If your house is anything like Mamma’s, you have far too many toys that your children don’t even play with – so when you hear about the Moreland Toy Library, you jump at the chance to go down and look!

The idea is simple: you pay a small fee each year and borrow toys to play with at home. After a few weeks, you return and get more or renew online – just like a book library but with toys for all ages and stages. Lots of councils have one – there are 260 in Australia!

What Mamma loves most about this idea is how sustainable toy libraries are. Every child deserves the chance to play and learn, but we all know that children can get bored quickly with toys at home, and buying more is so expensive and wasteful. This way, they get a new one (or three or six!) to play with as often as you want to go in and swap them.

You can test out and see what excites your child, and that’s totally okay if this week they love dinosaurs and next week it is dolls or puzzles – at the toy library, they have thousands of items ready for you all to browse and borrow. This also means fewer toys are being purchased and thrown into landfills –a win for the planet.

The libraries are usually open a couple of times a week, one weekday and one weekend, making it accessible even if you work – the spaces are big and wheelchair or pram friendly. Children can play with toys and test them in the library before borrowing them – all children are welcome.

Another wonderful thing about the toy libraries is how friendly they are: run by lovely staff who are available to chat or help, and as a member, you are asked to donate 5 hours of your time per year to the library, which is a super way to meet some other parents in your area.

So wander down one day and check out your local toy library; the most challenging part will be deciding which toys to take with you that week!

the nitty gritty

Pascoe Vale Neighbourhood House
7 prospect place, Pascoe Vale

Brunswick West Scout Hall
14a Jolley Street, Brunswick West

Membership at Moreland toy library is paid yearly at $80 ($45 concession) to borrow 3 toys per fortnight or $100 ($55 concession) for 6 toys per fortnight

OPEN

Pascoe Vale
Monday
10.00 am-12.00 pm Saturday
9.30 am to 12.00 pm

Brunswick West
Friday
9.30 am – 11.30 am Saturday
9.30 am – 12.00 pm.

Want to know more? Moreland Toy Library

Toy Libraries Australia