The Interactive Toy Library

Wouldn’t it be great if there’s a place where one can borrow toys and enjoy it at home? Something like a library, except that toys are on the shelves instead of books.

Yes, there are day care centers and relatives, friends, neighbors or friendly stranger kids to borrow toys from, but one can not borrow them all through out the meeting, much less take home the friendly stranger kid’s toy. But at a toy library…

Imagine rooms and rooms of toys! A room for every category: pretend play, building blocks and LEGO, die cast and remote controlled cars, fuel powered RC toys, figurines and dolls, musical toys, toys from around the world, evolution of gaming consoles and their playing cartridges, balls and toys for every sport… The list can go on and on! Every toy will be displayed in shelves and they will have codes patterned after the Dewey Decimal System (I can’t believe I still remember Dewey from my high school lessons!).

The toy library is for kids of every age and generation. Just imagine playing Battle City and Mario Brothers in a Family Computer again! But one can’t take it home because it’s in the archaic section. The husbands can’t take home the fuel powered RC toy planes too. But it’s okay. One can play with them to heart’s content during library hours.

It’s also okay for squeals of delight while at play in the library. I’m sure the toy librarians would be more than satisfied to hear it.

Imagine our kids playing with those expensive wooden toys or the elaborate train track set up or the big playhouse or the Little Tikes. Or the ones we, parents, are doubtful to buy. The kids can play with it and can road test it at home. 

Imagine that! The toy library will be a means for a child to enjoy different toys at a time whether at the library or at the confines of his own home and with his own toys. It will also be a means for parents to see if their child really likes the toy and would go well with their other toys, adapt to their home set-up whether its montessori, waldorf, minimalist or whatever.

I think the interactive toy library idea sounds good. If financially feasible, well… “Borrowers” paying for entrance fee, for toy use at premium and archaic sections or for a membership fee is only understandable. Then there could be fines and insurance for damage and loss. There could also be a “Buy Now” option.

Wala lang. Just a thought over the weekend, since we came home with a newly borrowed scooter and toy motorcycle. 🙂

Since the start of the year, LC always nag kulit asks our neighbor kid if he can borrow her scooter everytime she takes it out to play. LC follows her around like a baby duck to a mother. And while following her, he’d repeatedly say “Borrow pis. Borrow ester pis.” (Borrow please. Borrow scooter, please) until the girl gives in. Talk about persistence! 😉

Hubby and I have actually thought a lot about buying LC his own scooter. But we end up dismissing it every time since there’s no occasion yet that calls for a big item gift. (LC’s birthday falls on a December, just several days before Christmas.) We also haven’t decided whether to buy him a scooter, a trike, a bike or if we won the lottery, an RC he can ride on. So when my niece brought her scooter to our usual get together, kinapalan ko na, I asked her and her parents if we can borrow the scooter over the week. Thankfully, they agreed! We happily brought it home. LC’s been scooting almost the whole day since then.

The motorcycle on the other hand is something a lot of our neighbors have. The real ones, I mean. I think LC has developed a liking to motorcycles because of our neighbors. So when the toy motorcycle was handed to LC, I felt he’s got another new prized toy at the moment.

The ride-on car? Yes, that’s also a borrowed item for… uhm… over a year now… with consent from the owner. I think. Waaah! LOL! Thank you Mareng E! We’ll finally be returning the ride on before LC’s birthday. 🙂

If Mareng E has a Toy Library, I’ll be handed with a grand fine for the super super loooong overdue toy. 😉

And back to the interactive toy library. Toys R Us stores have been closing down across US. Economics may be the prime reason, but maybe electronic toys may have played a big part too. Maybe TRU adapting a sort of “borrowing scheme” can take things for a turn around? What do you think? I think it’s possible. There must be a way to curb the “iPad for toys” preference and bring back the kids to real interactive play.