents may be

            uneducated and not understand the benefits of early stimulation.
        Specialist toys and equipment, which tend to be expensive, are available to children with

            special needs
        Play materials, especially puzzles, challenge a child at first, but become boring once learned.

            Many bought toys end up lying around at home. At the Toy Library, one toy is exchanged for

            another.

A Toy Library is a cost-effective method of providing a wide variety of 

learning experiences for all children

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BENEFITS OF TOY LIBRARIES

        Parents learn about and are empowered to provide suitable stimulation for their child. Many

            people say that parents don’t want to get involved. This is often because the parent doesn’t

            know what to do or how to do it. Toys provide the parent with a practical framework within

            which to work.
        Shared play between children and parents helps to strengthen the family unit
        Children who are " at risk “ can receive preventive stimulation
        Make believe play areas allow children to choose roles and situations that help them to heal

            from emotional trauma and to cope with stress
        The graded play activities available at Toy Libraries help a child to make steady progress
        A child's self confidence increases with each toy enjoyed and mastered
        Therapists report that children receiving therapy who also belong to a toy library generally

            improve faster
        Poorly-equipped ECD centres and Junior Primary classes can improve their service at

            nominal cost
        Parents often say that the Toy Library is the one place where someone has the time to listen
        Children learn to share toys and to look after them
        Maximum use is made of the equipment

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TYPES OF TOY LIBRARIES IN SOUTH AFRICA

Hospital Toy Libraries

These toy libraries are only available to families where the child is an in / out patient. They are usually administered by occupational or speech therapists employed by the hospital. Many of these toy libraries are facing closure due to cutbacks in hospital expenditure.
One hospital toy library is funded and run solely by volunteers.
ALL-SA has noted with excitement that authorities in Brazil are passing a law that all hospitals must have a toy library. We will continue to lobby for the inclusion of toy library services within South African hospitals.

Toy Libraries for Children with Special Needs

These toy libraries serve the needs of mentally / physically challenged children, visually impaired children, and children with a general developmental delay. Most of these Toy Libraries rely on fundraising.

Active Learning Toy Libraries / Educare Resource Centre Toy Libraries

Active Learning Libraries are usually administered by organisations that provide non-formal training to ECD Centres.
These toy libraries operate in disadvantaged areas and cater for home-based centres, centres based in shacks, teachers from well-established ECD centres in specialised buildings, crèches, class teachers from primary schools etc. Some of these toy libraries also cater for parents.
Members can borrow anything from 3 - 12 items at a time depending on the toy library.
Teachers usually need guidance on how to play with the toys and which age groups the toys can be used for.
Educare Resource Centres usually rely on funding. Nominal fees are charged to cover repair or replacement costs.

One of the biggest challenges facing toy libraries in South Africa is the vast distances in the rural areas, the general lack of affordable public transport and poverty (inability to pay for transport to get to the toy library). We need more mobile toy library services.

District Toy Libraries

One of our provinces is in the process of establishing small Active Learning Toy Libraries in each of its Education Districts. Initially the equipment will be used for teacher-training purposes and as a resource to help children experiencing difficulties. The children will be stimulated with the toys at the District Offices.
A Toy Library is a valuable asset in primary schools, both as an aid to children who are experiencing difficulties as well as to provide enrichment activities. The Toy Library could also serve prospective Grade R or Grade 1 children who are not involved in any type of ECD programme by providing carefully structured learning opportunities.

Community Toy Libraries 

Community Toy Libraries serve the general public, which can include children with special needs and ECD centres. Sometimes the children come to the venue to play with the toys especially in disadvantaged communities where parents / teachers are not familiar with toys. 

There are different types of Community Toy Libraries:

Public Libraries

Public Libraries are staffed by the librarians, sometimes helped by volunteers. Some of them receive a small subsidy from their local council. Others rely on toy and cash donations. Any nominal fees charged may be used to cover some repair costs. In more affluent areas where the fees are slightly higher, they may also be used to purchase new toys. Toy Libraries at several libraries are suffering as the result of cut backs in budgets leading to staffing shortages.
ALL-SA believes that all public libraries should offer a toy library service, especially since many toys and games lay the foundation for the development of early reading skills.

Health Clinics

Although an ideal situation for a Toy Library, we do not know of any currently operating in our country.
The ALL-SA Resource Centre currently offers an outreach service to a clinic in the Hillbrow area. Play mats are put down on the floor and the children an invited to play. Many of the children have never been exposed to toys before and we see development taking place before our very eyes (see picture). In Britain and other countries, health visitors operate mobile Toy Library services to outlying areas.

Private Libraries

  A.    The Toy Library is an income generating business – only 2 currently operating in South Africa.

  B.    The Toy Library is an extension of a different service. The fees charged help to fund new toys

          and may provide a small supplementary income.

E.g.     (i) The toy library service is offered by a speech and language therapist / occupational

                  therapist / assessment clinic/ paediatrician / childbirth educator / educational

                  psychologist. These Toy Libraries can play an important preventive role in children who

                  are " at risk ".
E.g.     (ii) a nursery school offering parents of children attending the school the opportunity to help

                  with their child’s development. This is especially valuable for disadvantaged children

                  attending for the first time.

" Reference “ Toy Libraries / Drop-In Toy Libraries

The toys are played with at the venue. Parents / Teachers may be shown how to stimulate the child, or the child may be encouraged to explore and experiment by himself. Some toy libraries at primary schools work in this way - entire classes visit the “toy library classroom”.

These include Parent & Toddler Groups and Indoor Adventure Playparks that are usually income - generating ventures as well as Playgrounds and Adventure Centres, which are usually managed by local authorities. ALL-SA is very concerned about the generally inadequate provision of playgrounds for the children of our country. (We call these ventures toy libraries so as not to exclude them, but they do not see themselves as toy libraries as yet !)

Toy Clubs

Parents who are able to contribute financially get together to share toys. Initially, existing toys can be rotated. Later, parents contribute a mutually agreed amount with which to purchase new toys.
This Toy Library is run as a self-help venture, with the co-operation of all members. There may be a written agreement / constitution and an elected committee. ECD Centres can also benefit from this type of system.

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A BRIEF INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON TOY LIBRARIES

According to the second edition of “Play for ALL – Toy Libraries in an International Perspective” published in 1999 by the Swedish Lekotek Association, the first toy library was started in Los Angeles, California in the 1930’s. The toy library was started as a result of the Great Depression. A shopkeeper saw children stealing toys and decided to lend toys from his garage. This grew to be an important program subsidised by the county – the Los Angeles County Toy Loan. It is still the largest toy loan programme in the United States with 32 sites around Los Angeles.

Toy Libraries specifically for children with special needs (a lekotek) were started in Sweden in 1963. The aim of these libraries was to help each child to develop to his full potential through the use of play. The lekotek concept spread very quickly through Europe where in many countries they are still known as lekoteks rather than toy libraries.

Today there are toy libraries in over 40 countries worldwide. The value of toy libraries has been recognised even in some small countries with a very developed infrastructure and excellent resources. E.g. Switzerland has over 300, Japan has over 500 and England has over 1,500 toy libraries.

The first toy libraries in South Africa, which were started in the late 1960’s, were for children with special needs. Our country now has approximately 77 toy libraries that are fully operational, although there may be up to 100 toy libraries in total. Most of these serve urban areas. The only other toy libraries on the African continent that we know of are one in Rwanda, and one in Nigeria.

ALL-SA decided to host the 10th International Toy Library Conference in 2005 as part of our awareness campaign for toy libraries on behalf of the children and families of Africa.

Toy libraries are cost-effective and can have a significant impact on the development of young children and on the lives of the youth. ALL-SA’s aim is a society in which play is valued as an essential part of the lives of children and toy libraries are an integral part of all communities.

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